My Thoughts on Healthcare

This was actually a comment left in response to another comment left by someone on Facebook.  Let’s get this straight once and for all. THERE ARE UNINSURED PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR A LIVING, HAVE BEEN DENIED COVERAGE BY INSURANCE COMPANIES AND ARE NOT JUST RESTING ON THEIR LAURELS WAITING FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.

Okay, now for my commentary.

Are you serious? I work as an editor for a 2 person company. There is no group coverage. My co-worker is fortunate to have insurance through her husband. I lost my insurance when I got divorced. I am SO sick of people saying they are going to be paying for the uninsured who don’t work, blah, blah, blah. I work for my living just like many other uninsured people. I make a house payment, buy my own groceries, pay my utility bills– all without gov’t assistance. I am not uninsured because I don’t work. I am uninsured because I have been refused coverage by insurance companies due to a pre-existing condition. I have no sense of entitlement. I just want to protect myself from financial ruin should I (God forbid) become seriously ill.

In the time it took you to write your patriotic, great American diatribe about what a fine, upstanding citizen you are, you might have taken the time to look up the real facts on healthcare reform instead of listening to what the talking heads are telling you.

In this current economic climate, I can’t imagine that there is anyone who is immune from the possibility of unemployment. We are all just one day away from being unemployed and uninsured. What would you do then? Spend $1500 a month on COBRA? Sure, until your savings run out. And if you are still unemployed after 12, 15, 18 months? Would you give up your home to continue to pay for insurance? Eventually, the insurance will become secondary to your family’s other needs. What if you, your husband, or a child needed extensive medical treatment? Would you want someone to step in and help you out? That’s what healthcare reform would do. But you know, if you don’t want to be a burden on the rest of American citizens like all us uninsured people are, you can always refuse treatment.

A friend of mine is watching a friend of hers die of cancer because she is uninsured and can’t get the treatments she needs. Meanwhile, people down the hall from her in the hospital are getting the treatment for the same type of cancer because they are insured. One can pay, one can’t. That is the real death panel. And it’s happening right here in the greatest country in the world every day.