Thursday, May 9, 2013

I think I want to blog again. I have too many blog-type things in my head and I finally have the great desire to get them out somewhere. So I think I will try it again.
Just an update on my life - I have a second child. Little boy. Love him. Being a mom of two is a lot of fun. And tons of work. And most of you know about that one.

Previously my blog has been just the family scrapbook type thing, but one reason I want to blog again is to get out my social/political thoughts. I should probably start a new blog, but I'm just going to do it here. So it will be me, good and bad.

So my political thought for the day was inspired by a letter to the editor in our paper today. The author mentions an experience actually asking at an insta-care how much the care, prescriptions, etc. was going to cost. The author is insured, but wanted to know to help keep costs down. She said the staff responded as though she was crazy.

Healthcare is an interesting thing in that in my experience you never see a price tag up front. You just get your bill and get interestingly surprised by how much things cost. Many people with insurance never even look at that bill. You pay your co-pay/co-insurance/deductible and don't think too much about it.

But it is interesting. My sister-in-law recently commented that when reviewing her hospital bill she noticed that they charged $20+ dollars for ibuprofen. If we were given a sticker cost when given said pill, at the time she may have declined and had my brother go get her a whole bottle at the store for $3. Now as a commenter said, she's not only paying for her ibuprofen but several other peoples as well. But she should still have the option.

Heathcare is the only business I can think of where we don't get at least an estimate up front. And I have to wonder why? I have been without insurance several times in my life and I made different choices based on costs of things. Why would it be so difficult to give an up front estimate of what things would cost. And we'd all know it was an estimate. In home improvement, construction and car repair they give estimates. Sometimes it ends up being more, sometimes less, but they at least give you an estimate before you begin something.

We all talk about the expense of healthcare, what if we could much more easily shop around. More people would realize how much cheaper an instacare is than the emergency room. I think that we would make different decisions. Not necessarily ones that would harm our health, but that would cost insurance a lot less money. Just my little thoughts.

And as a side note, it is interesting with two children in one room. While I was writing this post my little girl had a bad dream (I assume) and started crying and woke my baby. Little girl is back asleep. Baby is having more trouble. I don't know how to work this one. Guess I'll learn with time.

1 comment:

  1. glad to see you back! i agree with insurance needed to give an estimate. I just went to the dentist and they gave me an estimate for the work done i needed it was so nice!

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