Public v Private
I promise to not get all political on you! But we were sent this link about a story very close to our heart from a friend in the US. Thankfully this little girl, Emerson has already had her transplant but now needs further surgery but their health insurance is running out.Â
Healthcare in America is not run by the government. It is user pays, so if you don’t have insurance it makes things tricky indeed. The extent to my knowledge on this subject is really based on the Doco Sicko by Michael Moore. Hamish and I watched this at the movies while Aria was admitted a few years ago. Of course we went for educational purposes but both of us walked out in tears, stunned at what we saw and heard.Â
Anyway we are truly blessed to live in NZ and have the access to health care we do. Of course strangely this didn’t hit home until we had Asher- I know madness. I can take Asher to the doctor anytime and not pay a cent including medication! The week he had gastro I took him three times.  Of course we are completely thankfully daily for the excellent care Aria gets, and of course we never have paid a cent. If she needs a test, she gets it, if she needs surgery she gets it! We have excellent and talented people taking care of her. No paperwork (not by us anyway, but I am sure there is heaps) or forms or phone calls to insurance companies. The public system isn’t without it flaws either, these are constantly in the media but I think public health is the best for the people.
But Aria is in a similar position to Emerson, both of them have their future in the hands of a bureaucrat. We will apply for funding for Aria transplant in the next few months. This is a big deal. We will always been sure that if God wants Aria to have this transplant the money will come. But we continue to be thankfully for the care she has received so far. And also wonder what what will happen to us in the US and if we will be able to afford health insurance, imagine having an accident and having to worry about how to pay for your cast or stitches! Still I will leave that issue with God who has supplied all our needs so far!
3 Responses to “Public v Private”
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# 23 Jan at 9:33 pm
God bless New Zealand. We are all so blessed to be here even if at times we get frustrated by “systems” which hold us back. To you as a family we just keep praying for the best outcome that can happen for the 4 of you. xx from us both.
# 24 Jan at 1:56 am
Yes, very sad and we see it all too often yet so many Americans are scared of socialised medicine. I guess until you are in a situation like ours you really do not know how lucky we are even for adults who pay to go to the doctor in NZ it is still way cheaper than me having to pay for my children for a GP visit here in the US.
# 24 Jan at 11:26 am
I have been following Eme’s story via Liver Families as she also had a liver transplant. She is such a battler and has made it through some tough times lately. Her poor mum has seen her code a couple of times and is emotionally at a low ebb so to have to fight for money is just such a kick when you are down. I am constantly grateful that throughout our Stress and heartache with Lara we never had to worry about paying for her healthcare. We would have lost everything to save her but am still grateful that we have our daughter and a home to come back to.