| The more deeply I look into technicalities in today's | | | | "pre-existing condition." Therefore, people who have |
| health insurance industry, the more my head starts | | | | been beaten by their spouses find it harder to get |
| to spin. In my line of work, the purpose of health | | | | insurance and have to pay a premium in order to |
| care is to promote and maintain health, and to get to | | | | receive medical care. |
| the root of both emotional and physical illness (which | | | | One can say this punishes domestic violence victims |
| are often inter-related) to help restore health. | | | | for the crimes of their abusers. It is hard enough for |
| The medical industry is built around treating illness, but | | | | a woman or man who is living in a household with |
| industry executives have their eye on a very | | | | domestic violence to take the risk of "exposing" their |
| different target than the one I have just described. | | | | experience and seeking medical care, without being |
| Business in this country uses a profit-maximizing | | | | financially penalized for their experience or even |
| business model, and promoting health, preventing | | | | rejected by the very system that is supposed to |
| illness, and even "curing" illness do not contribute to | | | | help them. |
| maximum profits. Medical industry executives, who | | | | I often speak of how emotionally unsafe our culture |
| keep their eye on the bottom line, prefer expensive | | | | is, and this particular wrinkle promotes a climate of |
| tests using new technologies and medications that | | | | unthinkable emotional unsafety for those who are |
| treat symptoms, and require monthly refills or | | | | already vulnerable and emotionally unsafe. Human |
| procedures that require follow-up visits to methods | | | | ethics and profit-maximization in business, sadly, do |
| that keep people well enough to save their money | | | | not overlap, but really need to. |
| for other than medical pursuits. | | | | Heartlessness is not only painful, but also can become |
| The notion of "pre-existing conditions," is one I have | | | | a kind of covert violence. A person who has already |
| always found troubling. While health insurance, | | | | been beaten, needs compassion, protection and |
| theoretically, is something you pay into when you are | | | | shelter, not rejection or a financial penalty for their |
| healthy, so you can have access to medical care | | | | vulnerability. Otherwise, one gets beaten at home, |
| when you need it, health insurance companies make | | | | and then beaten again in the larger world. Too often, |
| a profit only when the medical resources you use are | | | | one way or another, too many of us do get beaten |
| less than the premium you pay. | | | | mentally, emotionally and financially with today's |
| From this logic, a person with a "pre-existing | | | | short-sighted and heartless business thinking. |
| condition," is a bad business risk, because if they had | | | | Compassion, protection and shelter are rare |
| a medical condition in the past or currently have a | | | | experiences when we are vulnerable and in need of |
| medical condition, they are likely to cost money to | | | | care. |
| the medical system, because they are more likely to | | | | I realize many individual people feel very |
| need medical care. Therefore, an insurance company | | | | disempowered in relationship to the large |
| can turn away a person who really needs care, | | | | organizations and systems that impact their daily lives. |
| because they are a bad business risk or can charge | | | | Yet, somehow, we need to find ways to join |
| an exorbitant premium that a person with serious | | | | together to change the way services are provided to |
| health issues is less likely to be able to afford, in the | | | | those who need them most. |
| face of high medical expenses from past care. | | | | There is an effort underway in the senate to end |
| From a medical ethics point of view, this reasoning is | | | | discrimination against domestic violence victims in |
| troubling to me. Would it not make sense that people | | | | health care coverage. However, I feel that we need |
| who have medical conditions should be first in line to | | | | to go much deeper into the hearts and minds of |
| receive medical care, just because medical care is | | | | those in both the political and business arenas, so |
| supposed to be for people who need it? And given | | | | that the thinking that even allowed domestic abuse |
| how expensive even an overnight hospitalization may | | | | survivors to be considered people with "pre-existing |
| be (someone I know fainted this summer, and the | | | | conditions" can change. |
| ambulance ride to the hospital plus an overnight stay | | | | We can certainly act locally and help people in our |
| cost more than $20K), if a person has serious health | | | | neighborhoods and communities who need care. |
| issues, they are very likely financially challenged as | | | | Perhaps, if we do help those within our reach, in time, |
| they try to obtain on-going care. | | | | we can create a different model that can gain |
| A particularly heartless piece of information I | | | | momentum and shape a larger wave. |
| discovered regarding the definition of "pre-existing | | | | It is really clear, that larger wave of care and |
| conditions," is that in eight states plus the District of | | | | compassion is sorely missing and deeply needed. |
| Columbia, domestic violence is considered a | | | | |