I always enjoy reading John Halamka's writing, from the most technical to the most personal. Below is a snippet slipped into one of his posts describing the journey him and his wife have been on since she was diagnosed with cancer. They're informative, beautiful posts that illuminate the complexity of the healthcare process.
This is an empathetic story that restores faith in the golden rule of humanity:
"When Kathy pursued the issue, noting that the 19 year old with the poor driving record was lying, the insurance company told her that without a photograph of the accident or an independent witness who was willing to verify the events, they would have to believe the 19 year old because Kathy was exiting a parking lot and that makes her at least 51% responsible. Despite Kathy's over 30 year good driving record, the insurance company representative literally ended the conversation with the statement "Life isn't fair".
That episode temporarily caused Kathy to lose her faith in humanity and gave her a sense of helplessness in a hostile world.
As with any conflict or issue, for everything there is a process.
Kathy appealed the ruling to the Massachusetts Board of Insurance and wrote an eloquent letter stating the facts.
Today the Board of Insurance ruled she was not at fault, rescinded the point on her license, and demanded that the insurance company refund/rescind the surcharge. She cried when she opened the letter. The nice guy can still finish first."