I haven't paused to add up all of the healthcare costs that we've incurred on behalf of Li'l Boo, but I guess that had we paid out-of-pocket, we'd be broke or deep in debt. Li'l Boo was born with a soft cleft palate and required special bottles for feeding, major surgery to repair it, multiple doctor appointments and various specialist evaluations - and he only had a mild case! (If I didn't tell you about his cleft, you would never have guessed - he's normal weight and has been talking since five months old!) No one could tell he had a physical deformity from just looking at him or listening to him. We've been fortunate in that we've had health insurance coverage for Li'l Boo, though we've still paid out a lot of $$ in fees insurance didn't cover, co-pays, etc.
Why we aren't all born with healthcare as an inalienable right is beyond me. I shudder to think of how things would have turned out for Li'l Boo and for us had we not been fortunate enough to be employed with insurance. Having lived in three states (CA, IL and NJ) with a child, what I find equally disturbing is how each state has different requirements for pre-natal care, babies and children. One state may begin immunizations before leaving the hospital, or at two weeks old; while others may wait until a baby is two months old! When we moved from CA to IL when my son was nine months old, he was ahead of schedule for his one-year vaccination requirements in IL so he only needed one shot at his 12-month check-up. Also in IL - post repair-surgery - we were required to have a multi-faceted team of specialists evaluate Li'l Boo (developmental pediatrician, speech therapist, plastic surgeon, ENT, etc.) on an annual basis to stay ahead of any issues that may develop as he grew. In NJ, our pediatrician informed us that no such requirement was in place, unless we sought it out ourselves. (WHAT?! So no staying on top of developmental growth changes to get ahead of any issues that could arise? Only after the fact, "piece-meal" if I noticed something was wrong?)
The funny thing is that from coast to coast I have only rarely encountered another parent whose children have not had SOME issue that required health insurance - allergies to formula/milk, "late" developers, preemies, ear tubes, swallowed objects, accidents/injuries, the list goes on . . . So almost all of us can appreciate the value of health insurance and the travesty that not being insured could lead to . . . and why should children in certain states receive better healthcare than those in other states? They can't choose where they're born or grow up. This is why I'm adding my voice to support healthcare reform for children. For those of you interested in supporting the healthcare for children cause, please visit Speak Now for Kids, follow @speaknowforkidson Twitter or attend the Sitewarming Twitter party tonight at 9 p.m. EST #speaknowforkids.