Obamacare and Me

Well, the Obamacare letter came in from my insurance company today.  And thanks to the diligent work of Mrs OC, all is well.

We basically self-insure ourselves for regular medical care and carry a high-deductible "catastrophic" plan for the big stuff.  Which luckily hasn't been necessary.  Nor do I hope it to be.  It's a $10,000 deductible, which is enough to put a dent into our finances but not so bad as to bankrupt us.  It's insurance the way the word should be used.  Not as it has been corrupted in regards to "healthcare".

You see....the whole thing is an example of our bastardized language on this issue.  For it's not about "insurance", nor about "healthcare".  It's about "payment".  Who's going to pay for it?  Under what conditions?

No one in America is denied "healthcare".   The care is there, available in the free market.  If I want, I can get care from the most expensive doctor in New York City.  No one is stopping me by regulation or law.  But there is the factor of the free market in action.  Think of it like the criminal legal system.

If you are destitute, it's not like you can't get legal representation.  The courts have ruled that you are entitled to counsel in all criminal maters.  But that doesn't mean you get a Racehorse Haynes or an F. Lee Bailey.  Same with medical care.

You see, it all comes down to paying for it.  Who pays for it.  How much will they pay for.  Not whether you can get it, but who pays the bill.  Me and Mrs OC have said we're willing to pay for the day in, day out care and have "insurance" for the disasters.  Just like our car insurance and homeowners insurance.

My car insurance doesn't pay for an oil change.  Or tire rotation.  Or a tune-up (or whatever it is nowdays with all the fancy electronic ignition and fuel injection).  It pays when I'm in an accident and the damage is in the thousands.  Same with insurance on my house.  I pay to have it painted.  I pay to have it heated.  But if a tree falls on the roof, or there's a fire -- that's when "insurance" comes into play.

So, when you hear all the wailing about "healthcare", think of it in terms of your car or house.  And how the debate language has been hijacked.  It's not about "healthcare", it's about the money.  And the control.  Because those are the things government loves to get its fingers into.

As for the OC household....luckily we have a policy that is grandfathered, and an insurance company that isn't playing the game of changing deductibles or co-pays or anything.  So we get to keep our "insurance".  Maybe our company saw how screwed up Obamacare is and decided to insulate itself by making some plans stay the same.  I hope so.  And I hope that decision maker stays at his job til Obamacare dies.  And may there be a DNR order firmly on view at the bedside.