Seeking a compassionate nation
I’m not entirely sure of the wisdom behind giving Congress the lead on health care reform, while the all popular President Obama cajoles its progress from the sidelines. I don’t know about you but I’m worried. As a much younger and healthier person, I watched health care reform flame and fizzle in 1993. Yes, I was disappointed, but the reality of needing health care was distant in concept. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, it would only be two years later that its necessity would smack me to the ground.
I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in my second quarter of graduate school. It was a series of kind acts by doctors, family, friends, and strangers, the existence of the Washington State Basic Health Plan, and the availability of student aid, that moved me through it. The doctor at the student health clinic struck a deal with my catastrophe insurance carrier to fully diagnose the problem because it could be cancer, which would be technically life-threatening. He told me if it was cancer the insurance wouldn’t pay for treatment. Fortunate to get cancer in Washington State, I was able to enroll in its Basic Health plan. With help from my student loans, I covered the required co-pays during the pre-existing condition months and afterwards. At my graduation two years later, I had a Master of Science from a public institution with the price tag of a private school.
I’m not whining about it, but at the same time, I’m not going to shut up about it, either. Confronting the emotional and physical challenges of chemotherapy is a daunting task. A $1200 bill from the clinic administering it sends you further into a dark, desperate place. I don’t find it acceptable that our country is okay with this, for me, you or anyone. We are compassionate people. I know this from personal experience. I can’t see how compassionate people can overlook the suffering caused by the lack of affordable health care. It’s like adding salt to a wound.
Here we are in limbo and in the worst position possible, waiting for Congress to act. As usual it’s all going to hell. Congress doesn’t play nice in the sandbox. While Republicans hurl fistfuls of sand at them, the House Democrats are arguing among themselves about how to build their sand castle. Meanwhile the “in” group of Democrat and Republican Senators are off in the far corner of the playground holding secret squirrel meetings during the day and parties with insurance and pharmaceutical companies at night.
The sweet stench of money is escaping from the dark mahogany doors of Congress, offered by the sweaty palms of insurance companies. The US Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Max Baucus, D-Montana, has announced a call to action on health care reform. According to Consumer Watch Dog, 20% of Senator Baucus’ campaign funds were contributed by the health and insurance sectors while less than 10% of his money was given by his fellow residents of Montana. Some of the top contributors of his campaign fund include at least 5 companies that oppose any public insurance option, Schering-Plough NY Life Insurance, Amgen, Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
It seems to me that this senator is paid, albeit indirectly, by the health and insurance sectors. Isn’t it interesting that the public option is suddenly dropped so early in the process by the senators? I can’t erase a circa 1950’s good old boy club image from my mind, a bunch of old white guys chomping on cigars sitting in dark leather chairs, plotting the silent ways they can employ to kill health care reform and keep their money.
Now we can expect those annoying one-sided, mini political infomercials interrupting our daily dose of the tube. PhRMA, which represents drug companies, has purchased more than $500,000 worth of television ads to air in nine states. Gee, I wonder what they are going to say?
Hear me now and believe me later, if I had the money those guys did, I would launch my own healthcare reform ad campaign. I wouldn’t have to hire an advertising firm or hold any focus groups. I would simply put the camera on the people scrimping to afford treatment or medication; those who lost loved ones because the insurance company dropped them or wouldn’t approve the “experimental” treatment; the ones who ended up bankrupt or in debt to ears to pay for cancer treatment. Their stories break my heart every time. I want more from my country. I know that the devil is in the details, but I suspect he’s breathing down the backs of Congress, reminding them who pays them.
If the Wall Street fools get a bailout, why can’t we, the American People, be afforded the peace of mind to focus on healing when we are sick and not whether we can afford it? I wish it could be that easy. No, thank you, I can afford cancer today, maybe next year?
The solutions to health care reform are best handled by better minds than mine. I understand that we need to figure out how to pay for health care on national level and that the way health care is administered may be different from how we operate today. I believe that flexibility and innovation are some of our collective gifts as Americans. Please don’t let the love of money stop our progress of becoming a more compassionate nation. I believe that we have to keep our eyes on Congress so they don’t rob us and our well-being for re-election campaign funds.
I’m not entirely sure of the wisdom behind giving Congress the lead on health care reform, while the all popular President Obama cajoles its progress from the sidelines. I don’t know about you but I’m worried. As a much younger and healthier person, I watched health care reform flame and fizzle in 1993. Yes, I was disappointed, but the reality of needing health care was distant in concept. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, it would only be two years later that its necessity would smack me to the ground.
I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in my second quarter of graduate school. It was a series of kind acts by doctors, family, friends, and strangers, the existence of the Washington State Basic Health Plan, and the availability of student aid, that moved me through it. The doctor at the student health clinic struck a deal with my catastrophe insurance carrier to fully diagnose the problem because it could be cancer, which would be technically life-threatening. He told me if it was cancer the insurance wouldn’t pay for treatment. Fortunate to get cancer in Washington State, I was able to enroll in its Basic Health plan. With help from my student loans, I covered the required co-pays during the pre-existing condition months and afterwards. At my graduation two years later, I had a Master of Science from a public institution with the price tag of a private school.
I’m not whining about it, but at the same time, I’m not going to shut up about it, either. Confronting the emotional and physical challenges of chemotherapy is a daunting task. A $1200 bill from the clinic administering it sends you further into a dark, desperate place. I don’t find it acceptable that our country is okay with this, for me, you or anyone. We are compassionate people. I know this from personal experience. I can’t see how compassionate people can overlook the suffering caused by the lack of affordable health care. It’s like adding salt to a wound.
Here we are in limbo and in the worst position possible, waiting for Congress to act. As usual it’s all going to hell. Congress doesn’t play nice in the sandbox. While Republicans hurl fistfuls of sand at them, the House Democrats are arguing among themselves about how to build their sand castle. Meanwhile the “in” group of Democrat and Republican Senators are off in the far corner of the playground holding secret squirrel meetings during the day and parties with insurance and pharmaceutical companies at night.
The sweet stench of money is escaping from the dark mahogany doors of Congress, offered by the sweaty palms of insurance companies. The US Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Max Baucus, D-Montana, has announced a call to action on health care reform. According to Consumer Watch Dog, 20% of Senator Baucus’ campaign funds were contributed by the health and insurance sectors while less than 10% of his money was given by his fellow residents of Montana. Some of the top contributors of his campaign fund include at least 5 companies that oppose any public insurance option, Schering-Plough NY Life Insurance, Amgen, Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
It seems to me that this senator is paid, albeit indirectly, by the health and insurance sectors. Isn’t it interesting that the public option is suddenly dropped so early in the process by the senators? I can’t erase a circa 1950’s good old boy club image from my mind, a bunch of old white guys chomping on cigars sitting in dark leather chairs, plotting the silent ways they can employ to kill health care reform and keep their money.
Now we can expect those annoying one-sided, mini political infomercials interrupting our daily dose of the tube. PhRMA, which represents drug companies, has purchased more than $500,000 worth of television ads to air in nine states. Gee, I wonder what they are going to say?
Hear me now and believe me later, if I had the money those guys did, I would launch my own healthcare reform ad campaign. I wouldn’t have to hire an advertising firm or hold any focus groups. I would simply put the camera on the people scrimping to afford treatment or medication; those who lost loved ones because the insurance company dropped them or wouldn’t approve the “experimental” treatment; the ones who ended up bankrupt or in debt to ears to pay for cancer treatment. Their stories break my heart every time. I want more from my country. I know that the devil is in the details, but I suspect he’s breathing down the backs of Congress, reminding them who pays them.
If the Wall Street fools get a bailout, why can’t we, the American People, be afforded the peace of mind to focus on healing when we are sick and not whether we can afford it? I wish it could be that easy. No, thank you, I can afford cancer today, maybe next year?
The solutions to health care reform are best handled by better minds than mine. I understand that we need to figure out how to pay for health care on national level and that the way health care is administered may be different from how we operate today. I believe that flexibility and innovation are some of our collective gifts as Americans. Please don’t let the love of money stop our progress of becoming a more compassionate nation. I believe that we have to keep our eyes on Congress so they don’t rob us and our well-being for re-election campaign funds.
No comments:
Post a Comment