This is a letter I sent to Jason Altmire, my representative in the House. He's a former University of Pittsburgh Medical Center lobbyist. If you know anything about Pittsburgh, you know that UPMC owns this city. They're the region's largest employer.
Look, UPMC isn't all bad. They offer some of the most cutting edge medical care anywhere in the world. The 1st (or second or 3rd, I can't remember) Jarvik 7 artifical heart was transplanted here. The first heart-liver transplant was performed here in 1984. Jonas Salk--the man who famously wouldn't patent his discovery--developed the polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburgh.
But let's not kid ourselves, today's UPMC is a business. An incredibly profitable business. It's also considered a tax exempt non-profit business because of its affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh. In 2006 UPMC earned $523 million in tax free "non-profits". It also profits from being, as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette calls it, a "near monopoly". http://www.post-gazette.com/...
As someone familiar with trying to provide employees with health insurance, there is an irony for Pittsburghers being surrounded by the best medicine money can buy: it's almost impossible for a smaller employer to afford coverage that includes UPMC. As Cliff Shannon, executive director of SMC Business Councils said in December 2005:
"Health insurers will tell you uniformly that UPMC -- the largest and most broadly consolidated system in the state -- is the most expensive provider system in its market and by far the most profitable system in the state."
In other words, average Pittsburghers employers and employees can't afford all that yummy, yummy health care that actually makes this town run. (Sorry for the yummy, yummy but my anticipation for the Simpsons movie took over.)
I'm explaining this to you, my 1 or 2 dear readers, so that you understand what I'm asking Jason Altmire to do and so you understand that for him to co-sponsor HR 676 would be an absolute miracle. Also, I'm trying to balance my "steely-eyed cynicism" with my "utterly naive optimism".
Dear Jason,
In the 2006 election cycle I gave you more money than I've ever given another candidate running for office. My contributions weren't enormous, but they were substantial for me.
I contributed to you despite my misgivings about your previous job as a UPMC lobbyist. But, I really wanted to have a better representative than Melissa Hart (ew!) and so far you've been pretty good. Thank you. I'm happy my investment in you has paid off for the most part.
However, where the rubber really meets the road for me about you is HR 676. I'd like to see you add your name as a co-sponsor. I know that you're probably against any kind of "socialized" medicine. Still, no matter what your previous employment and (I'm presuming massive) current campaign donors may advocate, nationalized health care is an idea whose time has come. I'm not expecting you to believe in HR 676 with all your heart. I'm simply asking you to do the decent and politically smart thing.
Let's face it, adding your name now won't hurt you. Should it pass the House and Senate, Bush will veto it and all you've done is look like you've distanced yourself from the "paid for by the medical lobby" taint you currently have.
As someone who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when I was 28 years old, the prospect of ever getting health insurance that isn't cripplingly expensive (and I'm, let's face it, rich) without employment is impossible to imagine under today's health care system. I'm now 34 years old and I have no bone damage due to my disease--the best possible situation. In short, I'm perfectly healthy. I have occasional stiffness, twinges, etc but nothing that keeps me from most daily tasks.
But ask me in 10, 20 or 50 years when I've had to redo my house to make way for a wheelchair, renovate my bathroom to accommodate bars on my shower, an elevator installed if it's multi-story, a handicap equipped car--1st for driving myself with no functioning joints in my hand, knees, ankles and feet, and then a car/van that can handle a wheelchair. Then ask me if I can afford thousands of dollars for a routine doctor visit (remember we're talking an average 30 years in the future under the current system). In short, ask me how "rich" I am after all of the other changes this disease will make on my life. Could I ever retire?
Beyond my own possibly charming future I think about the people that aren't like me, those who don't have fabulous investments, those who will never get insurance and those who have it and are screwed anyway because their medical provider won't provide. In a nation this rich it's indecent that we don't take care of everyone. Life and health are a fundamental right. Period. If that means I get a few million less in inheritance, I'll live. More importantly, so will thousands of others.
Please co-sponsor HR 676, Jason. Lie to me, honey. Make me think you side with the angels on this. Like I said, it will never pass while Bush is president. The man doesn't want to give barely-over-the-poverty-line children--no!--BABIES health insurance, for Christ's sake. He isn't going to give anyone else a "free ride" either.
Sincerely,
(redacted)
Please understand I don't believe that even if Jason Altmire co-sponsors this bill it would make a whit of difference. Even if we have president Hillary/Obama/Edwards, etc. I just want him to prove to me that he can be his own man.