Health Care

Our health care system has failed. Health care should be provided to all who need it. Emphasis should be put on prevention, not in plugging holes and damage control.

If you are not yet a believer just watch SICKO, the documentary by Michael Moore.

With my husband having another catastrophic event that landed him in intensive care, we are again in jeopardy of lossing our home and having more mile high bills to pay. We haven't even finished paying off the bills from 2007 when he was in the hospital the last time.

Someone needs to do something fast about the health care crisis. One of the resulting negative effects may be severe damage to families. At a time when our economic system is in the dumper, families close ranks and concentrate on their own immediate needs. It's a protective mechanism and natural. Who can afford to help anyone these days with extra expenses when there is no economic safety net, no more retirement benefits.

My husband has Medicare Part A and D. He recently signed up for Part B, which is going to be tough to afford since it is going to cost him almost $400 a month considering all our other expenses.

What about me? I have high blood pressure. Am I going to end up having to have dialysis because of the stress of all this? High blood pressure is the leading cause for the need for dialysis. It has already been determined that I have pressure on my right eye for some odd reason. I have an appointment at the end of the month at OHSU. What about a complete check up? I can't afford it. I can't afford the $150 to give to OHSU for another six months to be seen by them.

Yesterday I walked around the Good Samaritan Hospital complex two times, which took me about 55 minutes. It felt great and I felt much better afterwards. This is the only answer I have for me. Exercise and eating healthy. Am I going to be able to eat healthy as the bills keep coming in and there are fewer and fewer pennies?