The middle-class desperately needs affordable healthcare
By Isaac Ortiz
isaacortiz117@gmail.com
As I entered the Mission-Bay Kaiser optometry department, the receptionist called me over. “Did you know you had a copay of 181 dollars?” he asked me when I gave him my name.
I didn’t even have the chance to hand him my kaiser card. Apparently, my bronze tier Kaiser health care premium did not cover vision. At this point, I was hoping I was blind so the visit wouldn’t have been a waste of money.
I used my credit card, gritting my teeth knowing that I’d probably need to pay again if I needed glasses. And unfortunately, I did, but at least I got 20% off the prescribed glasses I picked.
My total bill wound up being $388.20. Fortunately , SF City Options does reimburse vision. My premium is $259.63 per month – that’s $3,115.56 a year.
For many middle-class Americans, healthcare coverage is a downward spiral into debt. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), about 14 million Americans have more than $1,000 in medical debt.
Though debt isn’t necessarily reflected in all of its iterations, it could be money borrowed or simply put on a credit card.
As I left the hospital, I thought it would be easier to work three days a week and make less money to qualify for financial assistance for Covered California. I just barely make enough money to be overlooked for financial assistance.
The middle-class is sandwiched on a brutal threshold: not making the cut for financial aid or not affording quality health insurance. Many middle-class Americans would rather go uninsured than go into debt.
The spending for national defense alone is $715 billion so far in 2024. There needs to be a shift in the conversation on how the current federal budget is spent each year. Currently is hasAmerican’s scratching their heads.
Many other departments in the budget are also overlooked. Transportation, education, and community development only made up 7% of the federal budget in 2024,according to fiscal data.
While Medicare received $6 billion more than national defense , it is still troubling to see it nearly on par.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers and providers have a significant seat at the table in policy decisions. When it comes to manufacturers, the process of negotiating prescription prices can be very withdrawn.
The Biden administration has done a good job with this by enacting the The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
According to a summary from Senate Democrats, “The bill will also finally allow Medicare to negotiate for prescription drug prices and extend the expanded Affordable Care Act program for three years, through 2025.”
Whoever wins the Presidential Election could heavily dictate whether or not more money is invested in keeping these programs around.If President Trump were to get elected another term, it could be the end of the Inflation Reduction Act. While this is not an endorsement of Vice President Harris, the consequences still lie heavy on my shoulders as a voter.
Currently, I am registered as a Green-Party voter, but my presidential candidate, Dr. Jill Stein, has slim chances of winning – essentially the same odds of winning the California Lottery.
The future of these programs lies with the next president’ success in the presidential election. I’ll wait with my fingers crossed in early November.