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dreamflowerI am well aware that there are many of my friends who may disagree with me over this issue, so I am putting it behind a cut. If you don't think you can read it without getting upset with me, then pass on by.
One of the main reasons that I was a supporter of President Obama in the last election was his staunch support of health care reform. My husband is a nurse, who has worked in health care in one way or another since he was 15, and started as a dishwasher in a nursing home, later becoming an orderly (back when they were still called that), an LPN and then an RN. He knows how badly such reform is needed.
So do I. As a child growing up, I was a military brat, a dependent back in the day when that meant something: namely free top-notch medical care. When I turned 21, and found out the cost of medical care for the average person, I was shocked.
But for the first 30 years of our marriage, we were lucky. We had excellent insurance plans through my husband's job, with reasonable deductibles, affordable co-pays, prescription coverage, and vision and dental coverage. Then we had another job change, and there was a gap between our coverage of one job and the beginning of the next job. That's what COBRA is for, right? It was $800.00 a month!
We couldn't have afforded it if my husband had not waived his sign-on bonus at the new job and had it applied to the COBRA instead.
Then fast-forward to another job change. This one did not have very good insurance, but it seemed that it might get better later on, and there were other reasons he needed to take the job. But guess what? Once he took the job, he was told he could not get into the new insurance plan because of our pre-existing conditions! And we could not do COBRA--the price on that had gone up from a year before and was now $1700.00 a month! We managed to struggle through a year with NO insurance before they allowed us to pick it up. But it's a lousy policy with a ridiculously high deductible and it only covers generic drugs. So, our $400.00 a month drugstore bill is not going to be ameliorated in any way by the new policy.
It's about time someone showed a little common sense over the health care issue. The screaming and hollering from people who ask questions and then fail to listen to the answers when they are given, is giving me a headache.
The anti-healthcare people are just rude. I've seen the clips of the town hall meetings, as someone will repeatedly scream a totally ludicrous question over and over at the beleaguered representative without stopping to draw breath or wait for an answer if it does come. When they do answer, IF they are heard, they are called liars.
These people are strident and unpleasant. Do they honestly think that a lack of common courtesy is going to accomplish anything? Or that they will convince anyone who does not already share their views?
I got the following from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
claudia603's LJ, and think it deserves to be shared.
Dingell: Reform health care based on facts
Citizens deserve full, fair debate so bill can save medical system
U.S. Rep. John Dingell
Town hall meetings continue a democratic tradition that goes back more than 2,500 years. In ancient Athens, they held "Ecclesia" or gatherings to discuss and decide civic matters. Great movements have been born from these gatherings of individuals with different ideas working to forge consensus.
Last Thursday, I held two town hall meetings in Romulus to discuss a matter of the utmost importance -- health care reform. The large turnout made me very happy. I want to hear from opponents and supporters of the legislation.
More important, I need to hear people's specific concerns and the changes they want. In fact, my desire to hear from my constituents is so strong that while only one town hall was planned, I actually added the second that evening to hear from as many people as possible. That is what makes better legislation. I strongly believe the vast majority of the people in that room had legitimate concerns and questions. Sadly, they were denied the opportunity because some refused to let others speak and were only there to disrupt.
I want to hear from my constituents, but also explain that by lowering costs, improving quality and giving more choices to Americans, we can save both our health care system and economy.
The impending collapse of our health care system is one of the most important questions facing our nation, and full, free and fair debate is urgently needed. Here are the facts. The bill would:
• End the practice of denying insurance because of pre-existing conditions.
• Not allow termination of insurance if you become seriously ill.
• Preclude exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays.
• End annual or lifetime caps on coverage.
• Provide guaranteed oral, hearing and vision care for kids.
• Allow people to keep their doctor and their plan if they wish, while also creating more choices of insurance plans.
• Eliminate lifetime limits on health insurance coverage.
Unfortunately, the fiction about this bill is getting more attention that the facts. This bill will not do the following:
• Will not lead to employers discontinuing health care coverage in favor of government coverage. Based on an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, H.R. 3200 will actually increase the number of people who get health insurance coverage through an employer compared with current law.
• Will not create an undue burden for small businesses. According to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, 96 percent of small businesses will pay no additional fees under the bill. In fact, small businesses will benefit from tax credits to empower them to provide health insurance for their employees. Small businesses are now paying 18 percent more than big businesses for the same policy; we will stop this unfair practice.
• Will not exempt members of Congress. Our health care plan will be subject to the same rules as all other employer-sponsored plans.
• Will not cover illegal immigrants, leaving American citizens to pay for it. Section 246 of H.R. 3200 specifically prohibits federal funds from being spent to cover illegal immigrants.
• Will not lead to government-sponsored euthanasia. This bill provides an option for individuals to discuss life-extending measures under various scenarios and for Medicare to cover the cost. It is entirely the individual's choice; it does not require anyone to use the benefit and it does not penalize those who don't. Patients and their families would consult with health professionals, not government officials, if they choose to use the benefit.
• Will not lead to government-sponsored abortions. An amendment was added in the Energy and Commerce Committee that explicitly states no public money can be used to fund abortions.
We will continue to maximize the opportunities throughout August for real and honest dialogue with those who have opinions, fears and questions. What we hope for is continued passionate involvement by many people in a civil environment. Democracy is at its best when this occurs.
Southern Beale's blog couldn't say it any better (link fromoselle.) Just shame on whoever is spreading those death panel legends. Shame on them.
One of the main reasons that I was a supporter of President Obama in the last election was his staunch support of health care reform. My husband is a nurse, who has worked in health care in one way or another since he was 15, and started as a dishwasher in a nursing home, later becoming an orderly (back when they were still called that), an LPN and then an RN. He knows how badly such reform is needed.
So do I. As a child growing up, I was a military brat, a dependent back in the day when that meant something: namely free top-notch medical care. When I turned 21, and found out the cost of medical care for the average person, I was shocked.
But for the first 30 years of our marriage, we were lucky. We had excellent insurance plans through my husband's job, with reasonable deductibles, affordable co-pays, prescription coverage, and vision and dental coverage. Then we had another job change, and there was a gap between our coverage of one job and the beginning of the next job. That's what COBRA is for, right? It was $800.00 a month!
We couldn't have afforded it if my husband had not waived his sign-on bonus at the new job and had it applied to the COBRA instead.
Then fast-forward to another job change. This one did not have very good insurance, but it seemed that it might get better later on, and there were other reasons he needed to take the job. But guess what? Once he took the job, he was told he could not get into the new insurance plan because of our pre-existing conditions! And we could not do COBRA--the price on that had gone up from a year before and was now $1700.00 a month! We managed to struggle through a year with NO insurance before they allowed us to pick it up. But it's a lousy policy with a ridiculously high deductible and it only covers generic drugs. So, our $400.00 a month drugstore bill is not going to be ameliorated in any way by the new policy.
It's about time someone showed a little common sense over the health care issue. The screaming and hollering from people who ask questions and then fail to listen to the answers when they are given, is giving me a headache.
The anti-healthcare people are just rude. I've seen the clips of the town hall meetings, as someone will repeatedly scream a totally ludicrous question over and over at the beleaguered representative without stopping to draw breath or wait for an answer if it does come. When they do answer, IF they are heard, they are called liars.
These people are strident and unpleasant. Do they honestly think that a lack of common courtesy is going to accomplish anything? Or that they will convince anyone who does not already share their views?
I got the following from
claudia603's LJ, and think it deserves to be shared.Dingell: Reform health care based on facts
Citizens deserve full, fair debate so bill can save medical system
U.S. Rep. John Dingell
Town hall meetings continue a democratic tradition that goes back more than 2,500 years. In ancient Athens, they held "Ecclesia" or gatherings to discuss and decide civic matters. Great movements have been born from these gatherings of individuals with different ideas working to forge consensus.
Last Thursday, I held two town hall meetings in Romulus to discuss a matter of the utmost importance -- health care reform. The large turnout made me very happy. I want to hear from opponents and supporters of the legislation.
More important, I need to hear people's specific concerns and the changes they want. In fact, my desire to hear from my constituents is so strong that while only one town hall was planned, I actually added the second that evening to hear from as many people as possible. That is what makes better legislation. I strongly believe the vast majority of the people in that room had legitimate concerns and questions. Sadly, they were denied the opportunity because some refused to let others speak and were only there to disrupt.
I want to hear from my constituents, but also explain that by lowering costs, improving quality and giving more choices to Americans, we can save both our health care system and economy.
The impending collapse of our health care system is one of the most important questions facing our nation, and full, free and fair debate is urgently needed. Here are the facts. The bill would:
• End the practice of denying insurance because of pre-existing conditions.
• Not allow termination of insurance if you become seriously ill.
• Preclude exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays.
• End annual or lifetime caps on coverage.
• Provide guaranteed oral, hearing and vision care for kids.
• Allow people to keep their doctor and their plan if they wish, while also creating more choices of insurance plans.
• Eliminate lifetime limits on health insurance coverage.
Unfortunately, the fiction about this bill is getting more attention that the facts. This bill will not do the following:
• Will not lead to employers discontinuing health care coverage in favor of government coverage. Based on an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, H.R. 3200 will actually increase the number of people who get health insurance coverage through an employer compared with current law.
• Will not create an undue burden for small businesses. According to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, 96 percent of small businesses will pay no additional fees under the bill. In fact, small businesses will benefit from tax credits to empower them to provide health insurance for their employees. Small businesses are now paying 18 percent more than big businesses for the same policy; we will stop this unfair practice.
• Will not exempt members of Congress. Our health care plan will be subject to the same rules as all other employer-sponsored plans.
• Will not cover illegal immigrants, leaving American citizens to pay for it. Section 246 of H.R. 3200 specifically prohibits federal funds from being spent to cover illegal immigrants.
• Will not lead to government-sponsored euthanasia. This bill provides an option for individuals to discuss life-extending measures under various scenarios and for Medicare to cover the cost. It is entirely the individual's choice; it does not require anyone to use the benefit and it does not penalize those who don't. Patients and their families would consult with health professionals, not government officials, if they choose to use the benefit.
• Will not lead to government-sponsored abortions. An amendment was added in the Energy and Commerce Committee that explicitly states no public money can be used to fund abortions.
We will continue to maximize the opportunities throughout August for real and honest dialogue with those who have opinions, fears and questions. What we hope for is continued passionate involvement by many people in a civil environment. Democracy is at its best when this occurs.
Southern Beale's blog couldn't say it any better (link from
oselle.) Just shame on whoever is spreading those death panel legends. Shame on them.![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-08-13 08:41 am (UTC)Thought you might enjoy a little laugh. It really is a dreadfully serious question and I hate all the half-truths, though. So seriously, thanks for this post.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-14 03:52 am (UTC)I don't think Americans really understand just how the NHS is regarded in Britain. We moan about it sometimes - well of course we do. But compared with what America has it is fantastic!
These euthinasia stories are just total lies from beginning to end! Euthinasia is illegal here (of course it is). There is much controvosy over people travelling to Switzerland to euthenase themselves - and the threat that relatives who help them could be prosecuted here.
I think the "stories" come from a couple of newspaper articles where terminal cancer patients were allegedly denied expensive drugs which MIGHT have prolonged their lives by a few months. No doctor ever 'fessed up to this being the case and it is understandable that, if you are dying of cancer and you read that there is a drug which might give you a bit more time you will want to have it.
But honestly, the UK National Health Service is excellent! Filled with caring professionals.
It is NOT the equivalent of your current "charity" health care. It is used by everyone and therefore not seen as "second-rate" - as indeed it is not.
I can get a same day appointment to see my doctor. I do not pay for ANY medicine. I can get surgery if I need it. I do not have to worry about getting ill!
Or my kids getting ill - or their kids. What is so wrong with that?
Treatment is based on need - not on the ability to pay.
Just read the comments on
http://liz-marcs.livejournal.com/453187.html?page=3&view=7353667#comments
no subject
Date: 2009-08-14 04:09 am (UTC)I made a mistake confusing two acronyms. D'oh! When I said NIH above I meant NHS. I had the misfortune to do a summer internship with the National Institute of Health (a U.S. governmental office for biomedical research) the summer after I did a semester abroad in England, and the way my brain works, I confuse similar acronyms and words. So sometimes I think NHS and out comes NIH.
Actually, I have great respect for British health service. I broke my toe the first weekend of the above-mentioned semester. I received pain medication within ten minutes of reaching the emergency medical services facility (I forget what it's called... emergency room? clinic?), and was completely diagnosed, x-rayed, treated, and out the door within two hours. It would have taken at least twice that at my home hospital. I was given crutches and a few more days' worth of pain medication free of charge - actually I didn't pay a cent for the whole visit, and my university ended up paying for my cab to the clinic! I was completely on my own in a foreign country, and it was significantly less stressful all around than it would have been with a health service I've navigated my entire life.
I've had similar problems (broken bones) in three other health care environments. I've lived off-and-on in Germany and had to get treatment there. I've also seen doctors in the U.S., both where the local hospitals were under contract with my parents' insurance and again when I went to school several states away so the hospitals were "out-of-network." (Meaning you had significantly less % of the cost covered by the insurance.) England and Germany were preferable to each other in some minor ways, but both were light years ahead of my experience in the U.S.
So the joke was: I had heard people snapping at nationalized health care saying that "the Stephen Hawkings" would never survive it, whereas actually Stephen Hawking *has* survived it for decades, and survived it quite well. My joke just didn't come across I think because I used the wrong acronym. Sorry for the confusion.