Disillusioned ObamaCare Supporter Would Prefer His Dog’s Health Insurance over His ObamaCare Policy
In the New York Times, veteran reporter Eric L. Wee describes the experience of Nelson, his golden Labrador retriever:
Nelson’s doctors found the bulge in his abdomen on a Monday. An ultrasound and CT scan showed that a mass was crowding out his stomach and kidneys.
Nelson’s health insurance covered 90 percent of the costs after a reasonable $500 deductible. I’m happy he has such good health coverage. He’s my dog. And I’m jealous of him.
My 11-year-old brown Labrador was getting the kind of treatment that I could only dream of. I wanted to go to PetCare. I wanted pet insurance.
Here’s why:
First, we were notified that we would be kicked out of our existing $263-a-month Anthem Blue Cross plan because it didn’t meet the minimum standards of the new law…(Under ObamaCare) the least expensive premium for a couple like us in our 40s would be about $620 a month.
The gulf between my health care world and my dog’s was driven home the other week…I knew from past experience that I probably needed a prescription for antibiotics, so I tried frantically to find a medical facility that would take our new Covered California Anthem Blue Cross bronze plan. When I did, they said it would be three weeks before I could see a doctor.
Around the same time, Nelson developed a skin infection. I got an appointment at the vet’s the next day. They prescribed an antibiotic and did some blood tests.
Looks like the makings of a funny campaign ad to me!
The law is full of so many ridiculous provisions and incentives – someone could come up with an effective 30-second spot that really highlights the absurdity of it all.
It is truly a shame when PetCare is preferable to Obamacare. We give our pets better coverage than our people, what could be next?
Maybe the GOP can model their health reform plan to PetCare. It couldn’t be worse than what we have now..
“My 11-year-old brown Labrador was getting the kind of treatment that I could only dream of. I wanted to go to PetCare. I wanted pet insurance.”
After reading this article, he isn’t the only one who wants to go on pet insurance.
Having health insurance on the free market can do wonders. We have every reason to be jealous, our pets get the benefits that for years we have been clamoring for.
I’m afraid that as pet insurance becomes more common, the free-market that works so well in the veterinary industry will begin to be plagued by bureaucracy as it has in the medical industry.
Possibly, they are so pervasive..
It is only a matter of time before pet health reform appears on the horizon.
And pet Medicaid and Medicare.
Peticaid, Peticare, Obamapet.
Sarcasm? A dog has a better healthcare insurance than most people?
While it sounds like an article from the Onion, this is the New York Times. Outrageous stuff going on.
Even dogs have a better insurance than what Obamacare provides. This is ridiculous. Low quality, unaffordable healthcare, just what Americans needed. Every day there are new stories that make this law more outrageous. What will it take for our politicians to realize that this law is a big mistake?
At what point does it make economic sense to be operated by a veterinarian rather than a doctor? I would much rather pay for my expensive and inefficient insurance rather than to be operated by someone that is not an expert in the human body.
Let’s rally for equality! We deserve at least the same coverage as dogs. Petcare for everyone! It is unbelievable that there are plans available for dogs that are much better than the ones for people. What kind of equality is the country seeking, one in which humans have worse services than dogs?
If he needed a prescription for antibiotics that badly, why didn’t he just go to an urgent care center and pay cash?
It’s what you do for a dog, after all.
And I didn’t see a call to repeal Obamacare.
The article is a good jab at the ACA, but remember:
a. sometimes the same medicine that treats an animal is repackaged and marked up $1000 by greedy drug companies when marketed to humans;
b. no dog receives $250,000 in end of life or Stage 4 cancer care. These are the cases which cause spikes in human insurance premiums.
I think that we can all agree that treating humans’ vs treating an animal medically is very much different. Obamacare although criticized by many people helps to provide affordable healthcare to individuals who may not have been able to receive insurance at all. The average out-of-pocket cost for an ER visit is a copayment of $50-$150 or more depending on the plan. The average out of pocket cost for an ER visit of an uninsured person is $150-$3,000 or more, depending on the severity of the condition and what diagnostic tests and treatment are performed. I personally would much rather have insurance coverage then no coverage at all. There is not a one size fits all solution for the lack of health insurance issues that we face as a country, but Obamacare is a start.