The Health Care Debate

First I admit I didn't take the time to go to the local meetings the other week to show my support for the Health Care Bill but I wish I had. I'm stunned at the fuss and hot air that's being created at the meetings all over the country. I'm impressed that Obama and his supporters are meeting the attackers head on and responding with reason and truth.

The stories that are being bandied about remind me of First World War propaganda put out in England about the evil Hun killing babies and raping women. It's ridiculous to suggest for a second that a national health care program will mean euthanasia for the sick and elderly! I can't believe I even have to write it and I bet Obama can't believe he has to mention it either. I so admire that man for keeping his cool and responding respectfully and intelligently to the wild accusations and utter utter nonsense that some people are spouting. (At the very least I'd be rolling my eyes!)

So let me tell the world that I am for it. But first it must be said that no health care plan is perfect. (In fact the only perfect state to be in is to be extremely wealthy, not need insurance and to be able to go to any doctor or hospital in the world for all and any treatment you may need, and not have to worry about the cost.) Realistically, most of us reaidng blogs on the internet have modest incomes, modest lifestyles and we pay our insurance in the hope that when we really need it, the insurance companies will thank us for our loyalty and regular payments by covering the cost of treatments we need to make us well. But as we have heard all too often, this is simply not what happens. The reality is that the cap which insurance companies apply for our medical treatment might be adequate for the broken arms, tonsillectomies, short-term hospital stays and routine prescriptions required for a family in moderate health, but falls far far short when someone has cancer for the second or third time, or has the misfortune to find themselves paraplegic or worse. At the very least, this proposed plan aims to remove the fear which all Americans must have, of being abandoned by their insurance company in their hour of greatest need.

It is my belief that there should be a law made, equivalent to an added amendment to the Bill of Rights: All citizens have an indisputable and equal right to high quality, effective health care. Or however you want to word it. While no-one can dispute that America has the best medical facilities and treatments available anywhere in the world, not everyone can make use of them, because their insurance cannot or will not cover the expense, or because they have minimal or no insurance at all and simply cannot afford to pay for treatment. Why is this even being disputed? Who thinks this is fair?

I'm sorry to say that many people apparently don't care about the poor and needy, and that's partly because they don't imagine themselves in that position. Why should sick people have to depend on charity? Why shouldn't the richest country on Earth share the wealth with its poor? All too often the poor and needy didn't start off that way either - sometimes they're people just like you and me who suddenly find themselves having to spend more and more money on medical expenses to the point where they lose their homes. Don't we care about them either?

Look at this... Take each item one point at a time and think carefully about how this might affect you and your family in both good times and bad. Then if you still think it's a bad thing, tell me why.

THE SECURITY YOU GET from health insurance reform:

• No Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions
• Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
• No Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays
• Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
• No Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care
• Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
• No Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill
• Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
• No Gender Discrimination
• Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
• No Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage
• Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
• Extended Coverage for Young Adults
• Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
• Guaranteed Insurance Renewal
• Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.

]http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/