Procrastination (But I Digress)

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

A Privilege?

Last night at Toastmasters we had an impassioned speaker who strongly believes in health care reform, but she didn't try to persuade us to agree with her. She argued and tried to persuade us to add our voice to the debate. Our voice, not deafening shouts of nonsense, our voice. She painted a picture of a recent town hall meeting that she attended of our local congressman. The hall would fit 300 and 2,000 plus showed up when the police wouldn't let anyone else in. There was shouting; there were signs; there were supporters of health care reform and there were opponents of the proposed health care reform. Our speaker got to the meat of the issue by relaying what she overheard from the opposition. "Where do people come off thinking that health care is a right? It is a privilege, not a right." Our speaker was floored by such a comment. You are only entitled to the health care that you can personally afford to pay for.

That argument makes sense in a capitalist society. Slavery makes sense too, in a capitalist society. When your health care coverage is tied to your employer and you need health care coverage to stay alive, then you are basically a slave to your employer is an argument I heard recently.

My only problem with the proposed health care reform is that everyone would be required to purchase health care insurance. [That will only work with a public plan that is priced to the recipient's ability to pay.] While this makes perfect sense that this will spread the cost out among the whole of society instead of making some pay for the health care of all, I know plenty of people who cannot afford health care insurance (I'm rapidly becoming one of them). My take is that it is one thing to require automobile insurance as a cost of owning a car. If you can't afford the insurance, then you shouldn't have a car and you should resign yourself to public transportation. [Why aren't the people opposed to the proposed health care reform upset about public transportation--isn't that a socialist program?] But if you require everyone to purchase health insurance, what is the penalty--no health care? You have to expire on the emergency room floor, because no one will treat you? Health care is not the same thing as driving a car.

We have money in this country to invade other countries on trumped up, false charges, but we can't provide health care for all children? Children are our future--it is only trite, because it is so fundamentally true. We have money in this country to fund the space shuttle. I really hope that they are making profound scientific discoveries, but I haven't heard of any. Do you worry about the source of your electricity when you can't afford your medication? We throw money at so many things, but are our priorities straight? Me, when I have no money, I do without. But when I have a health problem, those costs go to the front of the line. Living trumps just about every other concern needing my resources.

Jon Stewart made short shift of the so called "death panels" argument, but I think we should all do our civic duty and embrace advanced health care directives--if I stop breathing, I'm done--no extraordinary measures necessary. My aunt lived about 11 hours after she was resuscitated against her directive not to be resuscitated. They had to take her off of pain medication to test her brain activity. Of course they didn't tell me that it would hurt her, they just said the test was necessary. When I realized that she was in distress (AGAINST HER DIRECT WISHES IN HER ADVANCED HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE), I forced them to stop. I had to get pretty forceful about it. They had three more doctors lined up to perform "necessary" treatment when the truth was that she was already gone. Even her personal doctor, who was her friend for many years and knew her wishes, seemed to hesitate to follow the DNR. Doctors are trained to save lives. They are tenacious, like prosecutors, they won't give up regardless of contrary evidence. Foxes are tenacious too, but you wouldn't allow them to guard the hen house. The minimal requirement that doctors are paid for having the conversation with patients is much less than I would want to require.

The health care system we have is so very broken. We must take action. This is not like borrowing from our children to wage a war that in the balance of things makes us ultimately less safe. This is immediate needs now. What if we have a pandemic? Do you really trust insurance companies and private "for profit" vendors to handle a real crisis? I don't. I can totally see myself in that stadium in New Orleans waiting for help, waiting for food and water thats not coming. All my tax dollars, all my community service, all my efforts to contribute to society mean nothing when it is services for me or services for the highest bidder. I (middle class) won't be the highest bidder.

I am an advocate for the single payer plan. It is the most efficient and the fairest distribution of assets available. I don't know why my young country is so in love with the rich and with war, but my vote is for the common person and for peace. If the proposed health care plan is the best that this administration can do, it is a start.

Rest in peace Senator Kennedy. We are going to miss your voice very much.

11 Comments:

  • At August 27, 2009 at 6:28 AM, Blogger EZ Travel said…

    Yes, a dialogue is what we need. If we could just stop the right-wing pundits from screaming about (and then getting their listeners to scream about) their unique mis-interpretations of the bills before congress. Death Panels indeed. Your directive can say "do whatever you can to keep me alive!"

    We need the democrats to grow a pair and put the public option back into the bill and pass it. I also don't understand the "I don't want a bureaucrat between me and my doctor!" Who do they think is there now? Insurance company bureaucrats who are only interested in the bottom line.

    I should probably do my own post, but it makes me so angry. It makes me angry that Glen Beck and Sarah Palin can say things like "Do you want the government deciding if your grandmother lives or dies?" and the whole Fox News audience believes it and starts screaming about it, masking any actual dialogue that might go on about this critical issue.

    My favorite sign from a recent rally here in IN was "I am willing to pay higher taxes so the EVERYONE can be insured." Perhaps a little "love one another" is in order.

     
  • At August 27, 2009 at 11:09 PM, Blogger Sean M. said…

    Kathy, I loved your post. Erika, I loved your comment. It's nice to get the full picture on the issue since I have heard so much negative lately. Glenn Beck was on all the time at my grandparents' house, so I have heard several sides of this story.

    I firmly believe that we need health care reforms NOW! Though, if I had all the answers about how to do that, I would be a very rich man. I will not, however, fall victim to the lies and propaganda put forth by ignorant people, in the media and otherwise, intent to scare everyone into submission.

     
  • At August 28, 2009 at 2:21 PM, Blogger Marcel said…

    I read the whole post and you do a creditable job in presenting one side. Of course, it is a side with which I do not agree. Since you are committed to it no one will change your mind.

    There is something I want to cover though and that is your statement about slavery making sense in a capitalist society. If that is the case, why did this capitalist society get rid of slavery? The North was very capitalistic, and yet, saw fit to fight against those who supported slavery - even paid the price of many lives to oust it.

    Erika,
    Just as your Aunt had made her own decision about her end of life, that is what others want also. Kathy, going against her Aunt's wishes, would have been in much trouble if the Government had made the decision and she went against the Government's wishes.

    Sean,
    Yes, Glenn Beck was on from 5 to 6 when I could get control of the TV. Sometimes the little kids were in charge with their very great programs. I still marvel ar how polite the actors were with one another, a good example for the kids.

    The main thrust of Glenn Beck's thesis is that our government is usurping power that was never intended by those who set up our government. The founders, having studied the various governments in Europe and seeing their troubles, wanted a limited government for ourselves. They went so far as to enumerate the rights of the people that could not be taken away by the government. They were against a powerful state. Obama is just the opposite, he wants a powerful state.

     
  • At August 30, 2009 at 9:50 AM, Blogger patb said…

    Come on, how many left wingers would rather buy a new car than pay for health insurance? I know several. How many people look for jobs where the employer will pay for health insurance? I can't love one another when they depend on someone else paying for them. The name of the game is WORK to pay for your own stuff, and to hell with the lazy guy and I know plenty of them.
    Sean, sorry- you are not getting the whole picture on this issue-when you say Beck was on the whole time here, think again. You only hear what you want to hear. When the s---hits the fan, you will be in deep do do. Your own President is scaring you into submission and you are closing your eyes and mind to what is happening. Listen harder.

    SenatorKennedy now joins the young Mary Jo Kopecne. I hope you can rest in peace., He decided to chicken out.

     
  • At August 30, 2009 at 10:41 PM, Blogger Sean M. said…

    Sorry, Grandma, but to borrow your own phrase, I'll have to burst your bubble. My mind is open, my eyes are open, my ears are open. We may differ in our opinions on things, but I can assure you that I am paying as much attention I possibly can.

    I hope you understand that I still love you with all my heart and soul despite the fact that we disagree.

     
  • At August 31, 2009 at 1:22 PM, Blogger EZ Travel said…

    There is nothing in the bill that says the government will make the decisions on end-of-life care. It says that it will be mandatory to have the discussion. That way everyone has the same right to decide for themselves.

    "To hell with the lazy guy"?? Wow! Just Wow! It must be nice to be able to think that anyone who can't afford health-care must be lazy, but it is just not true. No raise in the minimum wage is going to suddenly make a family working their butts off suddenly able to afford health-care. The current system just lets them suffer. A christian nation you say?

    Usurping power! Hmmmm, I seem to remember someone doing that recently and Glen Beck was just fine with it. Oh yeah, it was Dick Cheney.

     
  • At August 31, 2009 at 5:32 PM, Blogger John Beauregard said…

    Kathy - You and some of your commenters confuse health care with health insurance. In the US no one can be denied health care by law not even illegal aliens. Ergo, health care IS a "right" in the US. Health insurance, on the other hand, is purchased by individuals who do not want to be a burden on society. Health insurance IS NOT a right nor should it be any more than car insurance, home insurance or trip insurance.

     
  • At August 31, 2009 at 7:57 PM, Blogger Gretchen said…

    John,

    I am not confusing Health Care with Health Insurance. Those that can't afford Health Insurance can't afford to get sick. Yes, they can receive minimal treatment at maximum cost, but they will also be charged and if they have any income at all they will be garnished to make the payments.

    Many people do not have affordable healthcare available to them. That's just the facts. Many people are taking whatever jobs they can get to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables, most of these jobs do not include health benefits or if they do they are minimal coverage at an exhorbitant cost.

    I have crappy, expensive insurance. And I have the good plan with the company I work for, the field employees are offered a much worse package. They make slightly above minimum wage and yet the coverage offered to them is more costly than what is offered to the admin employees.

    I found the following blog a very interesting take on Health Insurance.

    http://backpackingdad.com/2009/08/the-health-care-gamble/

     
  • At September 2, 2009 at 12:06 PM, Blogger cheryl said…

    oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh too tense in this blog. Wouldn't want to be bit by any pit bulls here.

     
  • At September 3, 2009 at 1:16 PM, Blogger EZ Travel said…

    Cheryl, luckily none of us are soccer moms, so there is not a pit bull among us. We do enjoy a lively debate though.

     
  • At September 3, 2009 at 4:32 PM, Blogger KathrynVH said…

    Thanks for all the comments. I'm out of town with no internet, so my response will have to wait. You may not want to anticipate--it's 8 pages in long hand. (I can't write out 8 pages on my iPhone.)

     

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