I have been following the trip journal of fulltimers Jo and Fred Wishnie for about a year now. They are also from Wisconsin. We have never met, but have corresponded a few times. I look forward to meeting them in our travels once we get on the road.
A few weeks ago Fred posted that Jo was in the hospital. She was quite sick and needed to stay for a few days. It turns out she has diverticulitis and it has been getting worse over the last few years.
Here's where the something wrong part comes into play. Jo retired before she was eligible for Medicare. During her career, she paid all of her health insurance premiums. When she retired, she had a difficult time finding an insurance company that would cover her. Eventually, she found a policy that would cover her, but not her diverticulitis as this was considered a pre-existing condition. She has been paying over $400 a month for this policy. She now needs surgery to correct her condition. You guessed it. The insurance company won't cover it and she will have to pay the entire costs of the surgery. She took the risk that this might happen when she bought the policy. But, why did she even have to make that choice?
I know there are many people in this country who are opposed to changes in health insurance. I think some politicians and the lobbyists for the health insurance industry have done an extremely good job scaring people. I believe the health care system in this country is very broken. There are two main issues that really bother me about health insurance.
One: Why is it that in our travels, whenever we come into a city with a downtown, the largest buildings always belong to banks or insurance companies? These same companies that needed our tax dollars for a bailout. Something smells very fishy!
Two: Why is it that our tax dollars can pay for our police and fire protection, but not our health protection? I don't hear anyone complaining about equal protection for fire and police. People from every income level get the same protection. Isn't protecting our health just as important? Can't our politicians find a way to protect all of our citizens?
I don't have the answers, but I know something stinks about the way things are now. I feel bad for Jo and Fred. I hope things work out for them. It doesn't make sense to me that they are even in this situation. I give them credit for not letting this get them down. They have an amazing spirit!
If you would like to read the details of their story, here's the link to their blog.
http://www.mytripjournal.com/WanderingWishnies
With something to think about......See you soon.
37 minutes ago
