My first politically-minded blog... lord help me.
When I think about universal health care, I don't think about costs to our taxes, Big Brother's control, or the effects on civil liberties. I think about the fact that it's 2009... and we still live within a system that only allows you to go see a doctor if you're employed. And not only employed, but employed full-time, or very lucky to be employed by a part-time job with benefits. It's a rarity, the only one I'm aware of is Starbucks.
And there are millions of reasons NOT to work at Starbucks.
So if a universal health care system fixes just that, and that alone, I think we'll all be better off. Because there's got to be SOMETHING wrong with the infrastructure, if an American citizen can walk into Mexico and be able to pay $250 dollars a year, and get everything they need for an entire year.
Life isn't like Grey's Anatomy; our doctors are overworked, walking on pins and needles because we live in a lawsuit-happy society that's just waiting for a missed diagnosis. And those doctors, on the other side of the spectrum, jump to conclusions regularly about their patients because they're overworked, and expensive procedures mean a healthy practice and a healthy paycheck.
I have a friend whose mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer... she went in for surgery, and had her lady parts removed. Comes out for recovery, and is told that there was never any cancer to begin with; congratulations! It just blows my mind.
So, I'm rambling, but what I'm trying to say is... more options mean bigger and better possibilities for every US patient. Public OR private... I don't believe in the evil of government. I believe in the evil of individual people, like, say, a former president or two, but I just can't buy the fear that's being passed around by every Republican television ad. The death panels are crap. Nobody's pulling the plug on Grandma. It all just reminds me of the rumors that went around when the Bush Administration was trying to justify the Iraq War - yea, that went really well. Do you support the proposed legislation?
Friday, September 25, 2009
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I work full time at a company that offers healthcare--but they don't pay me enough to afford it. The $150 a week it would cost to insure my husband, me, and our daughter is enough to buy a small house, a new car, or feed a family of five, but it ISN'T enough to cover more than 60% of any prescriptions we may need, and it isn't enough to save us from a $40 copay for every office visit. If universal healthcare means I don't have to quit my job and go on welfare so I can see a doctor when I need to, then I'm all for it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that, Adrienne. I really do hope things get better!!
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