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It's time to make life affordable
Karen Hart
June 6, 2005 - A couple weeks ago I received an e-mail from a friend regarding her sister-in-law, a woman named Susan Torres. Susan, a 26-year-old vaccine researcher at the National Institutes of Health, collapsed from a brain hemorrhage on May 6. She was rushed to the hospital where she was diagnosed with stage four melanoma and is now brain dead without hope of recovery. Susan is also pregnant and being kept alive through artificial means (at least until July 11) to give her then 18-week-old baby a chance at life. Susan will leave behind her husband and two-year-old son, Peter.
The e-mail asked for help to pay for Susan's care as well as that of her unborn baby. The goal of Susan's friends and family is to raise enough money to cover the unreimbursed costs of all 56 planned days of Susan's care and, if possible, for the care of the baby after that. That amount is estimated at $1,500 per day, or roughly $80,000.
Sadly, Susan's story isn't unique. Health care expenses are out of control.
Milliman Inc., one of the premier health care consulting firms, recently completed its first annual study of total annual consumer medical costs. Their research shows that the annual medical spending for the "typical American family of four" reached $12,214 in 2005. Based on a standard PPO insurance plan, Milliman estimates that the average American family of four will pay $2,035 out of their own pocket through member cost sharing in 2005.
But this analysis only shows the allocation between employer and employee. It doesn't take into account the out of pocket expenses that a family must pay for what the insurance doesn't cover or, even worse, what they pay when the insurance runs out.
Take the story of Brendan "Boomer" Hewes, 10, of Linthicum, Md. He was diagnosed last June with aplastic anemia, a rare, life-threatening blood disorder that occurs when the bone marrow stops making enough blood cells. The lifesaving bone marrow transplant left the Hewes family with a $200,000 medical bill. The surgery wasn't covered under the Hewes' insurance plan and the family owed $70,000 in other doctor bills. Their community swung into action, creating a "Bucks-for-Boomer" Web site and raised $36,000 through a silent auction.
While such stories speak volumes about the power of family, friends and community, it is also an indictment on the cost of protecting life. Affordable health care - while neither a Republican nor a Democratic issue - is often politicized as such. Health care is a human issue. And if we are hungry to safeguard life, we must be willing to make life affordable.
The U.S. spends more per capita on health care than any other nation. Yet, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, our life expectancy ranks 17th out of of 33 developed nations.
But there is no point in throwing blame at either side of the political aisle over the state of our health care system. There will be plenty of time for the historians to do that. Instead, we need to rein in the greed of insurance companies charging excessively high premiums that cause corporations to cut employee health benefits, and we need to curtail ambulance chasing lawyers who drive up those premiums through frivolous litigation. Both are driving up the cost of individual health care.
If we are able to do this, then when an individual like Susan needs extended hospital care, her family can concentrate on the myriad of decisions they face, rather than being weighed down with concerns about how much medical care for their loved one is going to cost.
Karen Hart is a freelance writer in D.C. and a former assistant to President Ronald Reagan.
Community conversations: Lend an arm for blood drive
By PAT HAUN, For The Capital
The American Red Cross and the Community Center are teaming up for a community blood drive from 2 to 8 p.m. Sept. 15. Now is the time to schedule your appointment.
In our geographic area the Red Cross has provided more than 315,000 units of blood this year to hospitals and trauma centers. Some of those units have been used for victims of traffic accidents, some for surgery, while others have been separated for treating specific diseases including sickle cell anemia and aplastic anemia.
Here are a few other facts: Every two seconds, someone in America needs blood. Ninety-seven percent of people will either need blood themselves or know someone who will during their lifetime.
But only about 5 percent of the eligible public donates blood.
The Red Cross strives to collect approximately 1,300 units of blood each day to maintain a safe supply.
Each donor is asked a series of health history questions designed to ensure that only healthy, disease-free people complete the donation process. All of this information is gathered in private and held in strictest confidence.
In addition, each donation undergoes a battery of at least 11 tests to ensure there are no transmissible diseases present.
There are things you can do to improve your ability to donate blood.
Drink plenty of fluids so that your body is hydrated. Don't skip meals. Seek out regular physical activity such as brisk walking, which encourages the marrow to produce more blood cells. Improve iron absorption by consuming meat, fish, poultry and foods containing vitamin C at the same meal. Examples of iron-rich food are prune juice, beans, lentils, spinach, raisins, chocolate, tomato juice, strawberries and oatmeal.
Won't you join me on Sept. 15? I'll be the first one there to donate. But I need your help to fill the other 64 slots.
I have been donating blood since my college days when a professor was undergoing medical treatment and needed blood. I came up from tennis practice, completed the forms, laid down on the table, and was out in an hour. Since then, I have donated more than a gallon of blood.
And it is even easier today with much more comfortable chairs, good snacks and a well-trained staff.
When you donate, you must provide proper identification. Preferred identification includes an American Red Cross Donor Card, for those that have given before, a driver's license, state identification card, passport, military ID, student ID with photo or credit card with photo.
Additional forms of identification require two types, including work identification, Social Security card, birth certificate, insurance card, payroll stub, voter registration card, checkbook with name and address and vehicle registration.
If you have additional questions about identification or qualifications, call the American Red Cross at 800-GIVE-LIFE. Call me at the Center office to schedule your donation appointment: 410-647-5843. It is most important that you schedule a time slot to keep the waiting time to a minimum. Walk-ins will be fit in as possible. I am waiting to hear from you.
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