musings . . .

Last year, when I was diagnosed (again) with bipolar disorder, I didn’t have to worry about the price of my medication.  Though I didn’t have health insurance, the county I live in was able to finance most of my medications  and doctor visits.  My payments were quite affordable and I was thankful for the taxes I paid that helped to finance this program.

But when I called in January to make another doctor appointment they told me that I would have to pay full price.  Apparently they lost some state funding and were only able to serve those with insurance now.  I was filled with panic and despair, crying and freaking out.  And that’s extra stress that someone with my condition certainly doesn’t need.

Thankfully, my next trip to another doctor yielded new prescriptions and some additional care.  Dr. A cares about her patients and does what she can to take care of us.  My next problem was figuring out how to get these medications at an affordable price.

I found out that a pharmacy was selling the generic versions of these meds for a total of about $30/month combined.  I was ecstatic.  What a lifesaver, right?  Well, I certainly thought so.

But after a few months of taking the generics, my condition was taking control more and more and I was less and less able to lead a normal life again.  Through a friend’s posting on Facebook, I watched a video and read an article on the real differences between some brand name and generic medications.  It really got me thinking about my recent decline in well-being and the fact that I  had switched to generic meds.  I decided to switch back to brand name medications and see how that goes.

I spent some time today calling local pharmacies that honor the Badger RX Gold discount card that I use.  I’m shocked at the prices that must be paid for brand name drugs.  The most expensive pharmacy in my area is CVS, who charge $299 for one drug and $129 for the other.  Their prices for the generics are $109 and $32.  Wow.  I was nearly speechless when I heard that.  The lowest prices I found were for generics for $25 a piece.  But for brand name drugs, Target was the cheapest, with prices of $169.49 and $124.99.  But a local pharmacy, Ye Olde  Pharmacy, was only a few bucks more.  And since they are a local business and they have fantastic customer service, I decided to go there.  Thank goodness the Badger RX Gold card helped me to save some money.  It’s incredible how much money it takes just so I can stay healthy.  And I know I’m not the only one.

In addition to this, I am uninsurable.  We just recently applied for health insurance (thinking there might be some way for us to pay for it) and due to the medications I take and the diagnoses I have received, I cannot get approved to save my life.  Literally.  I am in the process of applying for Wisconsin’s Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan.  It’s for people like me that can’t get approved for regular insurance but also don’t qualify for programs like BagerCare Plus.  It might not be the best coverage, but it’s something – and that’s definitely better than nothing.

What do you think?  Is it fair that some people (perhaps those who need care the most) should have to hold off on making appointments and pay through the nose when they do end up seeking care?  Is it possible to continue to have a productive society when more and more people can’t afford to keep healthy?  Do you conider health care a human right (seperate from what any legal document says)?  How can we, as a society, help improve the health of our society?

I just watched some news coverage of the conviction of former alderman Michael McGee, Jr.  I understand that he is charismatic and has a large following in the city of Milwaukee – not just in his district.

The reporter interviewed some people outside the courthouse.  There were two women (both African-American) supporting McGee.  They seemed emotionally tied to him and accused the prosecutor of concocting evidence and conspiring against him.  One of the women said something about the city wanting to send a message to young men in her neighborhood that they shouldn’t try to succeed or they will be punished because of the color of their skin.

Then the reporter interviewed the prosecutor (Caucasian) and the woman (African-American) who ran against McGee in a recent election.  They both emphasized that anyone who commits a  crime needs to pay for it.

It seems like the people here see everything as race-motivated.  I have no doubt that McGee earned his sentences.  Just as I have no doubt that Bill Clinton (though I really liked what he did as President) should have ceased being President after the whole Monica Lewinsky thing.  We all have our heroes but we should always understand that they are humans, too, and they make mistakes just like the rest of us.  President Clinton made the Lewinsky mistake in office.  Michael Phelps made his recent mistake with a bong and a camera.  McGee made mistakes, too.  Though Clinton and Phelps may not have been shamed out of their professions, they have paid for their mistakes (and will continue to do so).  McGee should not be able to make mistakes and not pay for them.  That would be a race-based double standard.  Just as others pay for their mistakes everyday, McGee needs  to do the same.

And the people who remain religiously loyal to him need to understand that they can be loyal without proclaiming McGee innocent.  McGee has made mistakes that affect many people and the reputation of the city’s government.  That kind of damage can be permanent.  His mistakes must be atoned for.  So I urge everyone to take into account Michael McGee and his crimes (or innocence) – not his race.

As I write this, I’m watching Meet the Press that I recorded earlier.  The topic of the day is the potential bailout of the US auto industry and T. Boone Pickens’ energy plan.  And I bet I’m not the only one absolutely sick of hearing about corporate bailouts. And plenty of people who know that I am a fairly liberal person are surprised when they hear me say that I don’t approve of the various corporate bailouts.

Here are some of the problems I see.  As an individual with a household to take care of, I need to be responsible with my money and have enough foresight to anticipate potential future problems.  There is no one that will bail me out if I make bad decision after bad decision for years.  As a matter of fact, I have watched both my parents deal with the problems created from serial bad-decision making.  With help from relatives and friends and repeated visits to bankruptcy court, they are no closer to being financially comfortable than in the past.  Regardless, in order to survive and thrive, we all need to be financially responsible and adapt to changing markets, job outlooks, and changing needs.  The American automotive industry has failed to execute this most basic responsibility.  Technology is amazing and has come so far, yet the big 3 have failed to keep up with this technology and give consumers the vehicles they want to buy.

GM claims to have more hybrids and vehicles that get over 30mpg than any other car company.  These statistics may be true, however, the amount of cars GM has on the market far exceeds that of any other company.  In addition, I can’t believe that people will buy the claim that gasoline consumption of 30mpg or more is an accomplishment.  For one, check out this article from Mother Earth magazine in 1979 about a car that achieved 75mpg.  IN 1979!  Furthermore, there was the legendary EV1 produced by GM in the 1990’s that, of course, required no gasoline at all.  There is even more information on the history and evolution of electric cars on this page.  Here’s the clincher, though.  Without taking into account the alternative engines and power sources for vehicles, we were still achieving 30+mpg 15-20 years ago.  When I graduated high school, I bought a car that consumed 35mpg and wondered how awesome consumption would be in 10 years, 15 years, etc.  Well, it’s been 12 years and we haven’t come far.

Right now in the mainstream auto industry, there are only a handful of cars that have achieved anything of note in the consumption department.  There is the Toyota Prius, available all over the country, and with an mpg rating of about 48.  As a Prius owner, I can say that we have consistently achieved about 50mpg with regular use.  There is also the Honda FCX Clarity, a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle available only in California right now.  The previously-available Honda Insight (and set to come back for the 2010 model year, according to Honda’s website) had a spectacular consumption rating of 70mpg. Also notable is the Smart car, with gas mileage of up to 41mpg (and an incredibly cute design), and the Toyota Yaris, with gas mileage of up to 40mpg.  Both the Yaris and the Smart car have affordable sticker prices, high gas mileage, and nice feature availability.

The other hybrid models on the market are feel-good cars.  They improve gas mileage nominally, making the yuppies, soccer-moms, and wealthy feel like they are doing something for the environment and saving money and fuel while still driving the car they want to drive.  In fact, most of these vehicles have consumption ratings lower than my 2004 manual Kia Rio, that gets me about 34mpg.

So the cars that are really making a dent in consumption are foreign models (which probably have more American-made components than most “domestic” models – even Harley-Davidson uses a carburetor from Japan made by Keihin Fuel Systems).  Obviously, Detroit dropped the ball here and is flailing in it’s attempt to catch up.

There are some companies that are changing the landscape of the auto manufacturing industry.  An example of what can be done to achieve 0mpg, while maintaining a sports car look and performance, is the Tesla, with its price tag of over $100,000.  This car is beautiful and serves those with lots of money who prefer the fancy cars.  Another important company to watch is Aptera.  This car is a two-seater on three wheels – basically an enclosed motorcycle.  Its hybrid model gets 100mpg, while there is also an electric model that (obviously) uses no gasoline.  There are also many new commuter car companies making small (1-2 seats) cars just meant for going short distances on a daily commute, like Commuter Cars Corporation, Motor Development International, and Zap (which stands for Zero Air Pollution).

Why does this all matter?  This matters because, no matter what you believe, the oil supply on this planet is finite.  The price of gasoline will skyrocket again and we will all be feeling the pain.  By buying gasoline in the present, we are funding those we consider to be our enemies.  The continued use of gasoline will continue to pollute the environment and accelerate global climate change.

The cutting edge technology is not coming out of Detroit, and it’s nobody’s fault but their own that they decided to stop being innovative.  Our country should not be funding the antiquated businesses and technologies embodied by the traditional American auto industry.  GM, Ford, and Chrysler all deserve to lose a whole lot of money, downsize like crazy (if not close) and restructure their entore business models, if they remain in business.  If the government wants to invest in jobs for Americans, we need to be financing the new companies with new ideas about fuel and technology.  Investing in these companies would keep America on the cutting edge of technology and provide plenty of new manufacturing and sales jobs as the industry grows.  The failure of Detroit to keep up with the changing market and changing world conditions does not constitute an emergency on the part of American taxpayers.  Period.  Let them take responsibility for their actions.