Just picture that Monopoly card with the monocle guy standing there with his pockets out.

[apocalypsos]

So I stopped up my parents' house to get cat litter, and my mom asked me why my throat was still scratchy.

Me: Just 'cause. I can't take a day off while there's overtime to be had.
Mom: No, I mean why haven't you gone to a doctor yet?
Me: Because I can't.
Mom: When was the last time you went to a doctor?
Me: Hell if I know. *pause* No, wait, it was two years ago. Before that ... hell if I know.
Mom: Don't you have a doctor?
Me: Not really.
Mom: Don't you have insurance?
Me: Yeah, crappy insurance.
Mom: Didn't you ever go to the doctor when you had good insurance?
Me: I did when I went to yours for antidepressants, and it *still* cost me an arm and a leg just to show up and have her give me samples.
Mom: You should really go to the doctor about that cough.
Me: Tell you what. When they institute a public option or single-payer and it's free, THEN I'll go.
Mom: *frowny face* I don't know why you can't just go to the doctor.
Me: ... because doctors cost MONEY and I am POOR.

See, this is why people complain that if we did have public health care, there might be long lines. Because fuckers like me who are genuinely sick but are too busy trying to eat and keep a roof over their head instead might fucking go for a change. (Or we can stick with what we've got now, and I can continue to infect everybody else at work. Funsies!)

*

Also, I'm skipping watching the Golden Globes tonight. Apartment needs cleaning, books need editing, woman needs a rest before she starts the work week alllllll over again. *sigh*

Comments

[anonymous_sibyl]

I feel you on this. Oh, how I feel you. Parents: We are doing the best we can with what we have! How about some love and pride for that?

[etoilepb.livejournal.com]

We have "the good insurance" and an office visit is now $35. Plus the time you have to take to go...

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, our "good plan" now involves $500 out of pocket before they start covering office visits at 80%.

Health insurance: costs an arm and a leg if you don't have it, still costs an arm even when you do. My rage at HCR protesters is epic.

[derryderrydown.livejournal.com]

Every time I see mention of the specifics of the USA healthcare system, I want to go and hug the NHS. Which has a hell of a lot of problems of its own but at least I never, ever have to think, "Can I afford to go to the doctor?"

[myniamh.livejournal.com]

Me too. Thinking about hugging the Victorian Government for anything makes me queesy but for not getting rid of bulk billing I will.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, whenever somebody makes a crack about how people in Britain/Canada/wherever have socialized medicine and THEY HATES IT ZOMG!, I try to point out that the question they should be asking is not, "Do you like it?" It's, "Would you trade it for what the Americans have?"

The only two answers I've ever gotten have been, "Oh, hell, no," and raucous laughter.

[myniamh.livejournal.com]

Definitely "Oh, hell, no". I like to complain bitterly about disinterested and crappy doctors and it's a very loud "Oh, hell, no". (I do have a good one now though)

Seeing what 'good' insurance will get you (above) makes me wonder exactly why anyone would be protesting HCR at all.

[jacinthsong.livejournal.com]

Count me in for both of those. The NHS can be improved in SO MANY ways, but basically none of them include becoming more like your system. Many of them involve reducing sexism, racism, homophobia and transphobia (among others), which, y'know, not the fault of Teh Socialised Medicine.

Grah :(

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Quite frankly, most of those problems increase under our system, since it's the poor, black, Latino, and/or women who get dicked over most in this country when it comes to a lack of health care.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

It's not the cost (my appointments are cheap) it's that, even if I get the first up, or the last, I'm garuanteed to miss two hours work, minimum.

I don't get paid if I'm not at work. So of course I put off doctor's appointments.

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

This is all I know about the Golden Globes: Amanda Palmer is there as Neil Gaiman's date (engaged, whooo!) and she whipped out her phone to take a pic of a Dresden Dolls tattoo, but I'm more interested in the background personages.

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

I'm skipping the GGs too but Christina Hendricks looks stunning.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

... aaaaand my Kinsey rating just FLEW to the far end of the scale. :D

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

I just learned via Twitter that the dress is by Christian Siriano.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Okay, between the ruffles and the color, that totally looks like his work.

[crediniaeth.livejournal.com]

Replace "doctor's visit" with "car maintenance" and I am SO THERE OMG.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

My inspection is due up in April. I'm trying desperately not to think about it, because I can't remember the last time I took it in for inspection when it didn't require a couple hundred bucks worth of work on it first.

[amaresu]

This is exactly what I do. I can't afford to go to the doctor and even if I could get that money togethe I wouldn't be able to afford meds.

[octavia-b.livejournal.com]

Wow, every now and then I realise how lucky I am to live in a country with a good public health system. Get better soon!

[budclare.livejournal.com]

If you told your mother you were considering selling a kidney on the blackmarket so you could afford to see a doctor, would that get it through her skull?

(I've had this problem with people on my flist. Lucky people, obviously. Grr.)