what i do

yesterday jan (i know youre reading this too! yay!) asked me to read an article she was editing for the zine she works for because it was about health insurance. basically it was written from a graduate student's point of view and she was comparing the options they have at the school. while she definitely did her research, i can also totally see how people learn to hate insurance because sometimes, it may seem more practical and cost efficient to not have it.

it got me thinking that 1) maybe if people knew more about it, they would know that it's really trying to help you and 2) on the opposite side of the spectrum, maybe only in theory it really does work.

let me elaborate first on thought number 1. there are many stories of origin of health insurance (ppos, hmos, etc) but i think they were all based on one concept. "i pay a little bit every month into a pool of money with a bunch of other people and w

hen anyone of us has to go to the doctor, we can somehow afford it. the chances of all of us getting incredibly sick is really low."

make sense? then it grew to this group of people going to certain hospital and saying "hey we promise that we are all going to go to this hospital and your doctors when we get sick and in return, you guys will give us a cheaper rate than other people who are not in your group."

seems like a good idea right? right. it statistically, and financially makes sense. yes, it was created to HELP people financially!!

now somehow in those many years since the health insurance industry started, we are here in the present where health costs are too high, insurance companies are perceived as the devil, and people think its just not worth it to purchase health insurance. i admit that as a patient myself, it is frustrating to go to the doctor and see them

for 20 min but still have to fork out that 20 copayment. but, i also know that those office visits cost SO much more than your 20 and you are in fact, getting a major deal.

the problem is, is that outpatient doctors arent even the ones that are driving the high cost of health care. it's the hospitals and the inpatient services that get you. do you think that when you go the ER and pay that 50 copay or so, that service was only 50? think about how many people work with you: nurses, doctors etc. those people make a lot of bank! that equipment is worth a lot of bank! if anything, i think doctors and nur

ses should make MORE. they put in hours and hours into the hospital and only make max a few hundred k.

and this is why i said statement number 2. maybe it should only work in theory because it is expensive since i believe doctors and nurses should make more money.

maybe this post didnt make a lot of sense to people. ill probably read it again tomorrow and think it makes no sense as well. i think ill probably write a few more on some basic concepts, terms, and other things. i offered to help my friends during open enrollment season, but no one seemed to need my help. maybe someone will read this and want me!

i dont have a pic today of myself, but i do have this pic of the ny subway....my fav and cleanest place ever.