Once upon a time, boys and girls, many, many, years ago, before money became the deity of the United States there was such a thing as regulation.Utilities such as water, electricity, gas , banks and communications systems were overseen by the government because these "products" were considered necessities for the citizens of this country.
Parallel to those regulations, hospitals provided care as citizens needed it-doctors recommended certain care, contracts covered the care and humans were treated with dignity. If a citizen of the United States needed care in a hospital they were not denied. If surgery was needed, it was provided even if a person did not have the financial means to pay for it.
Pre HMO times meant every person received care with dignity and no one actually died waiting for approval from an insurance company. In fact, it was unconscionable to consider a persons' need for health care based on their monetary worth.
During those years I worked as a social worker in a hospital. Prior to my employment, as a student with no health care, I had cervical cancer, diagnosed at a health clinic which provided no or lost cost care to those in need. The clinic referred me to the University of Michigan to receive an experimental treatment, at no cost. Had I been diagnosed in the HMO era, I would have died because I could not afford the treatment. I also would have not been diagnosed because no free clinics exist today in that town.
I saw many patients with little or no health coverage and they received care with the respect and dignity afforded to US citizens in those days.
No, boys and girls, this is not a fairy tale. Dental clinics were also available to those less fortunate and because of this many children and adults were able to go on to be productive citizens, contributing to our country's GNP, and the elderly, having already contributed, could rest and retire, knowing health coverage would be provided with the same respect they received while contributing to the GNP.
Post HMO, boys and girls, is a frightening horror story. Many years later, now a teacher, I see my little 7 and 8 year old students come to school with abscessed teeth, blackened teeth, swollen gums, high fevers, deep gashes, healing slowly, home made slings on arms, borrowed crutches, and undiagnosed serious medical conditions, until school officials notice.
Blame the parents!, yell HMO supporters.
My children's parents worked low wage jobs, often more than one, while raising a family. They struggled with unregulated utility costs, soaring gas prices, and outrageous grocery bills.
The parents of my students were proud of their working status and wanted more education for their children.
Health care coverage in the HMO era was either not available or unaffordable.
As in the Rich baron days, health care became affordable only to the wealthy -post HMO.
Blaming the low wage earners for their status in the working system, while providing less and less for them except low paying jobs in a service driven industry, the United States has truly become a haven for the haves and an endless struggle for the have-nots.
Someday, boys and girls, maybe soon, you will be able to go to a doctor or a hospital and those glassed in desks with the signs that say, "You must pay first before receiving service", will be gone.
And just maybe, in our wildest dreams, those signs will be replaced with ones which say, "How may we help you?"
