Getting out of Iraq is a must for our country and luckily the public is completely supportive of an end to the war. There's another war going on in America. It's between insured Americans and the HMO's. Americans are fighting to get their insurance companies to pony up for treatments and surgeries while the HMO's are fighting to keep their money. They'll do anything to get out of paying up, and they've got a system in place to make sure sick people don't get coverage. I'm calling this a war because thousands die each year because they can't get the health care services they need. I've chosen a side in this war, and I'm with the people, how about you?
Universal Health Care is my biggest issue. If you're a candidate looking to get my vote you need to have a plan for UHC. If you don't, I'll look elsewhere. I'll look at anybody of any party affiliation as long as they are fighting for UHC. It's not just about the war against the private industry, it's also about my quality of life. Moving on to the personal......
I was in a bad car accident back in early 2002. A man ran a red light and t-boned me. Besides nerve damage in my spine, severe whiplash etc. both my miscus discs in my jaw joints got knocked out of my joints. You've probably heard about people having to get their jaw wired shut because they broke it. I wish I was one of those people. Having severely injured my jaw joints affects my life every day. Imagine having constant face aches, shooting pains in your head and jaw joints, having to force your jaw to unstick itself every half an hour of every day of your life? Plus, there are many things I cannot do, run, bite into an apple, chew tough things, participate in any sports. Oh yeah, kissing is not really fun anymore, it can hurt sometimes, and even when it doesn't hurt the pressure is uncomfortable. I've had two surgeries, both were paid for through auto insurance. The first surgery was horrible and worsened my situation, causing nerve damage, and tore up the flesh around my right jaw joint. The second sugery was done by a good surgeon, and corrected my left joint but my right one wasn't fixed. Now what do I do?
The best insurance policy out there only covers half of TMJ surgery. And, since it is now a pre-existing condition, my guess is the insurance companies won't pay their half for it. The surgery has a one year recovery time, and I would need months off work. It's a very intensive surgery and I know how long it takes just to be able to sit up without any help. Honestly, I don't have any options. I don't have $20,000 for the surgery. I don't have the money to take off work. The only options I have are to get rich or move to France.
What about the Democratic candidates running for POTUS? Here's where my hope lies. Edwards is the most vocal about UHC, and seems to really care about the issue. I don't doubt that if elected he will try and pass his UHC plan. Plus, his plan will allow someone like me with a pre-existing condition to get the treatment I need. Obama has a plan as well, it's not totally universal but at least he's got a plan on the table that also eliminates pre-existing conditions as a cost measure. As for Hillary, she's the one I'm committed to fighting against. She hasn't laid out a plan, doesn't talk about it much, and she is the highest paid recipient of health care industry cash. If Hillary gets the nod, and someone like Bloomberg runs and he proposes a UHC plan, I'll jump ship. That's how much this issue means to me. Moving on to the people who have it way worse than I do.....
I just saw Sicko a few days ago. It rocked me. I cried myself to sleep. I couldn't get their faces out of my head. How is it that an American woman can pay monthly premiums for years, and then get dropped because she gets cancer? How is that ok? Millions of Americans think they are secure because they have insurancse. Millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet to pay for their expensive pills while places like the UK charge a flat rate of a little over 6 pounds for a prescription. That's crazy! I remember one of my doctor's prescribed me pills that cost $22 per pill. That's right folks, $22 for a single pill.
TAX ME! Please, I'm begging you, take another 20 bucks out of my measley paycheck every week. I work full time and live below the poverty line, but I would be happy to pay up. Even if I had to pay $80 bucks a month, at least I'd actually get treatment when I needed. Right now I pay $80 for a crappy plan that doesn't really cover anything. It's pretty pointless, so that's why even though I'm poor I'd be willing to pay into the system.
In America there are 47 million people without health insurance, and another 250 million that are covered. IMO, no one is safe. No one is really covered. No one can be sure that if they end up getting cancer they'll get the best treatment available. The system is broken and it's time to turn it upside down. It's time to fight the media and their outright lies and misinformation. It's time to talk to all your friends and neighbors. Tell everyone you know to go see Sicko. I wonder if the amount of Americans who want the war to end, would want UHC if they knew that thousands of Americans die each year because they can't get the treatment they need.
UHC is personal for me, but I'm pretty lucky. I don't have a life threatening disease. Many Americans are fighting their insurance companies as we speak so they can get the treatment they need in order to continue living. This is just wrong. It's time to demand nothing less from our candidates, Representatives and Senators, we need to build a movement to pass UHC in this country. No more Americans should die when they could be saved, no more.