Heads or Tails: Heads – Doctor
The prompt for Heads or Tails this week is Heads: Doctor. So today, I would like to introduce to you Tricare Bear, M.D.:
“Dr. Bear and Sturgery Bear” ~ Photo Date: July 28, 2008
Dr. Bear was a gift to myself to celebrate obtaining excellent health insurance several years ago. I’m an American, and it is altogether too common for us Americans to have little to no health coverage. But I have it, and I appreciate the heck out of what I have. I wish we all did… especially my younger siblings, who are too old to be covered by our parents but still in school so they don’t have jobs where they get benefits. Fortunately, they are healthy. So far.
As of 2006, there were more than 46 million Americans without health insurance. There were an additional 16 million Americans who had inadequate insurance to cover rising health care costs.* This post is dedicated to all the un- and under-insured Americans who have to choose between seeing a doctor and buying groceries. This crisis stinks.
is a meme brought to you by Skittles!
* Source: Number of Uninsured Americans Continues to Rise on Bush Administration’s Watch, Democratic Policy Committee of the US Senate
July 28th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Excellent photo, and an excellent commentary too. I’ll stop before the soapbox comes out, and I have to point to the half a trillion dollars that…
… we’ve hemorrhaged on a war we can’t win
July 28th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Oh nice to finally meet Tricare Bear ;-)
And thanks for the commentary too!! (and Mojo’s comment!) As you know I’m one of the unfortunate Americans without health care. Fortunately I’m healthy and don’t have to choose between groceries and doctor visits. I could have health care, but only if I follow social expectations I think are silly.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:43 am
Love the photo. I remember be warned to do my eyes and teeth before i Au Pair in the States for a year – because it cost so much than it does in South Africa. It would still cost me a lot I only changed my glasses, never had a problem with my teeth.
Murphy’s Law – I got a wisdom tooth that needed to come out – talk about breaking the bank all my saving would been gone if my host dad did not offer to pay for it. I still had to use my saving and then he gave it back to me over a period of three months!!
July 29th, 2008 at 3:08 am
Excellent post with a cute picture and serious discussion. I couldn’t agree more that what we have going on right now is flat out scary, and it stinks. You nailed it that it’s not just the uninsured but also the underinsured. I am glad that you have great insurance and appreciate it; right now I’m in the same boat, thankfully, but that could quickly change.
July 29th, 2008 at 3:35 am
Love that liccle bear! I wish we had the option of that insurance here in he Uk. Stuff like that gets taken out of peoples wages to cover everyone. The service is still rubbish too!
Thanks for your advice and thoughts at my post. I could sure need it! Your right the driving is the most concern i go everywhere in my car!
July 29th, 2008 at 4:13 am
Glad to meet you, Tricare Bear, M.D.:)
July 29th, 2008 at 6:52 am
Great HoT! Love stuffed animals. Total sucker and I can’t pass up a sweet stuffed face. Bad habit.
We have been without health insurance for well over a year. Imagine? We have a 3 & 5 year old and they don’t have any. Scary. They were 2 & 4 when our State Health Aid was cancelled because we made 200 over a month what is allowed for a family of 4.
July 29th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Such a sweet pic! I cannot understand how such a rich and poweful country such as yours cannot provide free health care for all of its citizens. Happy HOT day!!!
July 29th, 2008 at 8:16 am
I love the photo and I am happy to have met Dr. Bear (I love bears). Thank you for ranting about health insurance…it is a very serious issue to me and to many, many others.
Happy Tuesday!
July 29th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Cute bear! I do appreciate having health insurance, especially every time I look at a doctor’s bill and see how much it could have cost.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:42 am
That’s so cute!!!! If only my Doctor was as cuddly as that one
July 29th, 2008 at 9:53 am
What a great take on the prompt today! Thanks for visiting my HoT. Your doctor bear is adorable.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:33 am
What a fun response (and excellent reminder too) for this week’s HoTs theme! Well done ;–)
Hugs and blessings,
July 29th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
How great to celebrate having excellent coverage. Most of our adult working lives we were blessed with excellent coverage (thanks be). For the last two years we have had crappy coverage and it has ruined our financial security and our credit. America really needs to address the under and uninsured. There is nothing more important than the nation’s health.
Have a great day!
July 29th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
That is great food for thought and such a cute bear. As a business owner, we have health insurance here in the states but pay out the nose for it.
July 29th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I agree that having insurance is something to be thankful for. However, the insurance companies are in bed with the drug companies and together they are NOT helping the issue. There is currently the issue of “leading” consumers to use generic versus name brand – don’t even get me started. Who knows, I may blog about this in the near future… Anyway, great picture – he is a cute bear!
July 29th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I agree with you whole heartedly. Health insurance and care is for everyone, not just those with enough money to buy it or who happen to be lucky enough to work for an employer who subsidizes the premiums.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
I know about 20 people who can’t afford coverage and another six people who have very basic coverage. if they get fucked up, they’re SOL. it’s straight to County Hospital.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
I’m seriously thinking of sending this post (with all the comments) to my Congressman and both Senators.