Health Care... what can I say?

I am new to this blogging world, and I am taking a great deal of direction from my friend Lawyer Mama. I like to read her blogs because she is intelligent, well-spoken, and truthful. She also reminds me that each of us are our own people separate from our roles of Mom, Wife, etc.

Reading her blog this morning, she led me to a post about Health Care in America. I have included the link for you. Even though I am not a democrat (sorry, folks), I think there are some real issues that are non-partisan and everyone needs to consider. This woman's story is horrific to me, yet also hits close to home. Let me explain why.

My oldest daughter was diagnosed bi-polar last July. There are split decisions around the medical world about whether a child can be diagnosed this young, whether it is behavioral or medical... blah, blah, blah. Believe what you want to believe- that is your right, but when you walk in my shoes and watch your child spiral from emotional to emotional 10, 20, 30, 40 times a day, when you find a suicide note from a 9 year old, when you get physically attacked by your child one minute and hugged the next- then you can tell me this disease doesn't exist in children. You can tell me that the symptoms going away once she is medicated is a figment of my imagination, or that the fact she has successful peer relationships for the first time ever, now that she is medicated, is just maturity- or my personal favorite- my child's ability to plot, plan and scheme to prove she needs these medications. Come on- she just turned 10! She is plotting, planning and scheming how to stay up past 8:30 or how to get out of homework or chores... not this. You can preach to me it is the environment I have raised her in, whatever and however you want to judge me or my child. You can look at my other 3 children who do not suffer from this disease, and tell me that they don't behave this way because they are additional kids, and I made the mistakes (screwed up) with the first. Believe me, I have heard it all and been accused of it all. Ignorance at its best.

Of course there is the stigma of mental illness- which thank goodness is decreasing inch by inch. What concerned me most (and still does) is the lack of coverage for mental healthcare with our insurance. R.'s prescriptions run $150 a month, with co-pays. She also sees a psychiatrist once a month for meds (30% co-pay) and a psychologist 1-2 a month (again 30% co-pay per visit). Not bad for a chronic illness. However, insurance has deemed she only gets 20 total mental health office visits per year and co-pays only kick in after 100% of the deductible is met. The co-pays are also a percentage, and not the flat fee I would pay a pediatrician. So upfront, we have to pay $1000 out of pocket, and then the last couple of months we have to pay the $150 per visit expense for each office visit. She is also only limited to 10 days per year for hospitalization and that is paid at only 70% because it is mental health. So any required hospitalizations for med switches or reevaluations are limited by insurance. A safe med switch takes 5 days, and if she has any episodes, we are dictated to her care in a safe environment by insurance.

The expenses we will take, we will handle, we will continue to do what is best for our child. However, what is completely unfair, is that my child has a chronic illness. This illness is medically substantiated. Her brain does not produce the right balance of chemicals. How is this different from a diabetic child whose body does not produce enough insulin? In my eyes it is not. Both are diseases that don't go away. Both are diseases that require constant medical care. Both are diseases that are medically proven- why does the diabetic child not have the same restrictions when it comes to access to healthcare or the same reductions in benefits?

http://momocrats.typepad.com/momocrats/2008/02/hate-to-waste-3.html