“With out your health, you have nothing!”

Within the past few years I have come to not only recognize the issues with health care in America, but the issue has now become one of my passions. I want to be involved in helping to change the way people’s heath is dealt with in the United States. The health care industry (health insurance companies, doctors, drug companies, lawyers, lobbyists, etc.) needs some help getting back to the main purpose of their existence.

I will just list A FEW of my frustrations with insurance companies...

** Why do insurance companies get to determine what is medically necessary?

If a doctor has prescribed a certain medicine an insurance company should not be able to tell you that the medicine is not on the prescription drug approved list (formulary list). When a doctors asks for a certain treatment or test they should not be able to decide it is not medically necessary, a doctor did ask for it to be done.

** Why are previous doctor visit & check-ups a consideration for insurance coverage denial?

I recently had to switch insurance companies and there was an issue with previous doctor visits and check ups I had. I have not had any serious illnesses, broken bones, or on-going care. I do need to go to the doctor, but I’m sacred to do so because then the next time I have to change insurance companies (which will inevitably happen) I may be denied. If I am denied then I will be without coverage for more than 62 days (per HIPAA laws) and then will not be able to get health insurance at all, unless through a company.

** How is health insurance a legal binding contract?

It is my understanding that Insurance coverage is obtained through a contract. If I don’t pay a bill then my coverage will be canceled, but when the insurance company takes too much money out of my bank account, their system won’t allow them to put the money back in to the account. How is this legal? How can my insurance plan state that an item is covered but may be subject to review of coverage? If they state that an item is covered and then deny my coverage of that item when I have tried to use it, then do I get part of my premium back because they decided to change their minds and not cover that item? No.

… I could go on and on, but I will just end with …

I want to organize a day when everyone all over the United States who cares about the health care system or has a story to tell goes to their state legislature as a group and makes it known that we care! Just imagine how overwhelming we could be. I just don’t know how to do that. I know that there are several organizations that lobby about one particular item in the health care system. There are also organizations set up to help people who are currently or have suffered from a particular type of illness. I know that I am not the only person who is frustrated with the system. I also know that there are people out there who have had their lives and/or loved ones drastically affected by this flawed system. I think what we are lacking is a way for all of those interest groups to come together to lobby for personal health in general. As, my friend, Annette says, “We need to stop thinking of people as numbers and start thinking of them as human beings”.

~ Nicole