Tragedy, Family, and Community

Yesterday should have been an ordinary day for a small family in St. Ann, Missouri. Yesterday should have been just another day for most people in North St. Louis County. Yesterday should have been an uneventful day for the St. Ann Police Department. And, yesterday shouldn't have happened for one heroin addict behind the wheel of a car.

I'm talking about the tragic, horrible accident that happened at the intersection of Ashby and St. Charles Rock Road in St. Ann, Missouri. A busy intersection in the heart of strip malls, fast food restaurants, and chain retailers.

The reports are sketchy, but basically what happened was this: a man and his wife and two-year-old child in a stroller were crossing the intersection intending to go to the barber shop next to the local pizza parlor. Cross traffic was stopped on a red light. However, one driver came through the intersection and slammed into the family, throwing the child 8 to 10 feet away. As of this writing, the baby and mother are in critical condition; the father with broken bones. The driver was high on heroin and passed out at the wheel; his foot slipped from the brake and on to the gas pedal, causing the car to move forward.

My daughter told me about this accident last night when she picked me up from work. My heart came out of my chest.

This morning, the Facebook page Rock Road Reporter was flooded with local reaction to this tragedy. The community is pulling together to find ways to help this family. The outpouring of support and sympathy is incredible. While many of us in North St. Louis County cannot contribute financially, so many are offering time and talent. This is what community is about - helping one another. Not tearing one another down. Not building walls (are you listening, Donald?).

This story brings many emotions. Sympathy, empathy, and mostly, outrage.

Heroin is a destructive drug - as are many drugs. It has become an epidemic in our country. I watched my childhood friend lose two siblings to this horrible monster. Once it captures its victim, there is no letting go. The escape is almost exclusively death.

How did we get here? With all the information that is out there, why is this a problem? DARE programs exist in most schools in St. Louis County and St. Louis City. I can't speak for the rest of the country, but how is the message of stay away from drugs being missed?

How?

Why?

Now a drug addict is facing a whole lot of problems stemming directly from his abuse. Even if this person has a conscience, and it's not my place to judge, he should feel sick to his stomach for what he did. I guess heroin removes all that from the user. I wouldn't know.

Twenty-four hours ago, a young family woke up to a cool, spring day with ordinary plans. Ordinary plans for an ordinary day.

Please pray for all who are touched by this terrible tragedy. If any of my local readers are able to help, please do. We are a community.

Affordable Care Act

When President Obama promised and signed into law the Affordable Care Act, I was actually relieved. I thought, oh wow, now I can see a doctor and remain healthy. This law had a lot of promises. This program was supposed to bring a brighter future to those who could not afford health care insurance or had no access to it.

So what went wrong?

Let's see. The "affordable" part is based on the wage earner's gross income, not net (net is after taxes and deductions have been taken out). Other expenses the wage earner is responsible for is not figured into the "affordable" insurance. So, if the wage earner is paying $600/month in mortgage or rent, has roughly $250/month in utility bills (gas, electric, water, sewer, trash), and is incurring other expenses such as car maintenance or bus/train fare, these are not figured into the actual living wage the wage earner is making. Therefore, the required-by-law health care insurance is another crippling expense that is forced on the wage earner unless he/she wants to receive a tax penalty of astronomical proportions.

My insurance premiums have shot up from $0 to $75/month in just two years. All I have had in that amount of time is a sluggish thyroid and a case of bronchitis.

I'm having trouble seeing where this is "affordable."

Here in Missouri, we are required by law to purchase automobile insurance (liability is the minimum insurance the state will accept). Mortgage lenders require homeowners to purchase homeowner's insurance if they want a loan. Now, the general public is required to purchase health care insurance. Do you see a pattern here? Insurance companies are raking in millions. That's what I think.

Yes, I get the reasoning behind some of this. Car owners who actually had car insurance were getting into accidents with other car owners who did not have insurance and the offended insurance company was getting stuck with the bill. Car insurance companies were hollering, "Not fair!" I'm not sure why mortgage lenders began requiring insurance. Maybe they were getting tired of being stuck with burned out buildings that they couldn't sell?

The Affordable Care Act was supposed to open up access to health care for those who couldn't get it otherwise. Even with the monthly premium at under $100, I still have to pay a co-pay. While the physician co-pay is a reasonable amount, if I need to see a specialist, it shoots up to $45. Some of these providers charge that much for an office visit even without insurance. So, what am I paying for?

Even if the primary medical care is reasonably affordable, there is still the "extra" medical stuff that doesn't come free. Dental plans are expensive and don't cover anything more than the semi-annual cleanings and x-rays. Fillings are extra. Hope you don't need a tooth pulled, because no one covers that. Eye exams - forget about it. Now, to be fair, Missouri will cover these items for children under 18. You are on your own after that.

So, how are we supposed to get healthy if we can't pay for it? The Affordable Care Act hasn't eased anything for the poor - only made things worse.