I am writing a letter...
...a long letter. I hope you read it. Really. You being 1)congresspeople, not just from my own state but all over the US 2)pundits 3)the public at large. Anyone who'll listen. And really listen, not just read it, dismiss it as 1)some niave teenager's ramblings 2)weird Internet stuff 3)any combination thereof.
I am going to talk about health care reform. From the heart. Because it's vitally important, for me and my friends, and even for people who I don't know. Our modern medical system is wonderful, and everybody should be able to access it without being thrown into massive debt.
Major points:
-Why we need reform: Here's an anecdote: I was prescribed Colistin because my lung functions weren't rebounding. We HAVE insurance through Mom's work, but it wouldn't cover it. So, we are faced with having to buy it from the manufacturer, at like close to $1600 a month for 6 months a year, which is a HUGE strain on my mom's modest salary. We relied on the generosity of different organizations, getting donations and whatnot. Meanwhile, Mom was trying every avenue she could thing of to appeal the decision. Social workers, legislators, even the attorney general of the state. Eventually, after much fighting, they agreed to cover it, but first we had to pay it out-of-pocket and they'd reinburse us. You see the potential for disaster there. Stuff like that shouldn't happen. What if I had been on my own, desperately sick and unable to exert the tremendous effort on my own to get the decision overturned?
-From what I've heard of this bill on the table, I don't like it at all. They took out all of the stuff that could actually help people. Look at it this way: you've told the American people that you will give them certain things in a bill. So why aren't you? You're furthering the stereotype of the dishonest politician. Don't be a stereotype.
-Apparently, this bill will REQUIRE people to have insurance. That's great. BUT, a lot of the reason why people don't have it know is because they can't afford it. Well, there's apparently going to be a fine for not having insurance now. So, people have to spend money they DON'T HAVE on insurance or paying the fine because they can't afford insurance. Seems unfair.
-MY SOLUTION: We really need a public option. It would be affordable for people, which is great. OR, if people are going to complain, use the money to sunsidize private insurance companies. Basic economics, as I'm studying in school: it will decrease cost to sellers, which translates to lower market cost. (SPEAKING of market cost, where's that exchange we've been promised? I liked that idea. It's a capitalist spin on stuff, you know? Bidding, competing for business...) I also think that coverage should be focused on preventative care as well as treating, because if you stop an illness early (or stop it from occuring in the first place) it's a lot less expensive to treat, not to mention the saved time and energy on the patient's part.
-Compromise is WONDERFUL, but I think they're going about it the wrong way. Instead of taking stuff out because the Republicans don't like it (sure, you're trying to get votes, but it doesn't seem to be working), why not add in stuff that they DO like? Tort reform doesn't sound that bad to me...
-And, just a comment: People are assuming that since a Republican got Massachusetts, all work on this is going to stop. WHEN did party affiliation blindly decide how votes would be apportioned? At some point someone should say "You know what? This is good for America so I will vote for it even if the other party suggested it." The "opposition" can have good ideas too.
-ALSO Brown winning is going to be interpreted as Americans not wanting healthcare reform. This is not necessarily true. It could be that his opponent rubbed people the wrong way, or otherwise sucked LOL. OR that they just don't like this version of health care reform. Or something else on his platform entirely.
-FINALLY: just because the dissenters are the loudest, doesn't mean they are the majority. Like, with the hippies and such. They were the most organized and focused group, but by no means the majority of the population. The same principle applies.
-So, finally I'd say to them: Don't give up on trying. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. Healthier people=more productive people=long-term economic growth. And, should you really put a price on human lives? Just saying.
(This isn't related to my health reform letter, but it's still relevant in terms of political commentary. Haiti. It was pretty bad off even before the earthquake; I'd heard it was a 4th world country. This earthquake is a crisis made so much worse by poverty. And, while we go to rebuild, I see it as an oppotrunity to make it better than it was. Give them mortar for their houses next time. Set up stable businesses so people can have income. Do these things; you're building up from scratch anyway. God has a way of taking horrible things and making good come out of them. This is a wat to do that. Just my 2 cents on that.)
I am going to talk about health care reform. From the heart. Because it's vitally important, for me and my friends, and even for people who I don't know. Our modern medical system is wonderful, and everybody should be able to access it without being thrown into massive debt.
Major points:
-Why we need reform: Here's an anecdote: I was prescribed Colistin because my lung functions weren't rebounding. We HAVE insurance through Mom's work, but it wouldn't cover it. So, we are faced with having to buy it from the manufacturer, at like close to $1600 a month for 6 months a year, which is a HUGE strain on my mom's modest salary. We relied on the generosity of different organizations, getting donations and whatnot. Meanwhile, Mom was trying every avenue she could thing of to appeal the decision. Social workers, legislators, even the attorney general of the state. Eventually, after much fighting, they agreed to cover it, but first we had to pay it out-of-pocket and they'd reinburse us. You see the potential for disaster there. Stuff like that shouldn't happen. What if I had been on my own, desperately sick and unable to exert the tremendous effort on my own to get the decision overturned?
-From what I've heard of this bill on the table, I don't like it at all. They took out all of the stuff that could actually help people. Look at it this way: you've told the American people that you will give them certain things in a bill. So why aren't you? You're furthering the stereotype of the dishonest politician. Don't be a stereotype.
-Apparently, this bill will REQUIRE people to have insurance. That's great. BUT, a lot of the reason why people don't have it know is because they can't afford it. Well, there's apparently going to be a fine for not having insurance now. So, people have to spend money they DON'T HAVE on insurance or paying the fine because they can't afford insurance. Seems unfair.
-MY SOLUTION: We really need a public option. It would be affordable for people, which is great. OR, if people are going to complain, use the money to sunsidize private insurance companies. Basic economics, as I'm studying in school: it will decrease cost to sellers, which translates to lower market cost. (SPEAKING of market cost, where's that exchange we've been promised? I liked that idea. It's a capitalist spin on stuff, you know? Bidding, competing for business...) I also think that coverage should be focused on preventative care as well as treating, because if you stop an illness early (or stop it from occuring in the first place) it's a lot less expensive to treat, not to mention the saved time and energy on the patient's part.
-Compromise is WONDERFUL, but I think they're going about it the wrong way. Instead of taking stuff out because the Republicans don't like it (sure, you're trying to get votes, but it doesn't seem to be working), why not add in stuff that they DO like? Tort reform doesn't sound that bad to me...
-And, just a comment: People are assuming that since a Republican got Massachusetts, all work on this is going to stop. WHEN did party affiliation blindly decide how votes would be apportioned? At some point someone should say "You know what? This is good for America so I will vote for it even if the other party suggested it." The "opposition" can have good ideas too.
-ALSO Brown winning is going to be interpreted as Americans not wanting healthcare reform. This is not necessarily true. It could be that his opponent rubbed people the wrong way, or otherwise sucked LOL. OR that they just don't like this version of health care reform. Or something else on his platform entirely.
-FINALLY: just because the dissenters are the loudest, doesn't mean they are the majority. Like, with the hippies and such. They were the most organized and focused group, but by no means the majority of the population. The same principle applies.
-So, finally I'd say to them: Don't give up on trying. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. Healthier people=more productive people=long-term economic growth. And, should you really put a price on human lives? Just saying.
(This isn't related to my health reform letter, but it's still relevant in terms of political commentary. Haiti. It was pretty bad off even before the earthquake; I'd heard it was a 4th world country. This earthquake is a crisis made so much worse by poverty. And, while we go to rebuild, I see it as an oppotrunity to make it better than it was. Give them mortar for their houses next time. Set up stable businesses so people can have income. Do these things; you're building up from scratch anyway. God has a way of taking horrible things and making good come out of them. This is a wat to do that. Just my 2 cents on that.)