We have to stop shielding our children from the realities of healthcare, sugar-coating all the difficulties they will eventually have to endure when they are out on their own. The next time your child is temporarily down with a short term affliction like a head cold, you can give him or her an idea of what lies ahead . Something like this:
“Good morning Joey. How are we feeling today?”
“A little better, Mom. I’m not coughing as much but I’m a little upset about the bill you put on my supper tray last night.”
“Why, Dear? I thought it was reasonable. We had to move your brother into the guest room so he wouldn’t catch your cold and that, of course, upgraded you to the private room rate.”
“I know that, Mom. It was in the booklet you gave me, right after my first sneeze, but how come I had to pay for Dad’s visits when all he did was poke his head in the door and ask, ‘How are you doin’ Son?’ and then leave to play golf.”
“Those still qualify as visits, Dear. I told you months ago you should enroll in our KiddyCare Plan but you didn’t want to sign up.”
“Mom, the monthly charge would have been almost half as much as I’m making mowing lawns.”
“Yes dear, but now you can’t expect the family to cover you if you chose to be uninsured. The plan would have covered almost half of your treatment expenses and with a small co-pay we could have moved a TV in here.”
“And, Mom, there’s a $10 charge that’s labeled ‘Mrs. Romano’. What’s that all about?”
“That’s Rose Romano, Dear. She’s in my aerobics class. She has nine children and four grandchildren. She’s an expert on head cold therapy, as good as board certified. Rose gave me valuable advice and rented me her vaporizer and electronic thermometer.”
“Couldn’t we just have the doctor come over and check me out, Mom? I’ll pay the bill.”
“No, Joey. Most doctors don’t visit anymore . We might have had to take you out in bad weather and you’d have to sit in a crowded waiting room, exchanging bacteria with the other patients for an hour. Why don’t you sign up with KiddyCare now. We have no rules against pre-existing conditions and you’d get an unlimited supply of Kleenex and cough drops of your choice.
When you get better, Joey, maybe you should make snow-shoveling another branch of your business to help you with the KiddyCare payments.”
Imagine That 