Waiting For Big Daddy, Thinking About Health Care

I'm waiting for Big Daddy to get home. He called to say he had to stop by one site and then would be home. Then I can go shopping (all by myself!) and get things for the party tonight. I had invited my old friends Jim & Melissa to come, but they can't make it. Jim had a little snip,snip surgery (to put it politely) and isn't feeling up to the festivities tonight. I need to go talk to my doctor about some sort of more final birth control as well.

Once, an older, wiser friend of mine, Rosemary, asked why we only wanted one child. She thought it was a shame that so many educated young couples were only choosing to have one child. She said we were the people who should have more than one, because we would raise such extraordinary children. I hope I can raise an extraordinary child. I just can't afford to have more children and provide for them in the way I was provided for.

We had a pregnancy rider on our health insurance, but it was costing us an extra $300 a month. $300 a month! We can't afford another baby. Basically we can't afford the health care to cover it. Are you listening Mr. Bush? Are you listening, anyone in Washington? No, of course not. But we of the middle class can't afford to have health care to protect our families. We make too much to receive aid and not enough to afford the financial burden we must shoulder ourselves (So much for government by the people, for the people). With B.D.'s old job, we didn't worry as much. His company paid for a large chunk of our health coverage. The new company does not. Although that may be changing soon, due to B.D's influence.

Jim and Melissa are paying for their new baby out of pocket. It was a normal delivery with no complications, but it was still very expensive. Monkey was the $87,000 baby. That's $87,000 for delivery and follow up care in the NICU. That is just the hospital bill. It doesn't include the prenatal care. Everything was fine up until the delivery. If we hadn't had the health care we did then, I don't know what we would have done. What do people do who have no health care?

My mother could not understand why her children should have to worry about health care. Why we would have to worry and pay so much of our monthly earnings to health insurance companies. She was a government employee and still, although retired, continues to receive somewhat decent benefits. While we were young, she never had to worry about whether she or my father would be able to afford to take care of medical expenses for the children.

My brother and I have explained that entrepreneurs (like my brother), teachers in private schools (like my sister-in-law and myself until recently), or those employed by smaller companies (such as B.D.) have to pay a lot out of pocket for our healthcare. This concerns her and she thinks it should be different, but would she ever vote differently? Would she ever vote to change the situation. Of course not. Dear God, NO! She was raised to vote Republican, even if she didn't like the person. An example - she would call John Ashcroft a complete idiot, but she would still vote for him. My father too. But then again, he gets Christmas cards from Charleton Heston... I digress, sorry.

Anyway, I hope Big Daddy gets home soon. I want to get my shopping done and think of something more pleasant for awhile.