“I’d like to go over a wellness plan with you, get you a consult with our dietitian, a chiropractic check, exercise regime, maybe some regular massage, and a referral for psychotherapy. ”
Becca frowns. “I have crappy insurance that I guarantee isn’t going to cover any of that.”
“Well, it’s difficult for me to help you get well and stay well if you’re not going to take your health seriously.”
“I’m a lot more likely to stay well if I can afford to eat instead of giving all my money to the health care industry,” Becca snaps. “I came in for something to help with the panic attacks so I can function like a semi-normal human being, but here I am fending off a used car salesman.”
Each week, Ivy at Uncharted hosts the Six Sentence Stories flash fiction blog hop. This vignette is from The Life and Times of Jane Doe and is in response to this week’s cue, “well.” Fun Sixes from other writers are here. Join us!
This Six touches on some of my rants toward what I think should be called the health don’t-care industry. Don’t get me wrong; I do think that most people who pursue careers in health care genuinely want to help people, but they are hogtied by a billion-dollar machine with more focus on profit than actually caring about people. More on that later. Maybe. If I can make it cohesive.
99 Monkeys 
Amazing six, Deborah! I so agree with you . It is disheartening that the people who are meant to genuinely serve the sick, afflicted etc. , have become servants to yet another business . Really, really sad !
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Thanks for reading and enjoying. Yes, so very sad.
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Being ill is far too unpleasant to have to deal with cost, insurance, etc. good 6!
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Thank you!
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Insurance is such a troublesome thing – bad if you don’t have it, complicated if you do…
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Exactly. Seems to me it just doesn’t have to be that way.
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lol*
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* as is probably obvious, that ‘lol’ is the simplest description of my reaction as I read the story. While perhaps not as incisive and full of un-expected insights, as might be found in, say, the Literary Review or the New York Times Book review, I still laughed at the story.
(I don’t always remember who’s icon/avatar is whose, but when I got to your blog I was all like, ‘oh boy! 99 Monkeys!’ lol)
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Awwww! That makes me feel so good! And while the NYTBR has prestige, for sure, I’d rather have input from REAL readers and writers!
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Thank goodness we don’t require health insurance here! Great six Deborah
Click to visit Keith’s Ramblings
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I am SO jealous. It’s long past time for America to get with the program!
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I surely sympathize with the woman in this story. As we age my husband and I are forced to choose between the medical issues we should be addressing and what we can afford to address, sadly, living expenses usually win, even though we know in the end we will lose because of it. Healthcare in our country has become a farce, particularly for the blue collar working man and his family who fall between government subsidy of health insurance and having enough income to pay outrageous insurance premiums. It is very defeating.
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I’m right there with you. So frustrating!
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What a good six that covers a troublesome subject that is taking much too long to find a solution.
Your choice of photo is perfect for your post.
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Thank you!
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I am disgusted by what’s going on in the government and healthcare. SO MUCH. Glad you wrote this for 6 sentences. Also UGH, so many are going to suffer for no reason 😦
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There’s a reason, and the reason is greed. It’s appalling, horrifying, disgusting…all of the bad words.
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