America Cannot Afford to Live

“It’s too expensive to be healthy, but descending into madness is free.”

At least, that is what I told my psychiatrist’s voicemail as I was in the middle of a mental and emotional breakdown. In retrospect, leaving a frantic and rather concerning message on the voicemail of my psychiatrist may not have been my greatest idea, but it's pretty hard to think straight when having an episode. Plus it took them a over a day to get back to me. I mean, honestly; do you even KNOW what kind of wreckage I could have instilled by then? That just seems careless on their part. If I had a warning label, it would read: “Needs Supervision: You have NO idea how fast she can fuck her life up.”

But besides that lovely little idea, can we just talk about how impossible it is to be HEALTHY? I am currently struggling with getting insurance, thanks to (several) unfortunate instances with my job. Even beside that point, let’s look at the big picture. I have several medical issues, and need several doctors. I can think of 6 doctors I already see regularly, and I still need to add at least one more. I have 3 medications, not counting birth control. In fact, I was just DENIED the medication my psych wanted to prescribe me because I was NOT on birth control. If you’re a woman, you know BC can be extremely expensive, costing me over 100$ for just a month. When you take into account my other two meds are also over 100$ for the month, usually around 160, and I am not sure how much the third one is, I just started, we are looking at probably 300 a month just to be healthy.

Do you have that money? Because I don’t. I already pay over one thousand dollars a month for childcare. I don’t even make enough money to support a place on my own. Which is absurd, because I should be able to with the money I make. But that's not the point here. The point here is how hard it is to be healthy in our economy.

I previously paid about 240 a month for my insurance, WHEN I had it (thanks, work.) So that is over 500 right there before I even make it to any of my doctors. Co-pay? What’s that? I can’t afford no copay! Out of my 6-7 doctors, I have to see one once a month, another one once a month, and another two times a week. That is about 12 appointments. If it ends up being a month where I have to see another doctor, like the one I need to see every six months, or the one I need to see as treated, or my regular physician, then we are talking more. Who the hell has this kind of money?

I have been struggling with getting my insurance activated in an increasingly exhausting battle with my work and insurance company. I recently had the unluckiness to get a tooth infection. That requires a 250 endo consultation, 100 oral surgeon consult, 300ish for lance and stitching, and then 1500 for the root canal. I received painkillers and antibiotics - 45. My antibiotic gave me a DIFFERENT infection. I need a Probiotic.

I went to the pharmacy just now and my 3 medications plus the probiotic are 450+! It is LITERALLY cheaper to kill myself. Cremations, if I remember proper, run around 3k. In 6 months my death will pay for itself. How fucked up is that?

Let’s look at the big picture here. In the last 2 weeks, just health wise, I have accumulated the required fee of $2,645.00 to LIVE. To be HEALTHY. I don’t know about you but it literally sounds like the world would rather be mentally ill and kill myself then help me survive; leaving behind a small daughter. But hey, that will help the population problem, right?

Let's make this very clear, republicans, I WORK. 40+ hours a week with a salary over 30k. I make well over what is “minimum wage” one would argue I make a “living wage” but when you drop over 2k in a week, is that really living? Another thousand for daycare, and another thousand for rent, bills, food, gas? Do YOU make 4k a month?

America must hate their citizens. Why do we not have universal healthcare? Why can’t I - a middle class full time worker - afford the most basic care for afflictions I was born with? This system sets out middle and lower class people to suffer. It makes people susceptible to living un-heathily, or going into debt - which is just another recipe for us not to afford life.

When will this end? Why is this not the first thing our government does? You only care about corporations. About being rich! You want to continue to line your pocketbooks with the debt of millions who are only trying to survive. Hundreds of thousands of people are falling sick and dying because of the care they cannot afford; and slowly, we will go extinct.

This government will continue to rise and reward the rich while the middle and lower class slowly die off, and soon the foundation of our country will crumble and fall.

There is a REASON it is “Lower” and “Middle” Class - and without us, you will not be high class anymore. You will be ground floor and you will no longer have people to take money from. You will be basic. You will be destroyed. America will be destroyed.

America cannot afford to live.