I dont usually get political. This post is inevitably political, even though I think theres a lot of cross-partisan tones in it. Warning: Me=left leaning. I have had high blood pressure since I was...well, probably forever. Runs in the family. So I have been keeping an eye on it since I was 18. A few years ago I went on a fish pill/aspirin regimen. Although some day I knew greater measures might be required. A few days ago I started taking my blood pressure again. And it freaked me out. Even though I exercise constantly, eat a healthy diet, and try to do all the right things, my systolic/diastolic numbers were slightly below emergency treatment required. Made an appointment with the doctor. Next disclaimer. I get Group Health coverage through Denises job. Its not cheap at all and its a small company, but the founders see health care as a positive thing for their employees. This makes us very fortunate, as spousal coverage isnt a given for many insurers. Went into the doc yesterday. Had a nice long consultation. Had a battery of tests done. Got some starter low level meds. Scheduled a followup. Currently reviewing the results online (btw, other than having hypertension, the rest of my lab results are grindingly average. Whew.) Out of pocket copay and drug price for the day ... $40. And it got me thinking. High blood pressure is one of those things that is often asymptomatic. Until you drop dead of a stroke in your mid 40s and everyone around you goes Oh, my.... I had no idea... Theres a lot of maladies that are also asymptomatic. Or by the time they do generate symptoms, theyve progressed to a worrisome level. But so many of these things can be detected and treated if you can see a physician. Or, perhaps germane to our day and age... if you can afford it. That battery of tests I got would have likely cost me several hundred dollars under the medical plan I had when working at the U. I mean, we could afford it. Denise and I are DINKS. While we are hardly the 1%, we have resources that the vast majority of the world doesnt have. We ARE the rich, when one considers the global picture. But damn it... you shouldnt have to be rich to get basic preventative care. Because I will guarantee you... preventative care is a whole lot cheaper than an extended stay in the emergency room. I dont know what has to change. Our medical system is a Gordian knot of profit, politics, service, etc. Its all interrelated and any lasting solution will have to be multi-layered. But I know too many people of all age brackets who dont go to the doctor/dentist/optometrist because its simply out of reach. Me? I WANT people to be able to get the care they need...particularly preventative care. Because I dont want to be that guy that has something catastrophic happen because of something simple intervention could have prevented. And I dont want you to be that person either.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 18:04:23 +0000
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