I have sick kiddos at home. Both left school (Tuesday) complaining of sore throats and ear earaches.
Last night, they both offered tastes of their milkshakes to me, and I declined, explaining that they weren’t feeling well and I couldn’t afford to get sick. The discussion continued, and I pointed out that they have insurance so sore throats and earaches can be handled quickly with a co-pay while I, without insurance, could die from strep if not treated. I know it sounds melodramatic, but strep is serious and I know people who have suffered dire consequences from an untreated sore throat.
This morning, my Facebook feed is filled with stories and comments about the Corona Virus, COVID 19. A lot of the comments from those not allowing themselves to panic over it were things like “how many smokers have quit smoking because of the threat of cancer?”
Or “why is it suddenly a health emergency for people who don’t take care of themselves any other time?”
Well, I have some thoughts on that, and hope that, if nothing else, a growing understanding of how jacked up our healthcare system is comes out of this COVID-19 situation.
Health Insurance
For those of us who struggle with health insurance, and with that I am casting a large net to include those who are uninsured, underinsured, and/or are struggling with the finances required to use their insurance, routine care is sometimes unattainable. I personally hadn’t been to a doctor for so many years that I couldn’t remember before I wrecked my knee two years ago and had to seek medical attention.
Health insurance, and being able to use it, is still very much a privilege in this country. Low-wage workers, and yes, I’m including those $10.50 an hour folks, are usually treated as replaceable, so missing work doesn’t come easily for too many people. They can’t afford to miss work because that means they will be short pay … and that means their rent will be short and their grocery bills will be short and their utilities will be short, and so on and so on. It too often takes a medical emergency for the working class/working poor to take time off to head to the doctor.
As for not taking care of themselves all the time rather than amidst the panic of an epidemic, the same barriers exist. So, where does that leave us? Well, sick people are working while sick and, believe it or not, they’re not doing it because they are irresponsible or careless; they’re doing it for survival.
Think about the people who are working for low wages. They typically don’t have office jobs. They typically aren’t salaried. They typically don’t receive sick pay. But they are typically doing entry level, physical work for those who do have office jobs. And for those who are salaried. And for those who do have sick days.
The working class is vital to our nation because they’re the ones whose hands are dirty from doing the work that others don’t want to do or aren’t qualified to do. And they’re also the ones receiving the criticism for not staying home. They’re the ones being called irresponsible and unconcerned about the health of others, but those statements are false. The working class is very responsible, and they can’t lose their jobs because they are very concerned for their families. They are also stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to major health threats.
Many Must Work
I read comments on posts about the virus and am struck by how frequently and rudely privilege speaks rather than compassion. Do you know how many times I’ve struggled with not having $30 for co-pays when both of my kids are sick? Do you realize that living paycheck to paycheck doesn’t allow for the luxury of being seen by a doctor? And then there’s the cost of medication that most of my insured friends struggle with covering. To speak directly to the building panic around this health emergency, not all of us can afford to stockpile toilet paper and baby wipes because it’s simply not in our payday-to-payday budget.
The scariest part to me in the COVID 19 wave is that most of the people whom I love won’t be able to stay home to avoid it and then, in turn, won’t be able to afford health care to address it.
How about we start paying attention to who wants to do what to our health care system and consider who the proposed changes will harm and help? And honestly?
How about realizing that most people don’t operate from the space of hurting or putting you/your loved ones at risk, but, rather, out of survival and concern for their own.
Onward,
Amy Jo
