Outside Reading: Editorial

Donna Dubinsky opens her essay Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance with the blunt explanation that her article is not “the story of a poor family with a mother who has a dreadful disease that bankrupts them” nor is it a lamenting tale of “a child who has to go without vital medicines”, this clarification sets the tone not as a heartfelt emotional plea but an unbiased serious critique of a government policy. She does show that she is willing to play with emotions, with a subtle stab at the system, “Unlike many others, my family can afford medical care, with or without insurance.”

             Dubinsky takes a short paragraph to state her point clearly, namely “how broken the market for health insurance is, even for those who are healthy and who are willing and able to pay for it.” Short and to the point.

She goes on to criticize the lawmakers who wish to complicate the recently reformed system. Dubinsky uses short but flowing sentences to explain the problem and offer a solution. “The truth is that individual health insurance is not easy to get.   I found this out the hard way. Six years ago, my company was acquired. Since my husband had retired a few years earlier, we found ourselves without an employer and thus without health insurance.” Using a personal story brings the reader closer to her. She continues, “An insurance broker helped me sort through the options. I settled on a high-deductible plan, and filled out the long application. I diligently listed the various minor complaints for which we had been seen over the years, knowing that these might turn up later and be a basis for revoking coverage if they were not disclosed.”

Dubinsky utilizes rhetorical questions to lead her argument “Why did we even need insurance?” followed by rational, and “Why were we denied?” followed by not-so-rational explanation that proves her point even more so.

Taking on an informal tone, Dubinsky relates her woes with insurance company denying her coverage and hours spent applying her family, individually, she addresses the reader and one almost gets the feeling she is writing a guidebook on how to get covered. She wants the reader to learn from her mistakes. Unfortunately this means she must spend a good portion of her essay listing off said mistakes.

Besides the colloquial language this essay would be adequate for an AP essay, the arguments can be too informal and personal at times but they are delivered well, with plenty of detail and evidence to back up claims.