How You Live

I have tried to follow the Healthcare Reform movement as closely as I can, even though my tendency is to shut down at the first sign of debate and disagreement.  I am a peacemaker at heart, and at the end of the day… I just want everyone to be happy! Most of the time I couldn’t care less who is right or wrong.  This is funny because there was a phase I went through in college when I thought I wanted to be a lawyer.  Wanted to change my major from MUSIC to POLITICAL SCIENCE.  Can you even imagine?!  Fortunately, I realized (before I got way in over my head) that my interest was not in law at all, but in advocacy– Giving a voice to those who were neglected and treated unjustly.  At that time, I wanted to be an advocate for abused children.  (That cause is still so close to my heart.)  But today, I am an advocate for the thousands upon thousands of young adults who have been medically underserved.  It’s interesting how life experiences re-shape and re-direct our passion and energy.

It is no secret that young Americans between the age of 19 and 39 have the lowest rate of cancer survival… by far.  Nearly 5o% of those in this age group who are diagnosed with cancer do not survive.  This is significantly lower than any other demographic — including children and older adults.  Why? I don’t know exactly, but finally, research is being done to try to understand this unfortunate chasm in Cancer Land.  (Kind of like Candy Land… except about .0001% as fun.) 

Here is an interesting connection: Those young Americans I just mentioned… this same group is also the most uninsured and underinsured population in America. Could this have something to do with low rate of cancer survival? Absolutely.  It’s called delayed diagnosis.  Example:  Joe graduates from college and “ages out” of his parents’ insurance policy.  He is looking for a full-time job with benefits, but it’s not as easy as it once was.  Several months go by where he is managing a few part-time jobs…none with benefits.  Joe starts feeling ill but dismisses the symptoms as nothing significant because he’s “young and healthy” and has never had any major problems before.  He’s probably “stressed, tired, over-worked.”   Unfortunately, he feels like he can’t go to the doctor because he has no insurance and can’t afford to pay for a doctor visit ($175+), lab fees ($100s), and any scans that might be necessary ($1500 – $2000 easily).  For months he still believes it’s nothing serious.  So he waits until he can hardly function and then his mom intervenes and drags him to the doctor.  24-year old Joe is diagnosed with cancer in an advanced stage.  Not only is his disease now difficult, if not impossible, to treat because it was diagnosed so late, but now he has to pay 100% of expenses out-of-pocket, or rely on a government assistance program to take care of him.  If he is fortunate enough to survive this disease, he now has a “pre-existing condition”  and will be an insurance liability, and may not ever be able to get coverage again.    This is not okay.

I just made Joe up on the spot, but could do so quite easily because it’s the story I hear over and over …and over.  

Needless to say, healthcare reform has become near and dear to my heart and it’s hard for me to ignore the red hot debates and passionate discussions.   We can probably all agree that the present healthcare system in the United States is broken and we need help. To do nothing is going to cost us tremendously–fiscally and otherwise.  But what is the answer?  I don’t know.  I’m troubled and losing sleep over this issue!  I teared up this morning as I, again, thought about this dilema and wondered if there really is an answer.  Who in this situation is trustworthy?  Who is really looking out for the best interests of the American people?  Who sincerely wants future generations to have the resources they need to be healthy?

I have no answers. And just when I think I’m getting close to solving one of the country’s biggest problems, someone changes my mind!  In the meantime, I’m learning all I can and at least want to be an informed citizen.  No more head in the sand.  This is too important.