My aching Mouth...

I have always been fortunate enough to have health care. Thankfully. God Thankfully.

One of the debates that is going on is whether healthcare is a basic human right, or if it is like other resources, limited, and for those who can afford it.

A friend of mine was recently freaking out about a dental procedure that she needed done. However, the insurance that the school provides its student-teachers isn't worth a crap. I.e. no one wants to accept it. With mounting student loans, nearly maxed out credit cards, and no other income than a meager wage from her teaching assistantship, it was looking more and more like her procedures were going to have to come out of shallow pockets. Doctors won't even take payment plans, but who can blame them? They need to get paid as well - to cover all of their malpractice insurance and the like.

The insurance companies seem to be the logical target of blame for the healthcare disaster in this country. But they are also a business, and they also have expenses to cover. If more and more Americans are getting sick and need more expensive procedures, then how can rates NOT go up? Maybe the real culprit is our American way of life, which has made us disproportionately unhealthy. But even if the later is true, it is no excuse for people to live without coverage.

It is hopeful to see a rise of a more 'health conscious' movement in America. To be healthy is to be hip. But once again, this hipness is for those who can afford it. A lower class family with several kids cannot afford to buy the healthiest food options.

I think that preventative medicine needs to be more of a focus. Let's start turning this vicious cycle in the other direction.

As for my friend...

It was suggested by another friend that she just put it all on another credit card and worry about paying it off later. The important thing was to have the procedure done. However, she did not want to have to deal with dodging collectors for who knows how long, or have to pay the great amounts of interest.

Often times, health care for the less fortunate has to happen in creative or sneaky ways, or at the mercy of a doctor who can't help but put humanity first.

I heard of a recent study that said that 'Happier' people were often 'Healthier' as well, and vice versa. It was a self fulfilling cycle. I believe it. But in these tough times, it is going to be hard to get people to be either or...