I’m sick, I don’t have health insurance…this sucks!

Since I’ve been bedridden for the last several days, I’ve had plenty of time to think about why it’s so hard for people like me to get the health care they need. It’s not that it’s not available; it’s just ridiculously expensive. I’ve just recently graduated college, and like many other recent grads I didn’t step right into a full-time job with benefits. In fact I actually stepped right into a part-time job (obviously without benefits), but with hopes of opening up bigger opportunities in the future. I knew exactly what I was getting into, but the reality that I didn’t take seriously enough is that getting sick and not being able to simply go see your doctor is a major inconvenience.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 28% of Americans that are currently without health care are young adults; that’s 13 million 19 to 29 year-olds that can’t get the attention they may need. I’ve looked into private health insurance plans, and I feel with them I’d have two choices: a monthly payment I can’t afford or a deductible I can’t afford, no happy medium that would make it worthwhile. But when I get sick and I wonder if you can put a price on good health care. Then I look at my income and I wonder why I even need to ask that question. My opinion…there should be better options for people like me; options that make it easier to get the health care we need. If such a thing already exists, it should be easier to find (and please tell me about it if you know of such a thing).

I talked to my doctor about some of my options before I lost health care; here’s what he told me: Once a week in Ames, IA local doctors volunteer their time for a free clinic; you of course don’t get the same attention you’d get at your traditional clinic, and you may need to wait in line with a chance of not being seen, but it’s a start. My doctor also explained to me that pharmacies at Wal-Mart, Target and Hy-Vee do four-dollar prescriptions on generic medicines. But how does one get a prescription without health insurance? That’s great that you can get inexpensive medicine, but how do you see the doctor to give it to you? I know not every town in Iowa (or in America for that matter) has the same free clinic that we have here in Ames. Likewise, I think it’s awesome that these doctors volunteer their time, but how great would it be if we had a health care system where they didn’t need to?

I’m not suggesting that I think a straight universal health care system is the answer, and I won’t claim to be educated enough on the topic to make such a claim. All I’m saying is that I think something different than the current system is necessary. I understand that people become passionate about something when it affects them, and that’s probably the case with me, but 13 million is a large number of young adults without health care – 46.6 million is a very large number of Americans without health care. I’m sure we all know someone who is being affected here, and maybe it’s something we all should be concerned about.

Educate yourself on the current presidential candidates’ views on health care:

Hillary’s American Health Choices Plan
Obama’s Health Care Plan
McCain’s Health System Reform
Huckabee’s Health Care Plan

For a complete listing of free clinics in Iowa, click here.