This is a very scary topic for me to write about. As I’ve stated in past posts, I usually stay as far away from politics as possible. I hate the anger and contention that ensues because of the disagreements over the issues. However, in my last poll, a good number of you said you wanted to read about my feelings on controversial issues. Here I go. ;)
I’ve been thinking about President Obama’s health plan a lot. Mostly, because there are so many posts/polls about people disliking/liking it on Facebook.
In talking about his health plan, President Obama has said, “No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick.” First off, I agree with this statement whole-heartedly. Now, before you start seething or fuming because I agree with this statement, please hear me out. Just because I agree with this statement doesn’t mean I agree with the entire health plan in general.
One of my Facebook friends posted President Obama’s statement as their status on Facebook. I immediately clicked the “Like” link. A few minutes later, I noticed the following comment:
“Then, they should plan ahead and take care of themselves. Because if we want the government to do it, it will cost us our souls!”
The part that really struck a chord with me is the planning ahead to take care of themselves. In general, that’s a good rule, but from personal experience, it doesn’t always work like that.
Corey and I were married in March 1998. He was 22 and I was 19. We had very little money, but we both had jobs and we had good insurance through Corey’s job. However, because we didn’t want to be stuck in the same place our entire life, we decided that because I only had a year left of school at Snow College to get my Associates degree, we would quit our jobs, move to Ephraim, find a job there, and finish my year at school.
This plan worked until Corey was injured on the job in July 1998. And, unfortunately, the job wasn’t paying worker’s compensation and they didn’t have insurance, even though they had told us they did. (We were young and naive.) Because Corey could no longer work, they fired him and his injury was bad enough that he needed surgery.
From this point on, a mere four months after we were married, Corey and I have been constantly putting more than half of our income towards medical bills. Some of you may be thinking, “That was an expensive surgery.” Yes it was and Corey’s medical problems didn’t end there.
About a year and a half after we were married, Corey started having horrible migraines. However, these migraines were more than migraines. They wouldn’t just incapacitate him for hours. They would incapacitate him for days and even weeks.
He had test after test done to find out the cause of his headaches. No underlying cause has ever been found. This went on for nearly eight years. Fortunately, during this time, we had insurance. It did cut our costs, but not as much as you think it would’ve.
Just as his headaches were starting to go away, Corey started to have pains in his abdomen. The pain was later attributed to a faulty gall bladder. However, even once his gall bladder was removed, he still had problems. The doctors kept running test after test until he was diagnosed with polycythemia, a disorder in which his body produces too many red blood cells, usually associated with leukemia or lymphoma. A few months later, he was diagnosed with colitis. However, because of the polycythemia, they can’t control his colitis in the typical manner. And finally, last year, they found a tumor in his femur.
Since the tumor was removed last December, Corey has been doing much better. He still deals with the pain from the surgery and having a good chunk of his femur removed, the polycythemia, colitis, and he always has a constant low-level headache. But, for the most part, he’s doing really well. Unfortunately, our finances are still suffering from all the medical trauma.
We have insurance. We’ve had insurance since his headaches started. It’s through my work. I quit going to school so I could be the main breadwinner because Corey couldn’t work. It was too hard on him physically. A regular eight-to-five job is still too hard on him physically. However, even with the insurance, we’ve still paid more than half of our income to medical bills. We still have medical bills we’re trying to pay.
You can’t always plan ahead for medical problems. And, even if you can pay for the smaller illnesses, no one can afford to pay for cancer treatment. It’s too expensive, except for the über rich, like Bill Gates or Donald Trump. Heck, they may not even be able to afford all the treatment.
Do I think that health care should be affordable for all? Yes. Do I think our health care system, as it stands, has problems? Yes. Do I think President Obama’s plan is the best way to fix our health care? I don’t know. I don’t think we should bankrupt our nation to provide health care for all, but I think we can make health care more affordable and that it can cover more than what it does right now and without all the headache from dealing with the insurance companies. President Obama’s plan may not be the solution, but at least he’s thinking along the right lines in the sense that no one should die or go broke because they can’t afford the care they need.
First, I think people should be careful when they say “Obama’s plan” or “Obamacare”, because Congress is heavily involved in creating the bill as well (although Obama is fully pushing for reform).
Anyway, I do agree with you that there are times when you can’t plan ahead or choose what comes your way. Yes, there is healthy and preventative living, which will do a lot. But for example, we couldn’t have anticipated Kimball’s need for chemotherapy. Thank heavens we had insurance (which costs us an arm and a leg, but I think it does for everyone), but we will still be paying the bills for years to come. And of course he deserved treatment—he was only 3 months old! Anyway, with health care costs skyrocketing, I think some kind of reform is necessary–I don’t know exactly what–but I totally agree with your last line.
Ashley, good point. People should be careful dubbing the health care reform plan “Obama’s plan” or “Obamacare.” Congress is just as involved and it takes more than the president to pass a bill.
Very well reasoned. Of course, this is easy for me to say, since I agree with you whole heartily.
I’ve actually read the health care bill (I’m a nerd, I know.) and to me it seems really sound. They way that companies and providers will be taxed to pay for the reform won’t even come close to bankrupting them, much less the whole nation. I don’t think its a perfect plan, but like you intimated, it is a step in the right direction. I’m just glad that Congress is finally doing something (*anything*) to address this serious issue.
Ashley is right. From what I heard on the news Obama isn’t dictating the plan at all. He’s pushing for there to be a plan but he isn’t writing it.
And it’s not even just a democrat plan. The republican senator from Maine has a big hand in all of it too.
Jenni, thanks for your entry. I really enjoyed hearing your story.
First I agree with the “no one should die…” statement. But look to Canada before you jump on the bandwagon. Do you know how many of their citizens cross the border to take advantage of our health care system? And remember anytime anyone or anything is taxed someone has to foot the bill. And it is always the lowest rung of the ladder or the final consumer–YOU and ME. The money for socialized programs has to come from somewhere, it isn’t just created. And it is always you and me that will pay the cost, whether it be through higher prices or a cut in services or higher taxes in another area joe q citizen is the where the buck stops. So think very long and hard and evaluate who is going to pay and how will it be paid for. It all sounds wonderful to have everyone taken care of, but personally I am very tired of seeing over 50% of my paycheck disappear every two weeks. Does the system need to be fixed, yes. But socialized medicine isn’t the answer.
Those are very good points, and definitely something to think long and hard about. From what I hear, a public option may not even get passed. Obama and a lot of democrats want that to be part of the bill, of course, but it needs bipartisan support. So although we may get “reform”, whatever that will entail, it may not include a public, or “socialized” option. By the way, I don’t think socialized necessarily equals BAD–although imperfect perhaps–our public schools and postal system are that way, for example.
Thanks for introducing this topic, Jenny! It’s something that people should be discussing. Even if people differ in opinion, at least they are trying to be informed.
I’m so sorry that I spelled your name wrong! I wasn’t thinking too hard. And I’m sorry that I am hogging your comment space!
No need to apologize, Ashley! :D I’m excited for all the discussion.
I totally agree with you. Even in our religion we’re told to always be prepared. Which is a nice thought in theory….but everything is too darn expensive, from having food storage to medical care. And when life come at you there’s not much you can do. Luckily we’ve been blessed with good insurance and simple illnesses. I’m glad to hear about Corey doing well, (relatively speaking). And I like to hear your political views. We are all given our free agency and freedom to think how we will, and if people want to get mad and heated about it when they don’t agree, they should take a deep breath and get over it. Love you.
WAy to go, way to get the discussion going!
I have to agree that something needs to be done…it seems to me that the current healthcare system is going to do what the financial sector did (which is implode). Then where will we be?
We tend to think that nice roads and mail are rights, but health care isn’t. A lot of people argue that we should let people support those in need within their communities, but that isn’t happening now. Our system needs help! Socialism isn’t the option…but getting some competition into what now seems to be a monopoly (one that wouldn’t even allow someone with minor health issues such as exercise-induced asthma get health insurance, let alone someone with Corey’s level of health issues!) that only provides for those who already have generally good health…it seems wrong! Somethings gotta give…and I don’t want it to be the health of people I care for (heck, I don’t want it to be the health of people I don’t care for, either!).
By the way, have you read/listened to the speech President Obama gave before Congress last night (Wednesday?) He outlines exactly what he would like to have happen with health care. It’s very interesting.
I haven’t read/listened to the speech yet. I will. Thanks for letting me know about it.
I am thinking of writing the same kind of post but have a lot of viewpoints I will be hitting on (too many for this comment space!). Jarron and I talk A LOT about health care reform and its implications on our social and ecomonic well-fare. I will let you know when I get that post written and maybe it will help give some insight to what we see/hear/feel about “Obamacare.”