my four cents: why is it so wrong to want to fix a broken system, part 2

Ok, so, a precedent has been broken and I am, omg, talking about politics TWICE in a ROW.

And then I am DONE and tomorrow I will post something FLUFFY and I don't even want to HEAR about it.

(Previous post here, probably more coherent and better-written)

So, the health care reform bill passed, with about the amount of drama that I expected, but it passed. After I wrote my other post, I started paying attention on Twitter and clicking links and doing a few google searches - hardly enough to write an entire informed post, but I gleaned a little more understanding on what was going on.

I still don't get what the brouhaha is about. I am trying to be objective, I really am... but I am not a trained journalist, I am merely an observer, and prone to my own opinions, at that. (That is the beauty of being a blogger, I guess.)

From my understanding, this bill eliminates the ability for insurance companies to deny coverage based on "pre-existing conditions." Even if it did nothing else but that, I would think it was wonderful.

For example... my mother has a whole slew of physical health problems, not the least of which is her debilitating fibromyalgia paired with a nasty case of arthritis and hip pain which has effectively rendered her unable to work in her former profession (nursing). You can bet your ass that she has absolutely zilch for insurance coverage right now, and even if she were able to get some, none of that would be covered. She is beyond broke (that whole "not being able to work" thing, you know) and has had to try to find doctors and clinics that will work with her financially to get her the medications that she needs. Maybe now, she'll be able to see a decent doctor that isn't three hours away, and maybe she'll be able to get back on her feet.

Right now, I personally, am okay. I don't have anything that would prevent me from being insurable if for some reason I was to experience a lapse in coverage. Now. What happens when I'm older? The thing that terrifies me is that a lot of the health problems my mother has are genetic. Which means I've got pretty good odds of being screwed. I'm still young and healthy, but I won't always be. This kind of scares me in ways that I haven't really let myself think about, clumped under the general category of "getting older." I'm sure we'll discuss this more, the closer and closer I inch to thirty.

But, it's more than that. More than me. Obviously.

People in the medical field are overjoyed. They are the ones that have to fight with the system. Their patients don't get the help they need because of the tangled mess of insurance practices we have now.

I'm really, truly trying to figure out what the objections are. There was some concern about federally-funded abortions or something - that's not in there. The status quo of abortions stays the same under the original ruling of Roe vs. Wade. From what I can tell, there is absolutely nothing in this bill that provides financial coverage for abortions. So, check that off your list.

I think the problem with this whole fiasco is that of ignorance. Ignorance from all involved parties. People latched on to catch phrases from their respective parties, and ran with it. Nobody stopped to listen, nobody stopped to see what maybe the truth was.

For us being such the super-awesome country we seem to think we are - I'm embarrassed of us and all the petty bickering. I don't know when or how "healthcare" became a dirty word.

It's not like this is a revolutionary idea; Canada has it... other countries have it... shit, even the state of Massachusetts has it. Why can't we spread that nationwide? No wonder the rest of the world thinks we're a bunch of self-important, money-hungry idiots. We are. For us being a supposed superpower (if we still are) - we sure treat our own citizens like shit. Who needs health coverage?

And maybe it's selfish, but, you know - I'd like to see us use some of our money to help our own country out, before throwing fistfuls of cash overseas. I'm not saying we shouldn't help out the other countries that might be in need; I'm just saying that maybe we should, you know, take care of ourselves first.

The thing, though, that bothers me, again, is the dirty mind games that were being played. Misinformation, fear tactics, lies. (see: "Death Panels") - I am appalled at some of the things I have been hearing coming from the far right. What puts you above the rest of humanity? You might notice the rest of the country isn't quite as wealthy as yourself. And yet - those inferior masses ARE the American People, like it or not. I don't know why the games were being played - what were you hoping to do? Do you really think that your constituents (the rational ones) wanted to cater to your special-interest groups? According to this article from a Republican point of view (yes, I do read those) - they kind of shot themselves in the foot. (Fun fact: the GOP had over 200 revisions to the bill to make it more to their liking and still not a single one of them voted for it.)

It's not a government takeover, it's not a ravaging of the Constitution (not, like, say, the Patriot Act? Sound familiar? Don't get me started), I'm not even sure how it could even fit into a constitutional argument. Then again, I'm not a lawyer. Plain and simply, it's a good thing, I think. And according to this article, it's actually going to help cut the deficit.

And, for the love of Jesus (who would probably be in support of health care for the masses, by the way, cause he was a compassionate dude like that), quit throwing around the word "socialism" at everything you don't like.

Lastly, to bring in the scope to a more local level, I'm gonna go ahead and quote from a Des Moines Register article on how health care reform is going to affect/help the state of Iowa:

“This bill will decrease health insurance costs, expand access to quality, affordable health care, improve reimbursements for Iowa medical providers and allow Americans to maintain their choice of health insurance. This legislation will provide much-needed relief for thousands of businesses in Iowa’s First District and will reduce our deficit by more than $143 billion over the next 10 years and $1.2 trillion in the 10 years after that. After reading the bill, listening to my constituents and debating the bill’s provisions in Congress, I’m convinced this legislation is good for Iowa.” [Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Waterloo]

In Iowa’s First District, the health care reform package voted upon tonight will:

· Improve coverage for 394,000 residents with health insurance.

· Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 156,000 families and 14,000 small businesses to help them afford coverage.

· Improve Medicare for 102,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.

· Extend coverage to 16,000 uninsured residents.

· Guarantee that 6,500 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.

· Protect 700 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.

· Allow 50,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents’ insurance plans.

· Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 11 community health centers.

· Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $54 million annually.

Anyway. I expect much discussion on this to come, not particularly on my blog, because it is rather insignificant in the grand scheme o' the world, but if discussion DOES occur here, I expect it to be civil because this is MY place.

I know I have conservative friends and I know they hate pretty much everything to do with liberalism, and I'm great and happy for you if you hate health care reform, but in coming from the side of the uninsured/previously uninsured, I am not going to apologize because this needed to happen. Something needed to happen. I don't care to hear how much you hate our government, our administration, whatever. I already know. You may keep it to yourself. This does happen to directly affect me and my family in a positive way and without this passage, my mother probably wouldn't have much of a life left ahead of her, and we all know she's a bit crazy in the head and that our relationship is frequently strained, but you know what? She's still my mom.

So if for no other reason than that, I am happy for this bill to have passed.

Clearly, upon further contemplation, I have formed an opinion on this issue and have deemed it worthy of my approval. I don't care to be objective on the matter any longer, because, hey, it does affect me after all.

Haters, you can suck it.

[EDIT: Run-down of the bill & a link to read the whole damn thing. Also? Apparently now people can stay on their parents' insurance until they are 26. WHERE WAS THIS THREE YEARS AGO? Sigh.]