The Green Phone Booth: We Can't Afford to Wait!
Have you seen the We Can't Afford to Wait video by REM and MoveOn.org that's been floating around the interwebby this week?
I got the email from MoveOn a while back asking folks to send in their stories. Since I don't have a story, I deleted the message and went about my day. What I realized after watching the video is that almost all of us do have stories. It's not just the poor, the elderly, the jobless or homeless.
Yes, even those of us who work hard, take care of ourselves, our families, and carry expensive insurance that doesn't cover anything have stories! I'll try not to bore you with mine because there are people who are much worse off. Long story short: We purchase the coverage we can afford, but it doesn't cover much. If I had skipped insurance altogether this year and kept my $4500, I could have paid these bills myself. But the smart thing to do is to keep the coverage in case anything major happens. 'Cause I try to roll like a responsible adult sometimes!
I think that most of us, no matter what our political affiliation, can agree that our current system is broken and it needs to be fixed. Even if you have phenomenal insurance and you never pay a dime for your own health care, you still pay in other ways for those who don't have insurance.
As with all things, the face of our country has changed, our needs have changed, and our health insurance system must evolve with us. Of course if you're reading this blog, I assume you most likely sit on the same side of the political fence as me (or at least near by), but this really isn't a partisan message. It's a call to action for everyone, no matter which political party you support.
If you believe that Obama is heading in the right direction with his plan for health care reform, support him. If you think he's got it all wrong, encourage your representatives to work with him to figure out a better option NOW, rather than putting it off any longer.
If you're still not sure exactly what it is the President wants to do, you can view his address to Congress here, where he outlines his plan. Whether you agree or disagree, I urge you to do something, anything to help our health insurance system so that all of us can afford health care.
It's so good to hear someone talk about this rationally without all the crazy. Wasn't Obama's speech the other night great?
I agree that the situation is broken. I think, too, in these economic times, more and more of us can realize how easily we could become uninsured. All this talk of "taking money out of my paycheck to pay for someone else" is so short sighted. That someone else could be us tomorrow or next week or next month. And aren't we all in this together. Any society rises and falls together. It just can't work the other way. Here's hoping for some real reform this year.
Since I avoid all news, I appreciate it when bloggers filter the news to my taste for my reading. We saw a picture of the protests in DC on the front page of the local paper and was wondering what that was all about. I hadn't processed mentally exactly what sort of a contentious issue this was. Crazy really. I read about these two politicians (?) who were arguing about the health care plan, and one bit the other one's finger or something. The guy with the lost finger was against the health reform because it was commie or something and he had medicare. Funny no? And very very sad.
I agree with Beany. Whatever side of this debate you're on, I think we can all agree to treat each other with some civility and act like adults. Gesh!
I will start off by saying I'm a registered Republican but please keep reading hehe.
I'm sick of the Republicans shooting down Obama's plan but having no plan themselves. Who in there right mind doesn't think we need reform? We may disagree on how to get there but come on!
I agree with everything I know about Obama's plan other than mandatory, I get why it's a good idea but having been uninsured for a few years I know that it would have hurt us if I had to get insurance. I'm native American so I have free health care through them. I happen to live across the street from the clinic so I wasn't at risk of costing people money or anything like that.
I also hope insurance being taxable income doesn't happen because that could push my husband and I in to a new tax bracket which will be a big problem. Also if they count my small business insurance I will look like I'm making a pretty good income from it when most years I declare no or very low income.
I'm lucky, I have free health care. I go to my doctor twice a year, plus well women check ups, my meds are paid for etc... They bill my insurance (but I get no bill) which helps them keep running but so far my insurance covers very little and this has shown me how much trouble I would be in if I didn't have this option. Even with my insurance I couldn't afford the kind of care I get now.
I had to have an EKG awhile ago and since I wouldn't have met my deductible it would have been a huge bill, while we could have paid it, it would have hurt us.
I honestly wish the native Americans that run my health care could just take over Americas health care, they do a wonderful job and I'm so blessed to have it.