Friday, March 30, 2012

One month done--some thoughts on health care

First, I would like to thank everyone who has read this blog anytime throughout my service. I was mainly writing it so I would have a record of things I had done and because I enjoy writing. I hope that I have helped others gain a better picture of life in Guatemala and in the developing world in general (which can also be gained from past posts in Ecuador and Uganda). I'm sure I will continue to reflect on my life in Guatemala as little things here in the States remind me of my former life (eating some delicious mangoes, buying Maseca in the grocery store, finding a great Latin music radio channel). I will include these reflections while I continue writing about more mundane things as I face a few months in Ohio with little to do.

Two months or so ago, I probably wrote something about only having one month left in Guatemala. Well, now I've been out of Guatemala for a month and it's gone pretty slowly. My English still fails me sometimes and I am not yet ready to hold academic conversations with other people. But I went to a mock law class a few weeks ago and actually was able to follow the entire class and even enjoyed it. I haven't been busy with much of anything concrete. Mainly I've been reading a lot, watching some tv shows I haven't seen before, travelling a little. I can't really get a job right now because there aren't any around here and because I don't know yet whether I will start school in May or in August. And I've had two doctor's appointments, which is what I am writing about now.

Healthcare is in the news lately. The Supreme Court will decide whether or not to uphold the Obamacare mandate. I haven't completely caught up on everything yet so I don't have the full picture, but I am hoping that the healthcare mandate makes it through. Health insurance and health care reform is necessary, mainly to make health insurance available to more people and to improve the coverage provided through health insurance (so pre-existing conditions and prescriptions are covered, among other things). Many Americans continue to go without health insurance. I have been to see a specialist twice in the past two weeks, who after the second appointment told me there is likely nothing seriously wrong with me. Each visit would have cost me $150 out of pocket if I didn't have insurance. My insurance only requires a $25 co-pay for doctor's visits in their network (hopefully--I am dreading getting some invoice in the mail saying nothing is covered). Anyone without health insurance probably would live with their problem until it became impossible to ignore, worrying that the cost of doctors' visits and cost of treatments would be overwhelming. This is why it is important that people have health insurance, and why health insurance should be affordable enough so everyone can pay the monthly premiums. This is why things have to change. With the new requirements that everyone purchase a health insurance policy or pay a penalty/tax, it will make the pool larger which will hopefully give normal people more say in what their insurance will consist of and will also hopefully lower the costs of health insurance. Now, I am no expert, but I want to urge people to read up on this new mandate and get a better idea of what Congress has been dragging their heals on.

That's all for now. I'll write about more goings-on in the weeks to come.