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I hardly know the ins and outs of the new healthcare bill and don’t plan on reading it in full.
So, all I have to go on is a philosophical leaning about insurance, healthcare, and society.
The primary tension that I see is the needs/desires of the individual with the needs/desires of society.
As I mentioned last week, a lesbian friend of mine visited me with her wife and 2 kids.
Since I’m not shy (I know, hard to believe), I eventually asked “so, do both kids have the same father?”
Each of the women had given birth to one of the kids and, in fact, did have the same biological father.
This led to a fascinating conversation about the economics of sperm donation and banking as well as to the various methods of impregnation.
As I understand it, there’s IUI (which I may have crassly called the ‘turkey baster’ approach) and IVF, which is more complicated and more expensive.
Now, my friends live in Massachusetts and told me that IVF is a part of the state’s health insurance mandated coverage.
If you are visiting this blog for the first time, you probably know by now that I love my kids and I think it is the greatest blessing to ever happen to me (excluding send my first email in ‘91, of course).
Actually, if you are visiting this blog for the first time…what took you so long?
Seriously, kids are awesome. It’s a blessing and the thought that people who want kids couldn’t have them pains me deeply.
On a personal level.
And that’s the tension.
I want my friend and her wife to have the joy of children, but as a society (when you scale it out to hundreds or millions of people), is that where we should be putting our collective healthcare resources?
If the money that goes to cover IVF comes from money that could fund cancer research or prevent heart disease or save a preemie, is it worth it?
If you assume, money is infinite, then no need to comment here, since choices don’t need to be made.
If, however, you believe that the money for expenditures is finite, it’s a challenge.
And that’s where I sit on ALL of these healthcare issues. Until we have some sort of rationing (be it ‘death panels’ or insurance companies denying coverage), I just can’t get my head around paying for all of it without breaking the bank.
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