Dear Citizens:
After watching the health care debate yesterday and the American Idol result show last night I drifted off into a fitful sleep and dreamed I went to a tea party.
All I remember is a large table with many important people around it--
"You are very late you know, very naughty, we must start over." A small man in a large hat yelled at me.
"Well, I'm just here for a cuppa' tea." I said.
A mouse popped up out of a tea pot and whined. "No Tea, No, No, No, NO!"
"And, Mr. President," one sober gentleman said to the other end of the table, "when you say, with catastrophic plans, they don't go for care until later, I say sometimes the people with catastrophic plans* are the people that are best consumers of health care, in using -- the way they use their health care dollars.
Because a lot of people come in and say, you know, my knee hurts; maybe I should get an MRI. They say -- and then they say, "Will my insurance cover it?" That's the first question.
And if I say yes, then they say, "OK, let's do it." If I say no, then they say, "Well, what is it going to cost?"
And "What's it cost?" ought to be the first question. And that's why, sometimes, people with catastrophic -- catastrophic health plans ask the best questions, shop around, are the best consumers of health care."
A voice rang out "Did someone say The President--off with his head."
"That's not nice." I said.
"Off with your head." somebody else shouted. Many nodded.
A cheshiric smile appeared next to my shoulder and said. "Don't worry, we will put your head right back on--we have the best health care in the world--you do have health insurance?"
"Well, yes, but in a perfect world, I could use a better plan."
A young man seated next to me became agitated and sang out. "We just can't afford this. I mean, that's the ultimate -- that's the ultimate problem here, is in a perfect world everyone would have everything they want."
"Excuse me," I said, "I will keep what I have."
"Start Over, no one likes it. Start Over, no one likes it. Start Over, no one likes it." A chant went up from about a third of the table.
"Wait, I like it!"
A sleepy eyed rabbit with a healthy tan glared at me and the gentleman with the hat came running down the length of the table, china crashing all around him. "It does not matter. You are too late, we must start again." He yelled at me. "Naughty! Naughty! Naughty!"
"Why are they doing this?" I asked the smile on my shoulder.
"I thought you understood that --- they all want to be invited back to this tea party next year."
"Let's get some coffee."
"I'm with you." The big grin said. And I woke up. Thank the Good Lord it was only a dream.
Be well
A Journeyman Citizen
*About High Deductible Health Plans
Under a high deductible plan, you pay out-of-pocket for most medical bills until the total of your payments reaches the amount of your annual deductible. After that, the catastrophic health plan will cover most medical expenses, although you usually have to pay co-insurance until you reach your total out-of-pocket maximum amount. If your catastrophic health plan is eligible for a Health Savings Account (HSA), you can use the HSA funds to pay the deductible and out-of-pocket expenses. Even if you don't use an HSA, it's smart to set aside some money each month to pay for future medical expenses that you may incur. If you never need the money, it's a bonus.
