Reply #4: How do we get health care moved to the front burner? It seems [View All]

[Vinca]

people who still have insurance (like Senators and those in Congress) are in no hurry to take this on. Last December we had to give up trying to pay for insurance when it went up 39% to a quarter of our income . . . and that was with a huge deductible and no out patient coverage. We never received a dime from this insurance company in the 7 years we had the policy. As luck would have it, about 3 weeks ago I got sick. In the middle of the night I apparently passed some gallstones which managed to cause acute pancreatitis. The pain was beyond belief, but I soldiered on through the night because I didn't want to rack up an ER bill. By morning the pain had subsided, so I figured I'd be okay. The pain was intermittent over the next week, so I finally relented and went to the doctor. He was about to admit me to the hospital until I relayed the critical bit of information that I didn't have insurance. He agreed to do some basic tests and "wait and see." So far, so good. It appears I'm recovering. What has me more upset than anything is that I've only just learned my condition might very well have gone in the opposite direction and I could have been in a coma or dead right now. My worry about incurring medical bills might have cost me my life. This has to change.