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Ain't politics grand? They turn normally placid, thoughtful people into strident know-it-alls on both sides of the fence. I'm only going to say this once, and then I'm going to let it go because my life is stressful enough without wasting valuable energy on Internet debates.
I am in favor of universal healthcare. I have coveted it for years, ever since German exchange students regaled me with all the services that would be at my disposal if I had but been born in Germany. When the issue came around in '92-'93, I prayed for it to pass, and when it didn't, I was bitterly disappointed. I am not a tinfoil-munching nutter who believes that universal healthcare will destroy this country and spawn sinister death panels, where the ruling elite will decide who is fit for life. Universal healthcare is A Good and Right Thing.
This is not universal healthcare. This is universal insurance, which is quite different. This legislation grants me the right to insurability; it does not, however, grant me the right to affordable insurance or medical care. Under this legislation, insurance companies can no longer deny me coverage just because I have Cerebral Palsy and a history of UTIs. They can, however, charge me a premium so exorbitant that I cannot afford it. The law lacks any premium cap that would prevent the insurance company from gouging me for the privilege of being compliant with federal law.
When I was twenty-five, I had a burst of responsibility and decided to look for health insurance beyond what Medicare provides(which, as any limper can tell you, is not much). I don't smoke, drink, do drugs, or engage in risky behaviors like skydiving or dining at an outdoor sushi bar in July. I am not overweight. My only health issue is my CP and the occasional UTI it sometimes spawns. How bad could it be? I thought
Ha. Ha ha. Of the few companies that would extend coverage, the premiums ranged from $800 to $1200 a month. A month. That was more than my monthly income. Then, I applied for Medicaid, but was denied because I made $16 too much with my Social Security. So, I decided to go without insurance in favor of eating and having electricity and a bed.
Now the government is telling me that I have no choice but to buy insurance, if not for myself(oh, please God, let Medicare be enough), then for Roomie, who is morbidly obese and has a family history of cancer. I have to buy insurance with no guarantee that I can afford whatever premium they set in their fit of petty vengeance against the paternalistic government, and if I don't, then I have to pay $750 a year in fines until I do, which means that for one month every year, I will not eat. But you know, it's for my own good. To keep me healthy. If the government decides Medicare doesn't exempt me from the insurance fiat, then I'm screwed, subsidy be damned.
And if you don't believe that the government makes exemptions difficult and forces people to choose between what is psychologically best and what is physically required for survival, then you have never dealt with the government. There exists no more demeaning a bureaucracy than a government assistance program.
So, yes, we need universal healthcare, and I pray for the day that we can overcome our paranoia and mistrust of those evil socialists and their desire to make sure everyone has a chance, even if the Haves have to give a little to see it happen. I hope we adopt a single-payer system like those in most of Europe and Canada. When it happens, then we'll truly have cause to celebrate.
But this legislation is not that day. It pays lip service to progress, but it punishes the poor for their poverty and fails to provide a safety net in the event that insurance doesn't cover 100% of the cost. You can still be uninsured, still be forced to choose between coverage or food, and still be broken by medical bills.
So, no, I'm not happy, and this is not a victory. I'm scared and unsure and wondering where the money is going to come from when the fine arrives in the mail. The idea is wonderful, but the execution is a nightmare, and I don't want to be caught in the middle.
I am in favor of universal healthcare. I have coveted it for years, ever since German exchange students regaled me with all the services that would be at my disposal if I had but been born in Germany. When the issue came around in '92-'93, I prayed for it to pass, and when it didn't, I was bitterly disappointed. I am not a tinfoil-munching nutter who believes that universal healthcare will destroy this country and spawn sinister death panels, where the ruling elite will decide who is fit for life. Universal healthcare is A Good and Right Thing.
This is not universal healthcare. This is universal insurance, which is quite different. This legislation grants me the right to insurability; it does not, however, grant me the right to affordable insurance or medical care. Under this legislation, insurance companies can no longer deny me coverage just because I have Cerebral Palsy and a history of UTIs. They can, however, charge me a premium so exorbitant that I cannot afford it. The law lacks any premium cap that would prevent the insurance company from gouging me for the privilege of being compliant with federal law.
When I was twenty-five, I had a burst of responsibility and decided to look for health insurance beyond what Medicare provides(which, as any limper can tell you, is not much). I don't smoke, drink, do drugs, or engage in risky behaviors like skydiving or dining at an outdoor sushi bar in July. I am not overweight. My only health issue is my CP and the occasional UTI it sometimes spawns. How bad could it be? I thought
Ha. Ha ha. Of the few companies that would extend coverage, the premiums ranged from $800 to $1200 a month. A month. That was more than my monthly income. Then, I applied for Medicaid, but was denied because I made $16 too much with my Social Security. So, I decided to go without insurance in favor of eating and having electricity and a bed.
Now the government is telling me that I have no choice but to buy insurance, if not for myself(oh, please God, let Medicare be enough), then for Roomie, who is morbidly obese and has a family history of cancer. I have to buy insurance with no guarantee that I can afford whatever premium they set in their fit of petty vengeance against the paternalistic government, and if I don't, then I have to pay $750 a year in fines until I do, which means that for one month every year, I will not eat. But you know, it's for my own good. To keep me healthy. If the government decides Medicare doesn't exempt me from the insurance fiat, then I'm screwed, subsidy be damned.
And if you don't believe that the government makes exemptions difficult and forces people to choose between what is psychologically best and what is physically required for survival, then you have never dealt with the government. There exists no more demeaning a bureaucracy than a government assistance program.
So, yes, we need universal healthcare, and I pray for the day that we can overcome our paranoia and mistrust of those evil socialists and their desire to make sure everyone has a chance, even if the Haves have to give a little to see it happen. I hope we adopt a single-payer system like those in most of Europe and Canada. When it happens, then we'll truly have cause to celebrate.
But this legislation is not that day. It pays lip service to progress, but it punishes the poor for their poverty and fails to provide a safety net in the event that insurance doesn't cover 100% of the cost. You can still be uninsured, still be forced to choose between coverage or food, and still be broken by medical bills.
So, no, I'm not happy, and this is not a victory. I'm scared and unsure and wondering where the money is going to come from when the fine arrives in the mail. The idea is wonderful, but the execution is a nightmare, and I don't want to be caught in the middle.
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