In the mass COVID vaccination program, Lynn Bruno sees features of a health care system that we can only dream about.
At a recent checkup at Kaiser, a nurse suggested that although I’m not eligible for the COVID vaccine yet, I could come to the clinic at closing time to see if I could get a leftover shot. She said I could even bring my daughter, who isn’t a Kaiser member. It didn’t work, but I still left feeling amazed.
Yes there have been problems around the vaccine rollout. But let’s focus for a minute on the fact that all Americans are getting healthcare without having to worry about deductibles, co-pays, in network or pre-authorization. It doesn’t matter if they have an HMO, PPO, HSA, or even who their insurer is. And there won’t be a surprise bill later.
Can you imagine trying to do this through our regular healthcare system? I can. During my husband’s 10-year battle with cancer we also had to battle a system whose goal often seemed to be to deny care.
With treatment options running out, my husband’s doctor got permission for compassionate care use of a new drug. That meant that the manufacturer would give it to him for free. However, our insurance company declined to pay for it to be infused. After he passed, I got a big fat bill for the ambulance that brought him home to die, because I failed to secure pre-authorization.