Skip to main content

Death of a Health Insurance CEO

I am sorry to hear that a health insurance CEO lost his life on December 4, 2024. That is so sad. I certainly don't condone murder, but this is proof that people aren't getting the help they need. The killer likely needed some mental health help and was denied. That's where my mind went anyway. And hopefully, the death of Mr. Thompson doesn't lead to higher insurance costs with fewer benefits, which is probably where this is going to go with health insurance companies now considering beefing up security, which will lead to the consumer paying for that as well. 

His death should, instead, open our eyes to what is lacking in health insurance - empathy. I have long felt that health insurance is the leading cause of the declining health conditions in our country. By the time we pay for insurance, we have no money left to pay for a doctor's visit. We're going in the wrong direction. The United States should have the healthiest people in the world! I'm still trying to do a lot of self-care. Because I have to be as healthy as possible so I can take care of my family without having to pay the high cost of health care. But I'm 60 years old, so I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to keep up self-care without some professional medical help. Age comes with its own set of problems, which I'm dealing with the best that I can at the moment.

The medical industry has to accept a giant cut when they accept insurance. And the uninsured certainly can't afford the high prices of medical treatment. So, why don't they just charge affordable fees and cut out the insurance companies altogether? I once heard that medical bills were affordable until health insurance companies came into business. I do believe this.  

Our younger son has health issues and isn't able to work outside the home. We're trying to build a small online business for him, but for now, we have to private pay for his insurance. We did find a decent insurance through healthcare.gov, but it will cost $419 a month in 2025. That isn't affordable at all. It turns out a person has to earn $14,000 a year before tax credits will be applied. I'm sure that will increase over time. Our son's health issues involve 3 incurable eye diseases, 1 of which causes severe blurriness. He isn't legally blind, so getting Medicaid is proving to be a battle as well. Again, why can't the government just help all the people if they're going to help most of the people? Or why can't you place an affordable cap on health insurance fees that will make it affordable if this is going to be mandatory for all? 

Anyway, the $419 a month is about $1,000 more a year than what we paid for his insurance in 2024. BUT we paid $1,000 in about a month's time for medical visits anyway to help heal his eyes and get the eye diseases under control because the more affordable insurance ($320 a month) that we enrolled him in isn't accepted by any of the local ophthalmologists. The insurance we have selected for 2025 is accepted by his current ophthalmologist, thankfully, which will be helpful if he encounters another corneal tear. There is still a copay, but it is much less than full price. We had to opt for more affordable prescription drops to help produce more natural tears, because the Xiidra was going to cost $100 for 30 days. The "more affordable" drops cost $165 for 90 days through the online pharmacy that his ophthalmologist office recommended. Plus, we also have to buy him OTC artificial tears and night time eye gel. They both have to be preservative free, which cost about $30 more a month. Distilled water for his humidifier that he has by his bed costs about $10 a month. He has to see the ophthalmologist once a year unless he has another corneal tear or other eye pain develops.

I think insurance companies could save a lot of money on security if they simply show some empathy for the consumer. Significantly lower the prices. Provide more benefits. Allow the medical help that people need. Pay the medical bills in a timely manner. Don't let Mr. Thompson's death cause more pain. Let it be a lesson to help people you serve. Serve with love. Our world is hurting. Please help ease the burden of medical care in a truly affordable and caring way, be it through the medical industry, insurance, and/or government aid. Please help all of us.

My family and I are praying for the Thompson family. May God give you strength to get through each day as you process what has happened. Our hearts truly go out to you for your loss.

By the way, we aren't wealthy. We're paying for our son's health insurance premium with my husband's retirement savings, which is quickly dwindling. But we're trying to be honest and keep our son insured as the government has requested. Again, please help.

Patricia

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking time to leave a comment. Your comment will be published after it has been moderated. All SPAM is deleted by Blogger.

Other Posts You Might Like

Image Pixels to Inches, Flip Image, and Increasing DPI

Image Pixels to Inches, Flip Image, and Increasing DPI These are simple tips I want to share with those of you who are like me and do not have fancy programs to help when needing to convert pixels to inches, find out how many pixels an image has, and increase DPIs for better print quality. My tips are based on a Windows 11 OS and may not work on other systems. However, you may be able to do an internet search to explore your OS options based on the information I have provided below. I do not receive any compensation from these two sites listed. I use them because they are easy, free, and safe to use. These tips are helpful if you need to quickly figure how many pixels you need for a certain number of inches so you can print the right size every time without guessing and wasting printer ink until you do get it right. Also, sometimes, a print needs to be flipped (mirrored, reversed) for transfers. And last but not least, if you’re selling printable items, a higher DPI is needed for ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Charcoal Grilling Recipe for Beef Kebabs

Grilled Beef Kebabs AKA Kababs or Kabobs As I've already mentioned, grilling is my newest hobby . I call it a hobby; otherwise, I wouldn't do it because a lot of time is required to prep. Grilling is meant to get me outdoors more, so yes, it is a hobby. Some people recently told me that they enjoy grilling because it's so much easier and there is less cleanup. I'm not sure how that can be unless they simply add something onto the grill without prepping it with flavor. Gas grilling may be slightly easier since no prepping is needed to heat it up as with a charcoal grill. However, I'm not 100% sure about that. And honestly, I use more dishes for grilling than I normally would for cooking on my kitchen stove. But the flavors and connecting with nature are so worth it. Directions for these beef kebabs are for the charcoal grill.   But they can also be made in the oven or on a gas grill as well, using your own judgment for cooking times. This cook involves open-fire cook...
Post a Comment
Read more

This Rule is Golden

 In Matthew 7:12 NLT, Jesus tells us , "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets." image courtesy of Randalyn Hill via Unsplash My goodness, how often does the world turn the Golden Rule around? Jesus meant it for us to be kind and merciful. Many in the world use it to get even, to seek vindication for a wrong done to them - or what they think has been done to them, which is NOT at all what Jesus said in this verse. Yet, how many times do we hear, "Well, they did this to me. I'm going to do the same to them." Or, "That person was mean to me; I'm going to teach that person a lesson they will never forget." Or, "I never get a break. Why should I give anyone else a break?" Jesus said to treat people the way we want to be treated. That means to be cordial in all encounters. Show mercy to those who aren't showing us mercy. Let's be nice to people who...
Post a Comment
Read more