With a tense health care debate dividing our country, our communities and even our families, I would like to take an opportunity to share a personal and rather ironic story, a rare instance of the existing health care system simultaneously demonstrating its inefficiency while saving my family and health insurance company a substantial sum of money. I really hope my personal experiences shed light on the importance of restructuring our nation’s health care system.

During the 2009 spring season I was diagnosed with an infection that was plaguing my feet. The podiatrist recommended a high-tech laser surgery to combat the infection, with costs in excess of $5,000, including out of pocket expenses exceeding $1,000. However, even that exorbitant figure doesn’t reveal the potential costs that would have accrued had the doctor prescribed additional procedures in the event that the initial one was deemed unsuccessful. An even more expensive and worrisome scenario could have materialized had detrimental side effects from the surgery emerged. Alarming impacts included permanent scarring on the bottom of my feet. With the burden of the $1,000 deductible weighing down up my family budget, I visited a second podiatrist hoping for an alternative. He proposed a simple treatment comprising lotion and bandages with total costs roughly $100 and the chances for damaging and costly side effects extremely low.

A series of fortunate events struck me this past summer. For starters, health care costs are out of control, compelling me to approach a second doctor, and the low cost treatment offered was ultimately successful. Pitifully, the doctor prescribing the efficient, cost-effective, and safest treatment merely received compensation comprising approximately $25 from the health insurance industry in tandem with my $80 co-pay covering two visits and invaluable expertise. I think it is feasible to surmise the initial doctor recommending a perilous and exceedingly cost inefficient measure would have been compensated well over a $1,000 for his surgery along with his colleagues performing the operation (i.e. anesthesiologist and practitioners) also receiving an unnecessary and unwarranted sum of money. For all intents and purposes, the failures of the health care system were further jeopardizing my health and were needlessly putting a strain on my family’s budget. Cost effective procedures were substituted with ones displaying major inefficiencies, and safe treatments were replaced with ones full of risk.

Fellow Cornellians, if there is one significant piece of information to conclude from my narrative, I strongly believe it lies along these lines: “The health system is fundamentally broken.” Lets join together and encourage reform!

Morris Jerome is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He may be reached at maj75@cornell.edu. Guest Room appears periodically.