Robert Wright Professor Eaker English 1102 April 24, 2014

Health Insurance and How will it affect me?

I would like to share a personal story about my health and the importance of having health insurance and healthcare reform. I love to run, or at least thats what I tell myself. Being in the military you have to run, its a way of military living. I have been in the military for 7 years and I have lost track of how many 5K or 10K runs I have ran, in addition to the annual physical fitness test you much complete. I would like to think I am pretty health, I dont smoke, and I do drink sometimes. I am health conscious about food as well. So, sound pretty health, right? Thats what I thought until two months ago. I was running on a trail at the military base here in charlotte and suddenly a sharp excruciating pain shot across my chest, blurred vision and muscle weakness. Everything was a blur some other guys that were in the military seen me pass out and immediately called for help. I couldnt breathe, this was by far the worst pain I have felt to date. I thought I was dying and in fact if no one was on the trail with me that day. I may have. I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. This is where the medical bill start to add up. $1,734.00 for a one way ticket to the closest hospital which was CMC Main. Now before we move past the transfer of care from the paramedics to the ER staff. I have to let you know my family history because this is a very important part of insurance coverage and how much coverage you can get or if you can get insured at if your family history of certain diseases are to prominent in your family. Before the Health Care Reform of 2010, my insurance

company could have dropped me from my insurance for two reasons. One because I have a family history of heart disease something I have no control of. Many people were dropped from there insurance because they were seen as a liability to the insurance company. Two, because I went to hospital that was closer to me in an emergency situation. And insurance company have contracts with certain hospitals these hospitals are called networks. If you go outside your network you may have to foot the bill yourself. Lets take a look at the transfer of care that process its about $200.00, the very first question that is asked after your name, address, chief complaint, is Do you have insurance? This is your tickets through the pearly gates of health care. If your reply was a no. they would treat you but only to a certain extent. Because I am in the military I have access to some of the best health care one could ask for some arent so privileged. The ER nurses and techs pull me into a room, take a few vials of blood, each test is about $25-35 dollars 6 different blood test were done. Lets add $168.00 to my medical bill tab for the 6 blood test that were done. After I had my blood drawn, I was wheel to x-ray so images of my chest could be taken. $483.00 added to that tab as well. By this time the day is coming to an end and essential services are about to close. I still need a CT scan of my heart, echo cardio gram, and a stress test. I finally get back to my room where the doctors are waiting for me. My blood troponin levels are abnormally high. Anatomy 101 session with Robert: Troponin is an enzyme that is present when cardiac muscle tissue is damaged. The Troponin attaches to the cardiac muscle and prevent the cardiac muscle from moving so it can assist with healing that damaged tissue. High amounts of Troponin can be produced attaching its self to all cardiac tissue causing the heart to stop moving. Now back to my story.

Story continued: The staff is very observant after the elevated troponin levels and irregular EKGs. After day one of being in the Hospital I finally get to hear what may be the problem. Borgata Syndrome, a genetic mutation of the heart that cause the electric currents to shot electric currents in multiple directions interfering with other electrical work in the heart. After 4 days of being in the hospital I had a clear understanding of health insurance and how it will affect me. As a once health young man. I now find myself standing in line to fill my cardiac medication, and checking in to see my cardiologist every month. I tried to make this story as funny as possible but its not funny. This could have happen to anyone of us that thought they were healthy. And it wouldnt have been funny to me if I didnt have health insurance. I am not for sure if you kept up with the prices of some of the procedures that I had while in the hospital, it became very costly just the first day. By the time if left the hospital I had raked in $37, 220.00 of debt, not to include the future appointments and refills of medication that will total 10,164 dollars a year on maintaining a genetic disorder. My case is small compared to the millions of people who have worst health issues than I do. Those people couldnt find health insurance because of a genetic disorder and their only option is to pay out of pocket. Contrary to popular belief I usually dont have 37,000 dollars laying around in the bank. One day, but for now I have to deal with what I have.

Health Care Tab: Ambulance x1=$1,734.00 Administative Fees x2 $400.00 Chest X-ray x2 =$516.00 EKG x2=$ 279.56 Blood lab Night Hospital stay x 4= $22,073 Stress test x= $2,209 Bargota Sydrom Test = $698.00 CT Scan X 2 =$10,026 Echo Gram X2 =$1,500 Cardiac Medication = $372.00 Cardiologist once every 2 months for the rest of my life each visit = $457.00