Health care reform

I am just amazed by the number of right-wing crazies who are fighting against health care reform when they have no idea what they are talking about. The GOP backed by the insurance companies are using the republican scare tactics and false rumors to protect their interests. They don’t want the current system to change, because they are getting rich off the status quo. People are afraid of what they don’t understand and the majority of Americans don’t understand our health care system.

The major problem with our current health care system is that it is geared toward making money for the big insurance companies. The more claims they deny, the more money they make. This consumerism approach is fine for things like houses and cars, but not when dealing with sick people. So you have these corporate executives getting rich off of our premiums and co-pays, while skimping on services and denying benefits.

Quality health care should be a right for all Americans, not a privilege and a single-payer system is the most efficient, cost saving way to provide all Americans with quality health care.

I’ve been debating Universal Health Care on a few private forums, but with all the controversy currently going on over health care reform, I thought I post some comments here:

– We pay for the uninsured one way or another, through higher costs for all of us.

– The uninsured end up costing more money in the long run, because they neglect preventative care.

– Uninsured people are clogging up our Emergency Rooms.

– Universal Health Care would take a huge burden off of businesses, especially small businesses.

– People would not lose coverage if they lose their jobs.

– People will get the help they need, regardless of what state they happen to live in.

– Doctors pay way too much for malpractice insurance.

– 50 million Americans have no health insurance at all.

– Many can’t even get insurance because of “pre-existing conditions”.

– Those who do have coverage can go broke trying to pay co-pays with a catastrophic condition.

– More Americans go bankrupt every year due to medical bills than for any other reason.

– The system has not changed because lobbyist for the big insurance companies control many of our elected officials.

– It’s not only the insurance companies making lots of money; it’s also the pharmaceutical companies charging outrageous amounts for medications.

– The current system is confusing and unfair.

– Many people think they are covered until they get sick and discover the fine print on their insurance policies.

Paying for health care through taxes will actually save us all money in the long run. We pay for the uninsured one way or another, through higher costs for all of us. With a single payer system we can cut out the middleman and actually save money. If you are happy with your current insurance company, keep it, but don’t stand in the way of progress.

Bottom line? We are the riches country in the world and we have the most expensive health care system. Yet our health care system ranks #37 in the world according to the World Health Organization. We are the only country in the western world without free universal health care for all of our citizens. I think this is shameful and unethical.

Now, those of you who know me, know that I’m a liberal democrat, but I’m also an RN with over 25 years experience working in the health care field and the mother of three children with special needs. I have to deal with both private and public insurance on a regular basis. I also help other families of children and adults with disabilities, as well as children with specialized health care needs who are technology dependent. Not a day goes by when I don’t hear about children who can not live at home because their family can not get home nursing, or the child who can’t get the equipment they need because their insurance wont cover it, or the family whose child has “capped out” on their private insurance benefits, or the family who has to wait 10 years for a medicaid waiver, just because they happen to live in a state that doesn’t see health care as a priority. I could go on and on with this list… I simply can’t imagine being against health care reform, regardless of ones political party. Our current system stinks, plain and simple.