Why Are We In Such Spectacularly Poor Health?

Today I'm under-slept and over-anxious but that's nothing new since the school year started and it's been two weeks since my cataract-glaucoma surgery. The eye seems okay, although I'm seeing a few glowing globules float past up the outer peripheral vision of my right eye. However, vision seems relatively good except when I'm tired. I did my usual 30 minutes of pedaling on the recumbent bike while reading the local and national news on my phone. I might start increasing my exercise level a bit, but I'll try to maintain a fairly low HR. Suffice it to say, even during the active rest phases of the Norwegian 4 x 4 HIIT cardio sessions, my HR doesn't even get close to 105 bpm. So maybe allowing my HR to climb to the 120s-130 might be okay for a few weeks?

When I get home, I find an email from my health insurance company telling me that the anesthesiologist is not in my network. And then the email letter proceeds to chide me about choosing a provider who will cost me more money because he is not in my network. It then tells me to fill out a 5-question survey so they can judge my satisfaction with them. What?! After 5 questions, there's a comment box. I proceed to explain to them that not only did I not choose the anesthesiologist, I didn't even know who he was until moments before my surgery, but I had cleared my own doctor and the venue (the hospital) as being In-Network. The comment box won't register my complaint because I have "no more free characters left" but there's no character counter on the web page. Ugh. I erase my comment and type in my disgust that the comment box is useless because it has no character counter.

I think about the first (and last time) I had a colonoscopy because I had turned 50 and it's recommended to set a baseline. Everything's covered, except the anesthesiologist, and I need to pay because I have a ridiculous deductible. It's not enough to pay the exorbitant co-pays for specialists every time I see a doc who isn't my primary or the Ob/Gyn. We have decent health insurance, and yet, I'm having to pay thousands of dollars out of my savings toward my glaucoma surgery. There are lots of families who don't have savings, who are living hand to mouth. Who don't qualify for Medicaid because they're not poor, they're working middle class people. Which means there are a lot of people not going for the recommended tests and procedures because they can't afford the deductibles and everything deemed not in-network, not covered, maybe not that necessary. And, the government has taken a hands-off approach to the cost of desperately needed meds. It's supply and demand. You'll pay what you have to because they can charge you, and you have no choice.

Half the time I don't want to do the routine screening tests, etc because even if I ask if it's covered by my insurance, there will always be a surprise bill from someone I didn't know to inquire about. Being an American with standard healthcare means having to become your own patient's rights advocate, because no one else really cares whether you can pay your bills or not. The last administration made healthcare completely unaffordable for many, and those who could afford their premiums couldn't pay for their medications. Not much has changed, except now the government is at liberty to say they don't really care whether life's fair or not, as long as they, those in power, can fly to their government meetings in tax-roll sponsored jet planes and look good for photo-ops. The government now allows short-term health insurance depending on what state you live in, but those plans can deny coverage based on "pre-existing conditions." That term varies from company to company and state to state.

My father fled the Communist regime back in the late 50s so I'm not a fan of the collective government. But socialist countries like Canada look so much more fair when it comes to the healthcare system. But maybe that's because I'm frustrated and pissed off. Like a lot of Americans are these day.

Tuesday Blahs

30 min recumbent bike
Calories 114
Miles 2.46
HR 102