While I was commenting tonight on some other post on this blog regarding health care, it turns out my husband was learning for the first time that a close relative has cancer. Her doctors have scheduled an appointment for her with a specialist later this week, and they are also sending her for a full MRI to determine the extent to which it may have spread. All this person knows so far is that she will have to undergo chemotherapy and some form of surgery. Apparently she is "freaking out" about it.
I only mention this because, although this person has known about all this for a couple of weeks now, she has not once worried about how she is going to pay for it. That huge source of fear and anguish is not even on the radar screen for her. All her thoughts and energy are instead focused on the disease and the course of treatment, as they should be. This is because she lives in Canada.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Why Health Insurance Reform Matters
Posted by Dr. Strangelove at 10:13 PM
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5 comments:
I can't tell you how depressing this month's debate has been. A hard core of about a third of ideological fanatics and insurance profiteers has succeeded in convincing about 45% of Americans of the most ridiculous nonsense (by some polls).
What's more concerning is that Democrats seem reluctant to peg their electoral hopes on the 55% of Americans who still want to go forward.
I am pretty optimistic that a bill will be passed. I am pessimistic that it will be all the reform we need.
Democrats shouldn't eschew fear in the argument: fear that you will lose your health insurance if you lose your job, fear that your boss will take away your health insurance with the 'economy' as the excuse, fear that your health insurance won't be there if you need it, fear that you can't afford health insurance if you lose your job. These are the real fears people have, not this made-up stuff about "soshulizm" that the right is pushing.
Btw, sorry to hear, Dr.S, about the family emergency.
Unless the bill has a public option, a blended system with private and public health care financing, it will not solve much in the short run. If it passes w/o the public option, then all that we can hope for is, that over the years, the bill will be amended to make it better....Social Security was nothing like it is today when it first passed.
My sister has severe health issues and will never be able to get insurance and she has less than zero confidence that she will get help when a bill passes. She has a genetic blood disease, porphyria, a cerebral aneurism in the ocipital lobe, skin cancer...and on and on. She can not get SS disability because she has not worked and paid into the system long enough due to her disabilities...I pitch in as much as possible with money etc. and she now lives in a community with great health care, but no way to pay for it...so it is particularly dis-heartening to see all this protest and anger about reform...she actually really needs the help and she is a wonderful person and really hates the fact that she needs to be taken care of, never asked or did a "poor me" act ever...but here we are.
DrSL...best of luck with your family health situation...
WW
Thanks... I do not personally know this relative (although she is close to my husband) so for me it is mostly a matter of being understanding and compassionate. But I will certainly pass along everyone's thoughts.
-hugs for Mr.S-
:-(
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