This marks the third straight year of the healthcare insurance market turning record profits. Gas prices are going up, food prices are going up. Who can afford going to the doctor anymore?
Patients' care choices reflect our economic climate. Doctors have seen a decline in the uses of MRI machines, dental crowns and x-rays.
Twitter user @jessicakumar expresses her concerns over growing surcharges. "Did you know that cataract surgery costs $30 in India and $3000 in the US? We need a healthcare revolution."
Last week, a man named James Verone made news when he robbed a bank for a dollar so that he could go to prison to receive medical treatment. He left a lot of us questioning the human right to healthcare. Whether or not you believe proper healthcare is currently a privilege only the wealthy receive, Verone's stunt certainly highlights the U.S. healthcare crisis.
The Verone buzz was circulating every social media site. It seemed everyone had something to say not only about the character of the 59-year-old North Carolina resident, but the reality of situation our country faces regarding the cost of healthcare. Has it really come to this?
In his blog post "Forget Obamacare; go 'Cell Blocks for Docs,'" editor Chris Satullo said more prisoners in facilities means more prison construction contracts and prison guard jobs. Creating jobs is the key. "A whole new consulting industry might spring up," Satullo said. "Advising otherwise law-abiding citizens how to commit just the right crime might get them the prison slot they seek."
Asking for comments from his readers, Satullo sparked a healthy debate over the possible ramifications for both federal and state governments.
"If more people would do this, our federal prisons would fill up," said commenter @jkpsr. "The government would then be forced to address the issue of universal medical care."
The discussion is also heating up on Facebook, especially on the group entitled "James Richard Verone," who is listed on the site as a pubic figure. The group has 214 members, a majority of which seem to agree that this situation highlights a major financial problem within the healthcare system.
Not surprisingly, one of the more extensive debates seems to be over the arrangement of pre-existing conditions. "I've got mixed feelings on this in general, but I don't think insurance companies should discriminate against pre-existing condition," remarked group member Michael Carter. "However, I don't think it should be acceptable for people to buy health insurance only when they develop a condition, that would just raise the rates for everyone else."
Vic Rogers disagreed. "This isn't about insurance companies... it is about James Richard Verone choosing his condo on the beach over his own health and well being."
James Verone though, isn't crazy. He is not a career criminal, nor was he trying to trick others into giving him money to support a drug and alcohol habit. He's unemployed, unable to pay for health insurance, and looking for a way out.
Verone said he had run out of options. "The pain was beyond the tolerance that I could accept," he told the Gaston Gazette last week. "I kind of hit a brick wall with everything."
Verone suffers from a chest growth and two ruptured disks. He showed up at the RBC Bank in North Carolina, revealing to a female worker why he was there by handing her a note. He demanded a single dollar.
The report claimed that he was equipped with a gun. Verone sat inside the bank waiting for the police, with purpose.
"Others just hope they get better," tweeted @JohnGaltQ. "But James Richard Verone robbed a bank."
What's your take on the Verone bank robbery? Does this signify a critical breaking point, or is it a radical stunt unlikely to encourage change? Comment below and join the conversation on Twitter @hfnewstweet.