Part of this seems to me to be an issue of trust---and perhaps in some cases, race. It seems that those who trusted the government to listen in on their phone calls and monitor their computer activities without warrant, do not trust the same government to find a way to provide health insurance to their neighbors and fellow citizens who do not have it. I am guessing that they also completely trust the insurance paid middle-men who are now determining what level of health care they receive under their current private insurance. They compare the ideas for the reform program to a 'socialist' Russia and seem to ignore the success of the Canadian and European health care systems.
This also is an issue of money. I have heard it said that it has to do with conservative people not wanting poor people to get something for nothing, fearing that the expense for this service will have to come out of their pockets.
Well, I also feel that I will be paying for it in some way. My health care costs are going to go up with or without this reform. They will go up with the reform to pay for health care for those who cannot pay or go up to pay for the inefficiencies and huge profits in the industry while many citizens go without, in spite of what this administration says. My health expenses already are inflated by including emergency room care for those uninsured. There are no guarantees but I think this reform will slow down the increase in costs for everyone. There are no guarantees that the private sector will not drop those insured right now...but they are doing that every day already. I still support the reform as it is the beginning of a long-needed process to improve health care for the richest country in the world and provide a safety net for us all. I just wish these same citizens against the reform would have been screaming at their Congressmen regarding the huge budget deficits that were incurred several years ago.
All that I have to write in this post is colored by the fact that I am not panicked for myself because I am in the catbird seat. I have the same type of health care that the Congress has (which as an aside is a government contracted program with private industry). I worked for the government for the correct number of years as did my husband. We have access to a number of health care plans, we can change plans every January to suit our needs regardless of pre-existing health conditions, and we still get reasonably good coverage. My husband's prostate surgery, his spinal surgery, the birth of my children, my biopsy...all paid for. Since my retirement our premiums have increased, but are still affordable. I remember years ago when a friend on one of the government health care programs needed a lung transplant. The program he was enrolled in refused to cover the operation. He would die without it. That 'death squad' consisted of the health insurance company employee(s). He had to wait the three months until he could change plans in January, got a different insurance company, and went on to have his transplant, even though he had a pre-existing condition. The government contract protected him from being excluded because of pre-existing conditions. Even this government program has its problems but this ability to change plans was his life-saver.
I remember the terrible fear I carried daily when my son had reached 21, graduated from college and could no longer be covered on either our insurance or a student health care plan. His employer provided no coverage. He did not make enough money to pay for health care and pay for his apartment and pay for food. We dug deep and paid for his health insurance until he got coverage through employment a few years later. (I have no idea if this insurance would have worked had he needed it!) What if we couldn't have afforded that? What if he had been involved in an accident or contracted some serious health condition with no coverage? Many hard-working employed people and hard-working students live with that fear daily and without health care reform more and more working people will have no health care.
To those who do not want government health care reform, I ask how you would feel if you had a life style disease and those Americans who were healthy said you should pay a much higher premium because of your poor eating habits, lack of exercise, dangerous life-style activities or decision to live in a polluted area? Why should other Americans subsidize your carelessness and poor life-style? Kind of cruel and frightening isn't it?
To me it is a no-brainer that we need to begin to move in the direction of reform, but hard to convince those not using their brains, and instead, using the fear in their gut and the concern for their wallets to think. Being against something totally is the easy way out. Having to come up with ideas and suggestions to improve this reform and letting your Congressmen know takes far more work.
I'm for universal health care even if it is run by the government even though government by its nature can never be efficient. The cost of health care, no matter who runs it, will always be driven up, however, because we are a litigious society which forced providers to practice overkill and paperwork in fear of lawsuits which drives prices up.
ReplyDeleteIf this country really wants health care reform to the best medical care in the world, then the first place to start is with "tort reform". This will never happen because most of congress are lawyers. I think the only way to do anything in the area of reform is to do it in small steps not one massive bill.
ReplyDeleteA very important issue indeed!
ReplyDeleteDid I told you that I love your words on your Profile and the name of your blog? Not looking back. Trying not to look too far into the future. Just savoring it one day at a time is very wise!
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ReplyDeleteI'm a non-american, but it seems to me that this insurance thing has gone out of proportion. America may be rich but she's printing money like there's no tommorrow, and this printing has nothing to do with real economy.
ReplyDeletewell said! it has always amazed me that many of the protestors seem to have no clue they are already paying for the uninsured, are already subsidizing Medicaid and Medicare when their insurance companies pay the high costs of health care in their agreed payment contracts to providers. these people are already in group policies where premiums are climbing daily. how can they miss that fact? how can they not realize the system needs an overhaul and they will benefit themselves? often the people who protest loudly are puppets of a larger group who have been "brain washed" by the vocal leaders of the group who have always used fear as a powerful tactic of political warfare. seems like fear mongering is how we ended up in the war in Iraq!
ReplyDeleteit is time for us all to investigate and start using our brains. otherwise we are going to keep treading water and eventually drown. when we see that something doesn't work why not change it?
like you. we have excellent health care. i have never paid for medication and have no co-payments for my health services. i am not reuqired to have a referral for specialized care. i can see a physical therapist without a referral, have massage therapy, go to a chiropractor, choose a psychotherapist, go to an orthopedic surgeon, oncologist, cardiologist, etc., without having a primary care referral. i may choose and go. i want to keep this jewel of a health care plan i have, but i want everyone to have quality health care.
i want my friend who is a real estate agent who was unable to work much this past year to be able to afford good health care. i want my hairdresser to do the same. i want my sister whose husband's group plan is not as good as ours to have better coverage and more choice. i want my niece who is in her 20s and one year away from her doctorate to have good health coverage.
it is likely EVERYONE knows someone who could benefit from a quality health care plan made available to all citizens. a part- time employee who cuts grass or cleans houses, someone who landscapes or babysits, a nanny, maybe someone who drives a taxi or sells things on e-bay for a living, someone who is working only 20-30 hours a week, or a self-employed barber or gas station owner who has 4 kids - all these people could benefit from affordable health care. all are engaged in meaningful work. do we ever think about how many companies hire at 30 hours per week instead of 40 so they don't have to offer perks like vacation and insurance coverage? people all over this country work hard every day and have no benefits because some employers avoid providing benefits. could some of these employers be some of the very ones who are complaining about health care reform? hmmmmmmmmm.....
thanks for the good post here. i will be happy if/when we begin to care about our country and each other to the degree that we honor "wellness" for all, when we decide "we, the people" come before political affiliation...and when we begin to investigate for ourselves and find our own answers without the influence of people who are actually paid to stir up controversy via various media air waves.
I am so pleased the the UK had health care reform way back - after the second world war, but it was poposed back in the 1920s.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nhshistory.net/shorthistory.htm
We all make our National Insurance payments before we receive our salaries, and we all receive the same excellent healthcare. How inclusive is that.
There are extra health care schemes to be had, but often it is the same surgeons who work in the private sector clinics and also work in the local hospitals.
OK so it can be more difficult to get some health checks done, not everyone is entitled to say a bone density scan without good reason. But I am offered regular screening for bowel cancer, cervical cancer and breast cancer and am just off to the village doctor to collect my husband's prescribed drugs - free.
We are just so lucky and blessed to have our National Health Service and the dedicated staff who work there, to give every person - regardless of wealth or status - marvellous care.
I hope you all have the same expectations and rights some day.
I agree with Sky's comments. She said it much better than I could have.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting post. I believe that everyone deserves good health care, however, this is a complicated issue. I agree with Richard that we need to take baby steps towards reform. I've heard lots of comparisons to Canada health care system. It seems a lot of people think it is the best thing in the world, and then I've heard people from Canada who live with a national health care system talk about how lousy the treatment is and how slow it is to have emergency treatment. Who do you believe? I guess we just have to go with our gut instincts. One thing for sure is that we need to open our minds and listen with our hearts.
ReplyDeleteGreat debate....interesting for sure.