Here's Why Healthcare is one of the Top Issues for Voters

I was in the ER for three hours because the doctors thought I had meningitis...and now I owe almost a thousand dollars.

Finally, something we can ALL agree on - healthcare!

I've been to the ER twice in the last ten years; not something I make a habit of. Usually a fan of Doctor on Demand or, worst case, urgent care.

Our copay for urgent care (with insurance) is $100.

About a month ago, I had one of the worst migraines of my life, a stiff neck and nausea. It lasted for two days. I went to urgent care and paid the $100, just to have them send me right to the ER because they thought I had meningitis.

I got to the ER at about 11 AM and was there until 2:15 PM. They did a CT scan and hooked me to an IV and ruled out meningitis but said that my sinuses were inflamed, so they gave me antibiotics and sent me on my way.

And then, I waited for the bills, because like taxes, it's a guarantee in life.

We pay for insurance every month. Our deductible is $9,000.

Of course, I'm grateful that insurance paid for a good portion of this. But the fact that we STILL owe almost $1,000 after all of this is mind-blowing. We just got done paying for Pat's hernia surgery, which cost us $3,000 after insurance.

I already have another $3,600 bill for something that is considered a "pre-existing condition." So, put all of this together and we're well on our way to $5K.

We're middle class. And every time we get ahead, something like this happens. And this is NOT okay.

It's not like we're a family that gets sick very often; sometimes, things come up. We're lucky in that respect.

One of our neighbors is battling cancer right now, and insurance denied his $100,000 bill, calling it a "pre-existing condition." There are GoFundMe accounts and benefits planned for him.

I absolutely realize that healthcare costs money; I'm not against that. But WHY is it so much? Over $900 just to read ONE CT scan? And why am I getting multiple bills from all over the country? This isn't something to be proud of as a country.

This system is broken. No, I don't have the answer to fix it, but my fingers are crossed that somebody, somewhere, can figure it out someday.