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The Healthcare Debate Is Personal for Me
The House recently voted 220-215 to approve the Affordable Health Care America Act, and the bill is now on the Senate floor for debate. If passed, the controversial health care reform bill would be the biggest expansion of health care coverage since Medicare was created.
The legislation would stop insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing health conditions, restrict insurance companies from charging higher premiums based on gender or medical history, and provide subsidies to those who cannot afford healthcare insurance. One of the most debated components of the bill has been the so-called "public option" -- a government-run affordable health care program similar to Medicare. Critics claim that such a program would cost too much and the competition would force private insurers out of business.
Angry citizens at town hall meetings have vigorously criticized the public option component across the country. The majority of Republican and conservative House members are firmly against any type of public option. Citizens and politicians alike have accused the president and Democrats in favor of the public option of attempting to create a socialist-style, government-run healthcare system. While some Americans are wary of such healthcare plans, I am frightened to know that there are tens of millions of people, myself included, living without access to affordable healthcare. There are millions of people just like me who have to go to the emergency room to get care because they lack insurance and can't afford a visit to a primary care doctor.
The healthcare debate is a very personal subject for me. A few months ago, I had to go to the gastroenterologist because I felt a lump in my stomach. The doctor scheduled an appointment for a certain test I needed, but after learning the test would cost almost $900 dollars, I was forced to cancel the appointment. I can still feel the lump inside my stomach. I have not been able to afford the test yet. I'm angry but I believe our leaders and nation are ready to take a step forward.
Previous generations realized that public education was necessary to allow greater social and economic participation in this country. I am hoping that our country will realize that the government has a moral obligation to provide health coverage to those uninsured citizens so they can have a fighting chance to live and contribute to this society. The government has supported wars and bailed out corporations. Now it's time for them to help their own people.
I can't understand how companies like AIG who received taxpayer bailouts can pay over $165 million dollars in bonuses to their employees, yet over 46 million people have no healthcare insurance. I am flabbergasted to know that the U.S. has spent over $702 billion dollars on the Iraq war to bring democracy to another country while people in America are dying because they have no health care.
Furthermore, Americans should not be restricted to just one healthcare system. Universal public healthcare should be available to all those who lack private health insurance. All Americans have a right to quality healthcare whether or not they can afford it. In order for this to come about, we need to pressure those corporate entities that are preventing access: insurance companies and HMOs. Please write your senator, talk to your neighbor. You can still make a difference for the millions like me that need care and have few options.
Latricia Wilson is completing her B.A. in English at Crichton College in Memphis,TN.
The comments for this story have been closed. Thank you to everyone that participated.
Report this commentGood article!
Posted by: jcsmith on Nov 24, 2009 8:42 AM
Latricia put a lot of thought into her article and it provided insight from a different perspective. Most of the comments you hear are from people who don't want the healthcare plan to go through. It's nice to hear from someone who not only needs the plan, but feels passionately about the subject.Nicely done!
single payor solution
Posted by: Jamesm on Dec 4, 2009 9:13 AM
SIMPLE HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONIf you don’t know how Medicare works, find out because you may soon be called upon to help others understand!
By making the Medicare coinsurance/deductible variable according to the premium (ie: high deductible/coinsurance would result in a low premium and vice-versa), those who cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket expenses would be able to get a subsidy (from their state or former/current employer?) and would thus pay $0 or near $0 out-of-pocket. The implications of such a plan are that Medicaid could be eliminated and the savings would be so great and so instantaneous that the people would flock voluntarily to Medicare, and all other plans (managed-care and the like) would fall by the wayside. Other kinds of plans (Tricare, ChampVA, and No Fault) would face a similar fate and we would quickly be left with Medicare for ALL and lower taxes!
The Medicare Premiums would ordinarily decrease because the above strategy would cause large numbers of healthier people to be enrolled in the Medicare program! (Here’s a caveat: get good actuaries!)
Doctors could also hope to benefit because it would be possible to eventually raise the approved amounts because so much money would be saved!
James Mansfield
1. Delaying or failing to implement this plan can only mean that those responsible want the governmental corporatocracy to continue growing and making more of the healthcare decisions (and charging higher taxes and premiums and paying doctors less each and every year!) And since all pensions are jeopardized by the current plan and those plans being proposed, ERISA may be invoked (they can sue themselves!)
2. Medicare savings accounts (ie: one can reduce their taxable income and use the untaxed amount for out-of-pocket or uncovered expenses) will make this plan even more appealing.
3. If you’re presently working for an insurance company or one of the other behemoths presently benefiting from this mess, and you fear what the future holds, you can minimize the impact by coming over to our side now and telling all that you know (or at least some of it!)
4. You can help to assure that Medicare and Social Security are solvent well into the future by reporting people who fake it! Use the Federal False Claims Act (qui tam) and you could be rich!
The only hope that any true major reform ever had/has is to get money into the pockets of the people now! Effective implementation of this plan will do just that, but we don’t have much time!
Essay paper
Posted by: Dorotha Matt on Dec 21, 2009 10:35 PM
Hi,It was a very nice article! Just want to say thank you for the information you have shared. Just continue writing this kind of post. Thanks.
Essay paper
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In my view...
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