Back in July, I felt really ill when I returned to Charleston from taking my son to camp in Pennsylvania. I had a terrible pain in my stomach, was sweating from time to time, was exhausted, disoriented, and generally felt just awful. I figured the odds were pretty even that either I had food poisoning or was having a heart attack.

I had a heart attack several years ago – caused not by heart disease, but by a systemic infection – so I know what one feels like, and this could have been it. The problem was, because of my concerns over health insurance for me and my family, I was terrified to go to the doctor.

I am self-employed and have to pay for my family’s health insurance. My business is pretty successful, but the insurance premiums of $1150.00 per month present a strain that we cannot bear for long. Even if I can find insurance at an affordable rate, I will be forced to re-qualify for that insurance every year. So if, for example, I or someone in my family develops a serious illness, when it comes time to re-qualify, the insurance company is free to charge as astronomical a premium as they wish so as to make it impossible for us to renew.

I am very healthy and strong. I am not over weight, nor do I smoke. My blood pressure and cholesterol are good. Grueling 15 mile mountain bike rides several times per week are not uncommon. In the winter, I run on a treadmill regularly. Health should not be a concern for me.

If I was diagnosed with a heart attack, though, it would have made it impossible for me to secure insurance. So, instead of seeing the doctor, I stayed at home and took aspirin, fish oil, and Ginkgo Biloba to thin my blood; Benadryl to try to relax; and tried to rest as much as possible, just in case I was having a cardiac event. I also took grapefruit seed extract, garlic, olive leaf extract, and ate lots of yogurt, just in case I had food poisoning.

I wonder if George Bush, Shelly Moore Capito, or Rush Limbaugh ever find themselves in such a horrible quandary. I wonder, if they ever were faced with such a terrible dilemma, would they feel differently about nationalizing healthcare. I wonder if I were a member of their family, would insurance company profits still be more important than my access to decent medical attention now and in the future. $1150.00 is pocket change to these people, though, so I’m certain such concerns would never cross their minds.

A week ago, I applied for a Medical Savings Account insurance policy in order to cut my premiums to about $500 per month. Today, I received a rejection letter stating I am ineligible because of my cardiac event of several years ago, even though I have no heart disease. Would the health plan to which Ms. Capito subscribes deny her for such a history? Would Mr. Bush be rejected because of his history of alcoholism? Would Rush be refused because he is grossly overweight, has hearing problems, and smokes Cuban cigars?

I would gladly pay 10% to 15% more in taxes in order to cover everyone and spread the risk pool to 250 million instead of a relative few, as in current group plans. Such a system would be much more just and compassionate.

Elliot M. Namay, Jr.

As published in the Charleston Gazette, September, 2003