Sticker-shock Aftershocks

A short while back, our family experienced something that we all shared together. Although we all participated, it wasn’t one of those favorable bonding experiences either. To this date, we are still paying for it.

The strep bug came knocking – probably brought to us from our oldest, who surely caught it from someone else at some public meeting place – church, our house – the donut shop. We don't believe it was school because the previous week, prior to diagnosis, was spring break.

After visits to various shaped and sized clinics (and the ER, simply because they knew how to deal with one of the more delicate cases of one of our streps) we were all administered antibiotics of some sort. We took our doses and survived the strep, all five of us – we’re still kicken’.

These various clinic and ER visits were lengthy, uncomfortable experiences. Having to wait in line is not pleasant, especially when ill, but at least these days there are quick strep tests, which are capable of testing and diagnosing strep within about 15 minutes… essentially while you wait and perhaps shop (just to look, don't touch anything). Then you go and get your medicine and let it start taking its course.

All in all, we took one for the global team, we could have carried this strep with us until it went away (or gave us scarlet fever evidently), perhaps infecting many many others then we probably already infected.

And we paid for it, well not completely yet, or shall I say we are currently paying for it. The bills have now come - a couple weeks after our visits, sticker-shock aftershocks. Here are the facts:

• Wife’s health insurance coverage (for the family) is through her company and was changed this year (and not to our families' financial benefit).

• Total cost to treat our strep episodes - (that is, out of our pocket) over $1000.00.

• If this would have happened last year, the overall cost would have probably been below $250.

• Priceless and this stings as we try to save up to pay to finish our basement. (And hire contractors, plumbers, electricians – also code inspector visits; rather than doctors, nurses, ER techs).

So, the cost monetarily was over $1000.00 for us to get well, or at least better from various stages, forms and dare I say... locations of streptococcus.

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Hopefully we prevented worldwide catastrophe to humanity - to some extent - by paying our monetary share to get us better, so that many others wouldn’t catch it (although some folks probably did - if only these bugs glowed some neon color, so we could see which doorknobs not to touch.)

As we come away from this, I am really surprised at the cost of health care. Overall, I am not sure why the price is so high and it bugs me – the ER visit alone cost $800 – and it wasn’t a life threatening visit, there was no ambulance ride. There was no IV or other fancy machine hookup. Three people, two nurses and a doctor looked at one of our boys… over the course of an hour.

For a middle class family in America, this stings – and almost makes it understandable why folks wouldn’t take themselves, or loved ones in to the clinic or hospital to get better.

Overall, the market, private enterprise, the government, labor groups have failed us common citizens in this health care regard - the high financial price is proof. At this point in time the system does not work. Are we paying higher prices because of the lack of competition for medicines, equipment, clinic and hospital staff? Are we paying higher prices to cover the costs of some expensive new hospital wing? Are we paying higher prices for drugs to help folks in Africa? Are we paying higher prices to cover the expense of a doctor or nurses schooling?

It doesn't seem right. Health care seems like a huge, hulking, dark cloud with no beginning or ending. Its a bitter pill - something you need, or have to have, if you want to continue being a factor in society, yet the financial cost is over the top. Here in the U.S., I think an attempt was made at change, to benefit a vast majority of people. I am not sure if it works/worked (for some probably more than others) or if it will get shot down - but at least an attempt was made - rather than languishing in some quagmire.

For our family, the strep is gone, we paid to have it removed - and we are extremely lucky/blessed/fortunate compared to many others. But now, if I was you, I would go wash your hands – and that includes the health industry. It's time to come clean, ‘cause this could get old real fast.