It’s August 26th 2009, and the health care reform debate rages on. Of course this is a winner takes all approach and name calling and accusations are flaming everywhere.
What are the facts? Is health care reform desirable, necessary, needed? Well that apparently depends on where you are coming from in a number of ways, which is what is so unfortunate about the situation.
In general those that lean toward the left or Democrat party sometimes self described as progressives, claim anywhere from 40 to 46 million people don’t have insurance. Conservatives counter with all manner of figures and claims about citizens that are uninsured. One of the typical statements is most people could get insurance but they just choose not to.
Here’s another one of the talking points. Being uninsured is actually a transitional state that on average last for only a few months or two as people move to new jobs. What?
Let’s consider that for a minute. You have a job with insurance but you loose that job. No worries; it’s temporary and you’ll have insurance soon. (Hopefully before any health crisis develops) How does this in any way address that with finding a new job, (months) and having a three to four month waiting period to qualify for benefits you may become seriously ill, or have an accident and be completely exposed to a huge financial risk? God forbid you slip in your own home or get in an auto accident that requires care the auto insurance doesn’t cover.
So in a sense the way some conservatives rationalize: it’s acceptable for people to function that way as it’s temporary. Where does the two month average I hear bandied about come from?
Then there’s the statement that many people are choosing not to obtain insurance. They could carry it if they looked hard enough for it and wanted it. Yep lots of people just love taking risks and actually enjoy the thrill!
OK, I have a challenge here! I would like to see a dozen people who feel that insurance reform isn’t needed to volunteer. I will assign a role to them. I will give them an alias, an age, a middle income demographic with a budget and certain typical preexisting conditions that are not caused through fault, (if you will, unhealthy lifestyle i.e. smoking, over eating or drinking, etc.) If they already have preexisting conditions they can keep their own. I will then have them call on the major insurance carriers in their areas and apply for health insurance. These people must be willing to suspend their actual insurance and and just go about trying to obtain this new private medical insurance. They must do everything they can to try to obtain insurance coverage and find an affordable plan within their budget!
I would especially invite media pundits who we see everyday in their TV studios or hear on the radio tell America that insurance reform is bad and dismiss the importance of insurance for their fellow Americans.
Here’s the thing, I understand the money has to come from somewhere. I’m a pretty conservative spender. How do you think I keep a fico score above 97% of Americans. It’s not from blowing money like a drunken sailor! No insult to our military it’s just an expression; I love you guys!
But where is the analysis of this very real problem that challenges the health and well being of every citizen of this country? The ones that get up go to work, stay home and care for their families or are seeking a job.
Oh and as far as encouraging entrepreneurship and running your own small business; well if you can’t afford to get insurance because you don’t qualify for private insurance then you better just get with the program and go get a job where your employer has a large group plan to offer you and suck it up.
Where has all the moral fiber and compassion gone to? Why do some feel it’s acceptable for other people to do without, and yet take their own coverage for granted. So many people have insurance through a group plan through their employer of their spouses. Perhaps they can afford and qualify for private insurance.
Has anybody who is against Health Care Reform ever taken a real look at what it costs to buy private Health Insurance? First if you’re not declined coverage, do you have any idea of the costs to carry insurance privately? It can be astronomically expensive and just completely out of touch for average people. Do you know about the caps, the premiums, the copay’s and the total out of pocket costs for a major illness? It’s staggering!
Do you have any idea what it feels like to say yes I’ll pay, I’d like to buy insurance for myself or for my family and then be told they’re declined? Do you know how marginalized and cast out that makes a person feel?
I would equate this reform in some ways to the rights of women to vote or the civil rights movement. This is really an important vital consideration and yes everyone needs health and medical coverage.
If we really have a great country then we must find a way to make sure that everyone has access to decent medical insurance and care.
Are we going to simply leave health care in the hands of insurance companies whose concerns are profit not people? Is there any way that we can find a way to make these two objectives not mutually exclusive? Can insurance companies re-think their business and find a way to offer care for more people?
Do we really want to treat our fellow man in such a callous, reprehensible, and cruel way?
Tell me what you think? If you think we need reform, what ideas do you think would work? Where should the funding come from?
Here’s a typical article from U.S. News and World Report.To read click here.
Tags: Debate, Health care, Health Insurance
