Last October 17th, a good friend of mine, I shall call him Roy, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung and liver cancer. Roy lived in Georgia, one of the states whose Republican Governor decided not to expand Medicaid. This stupid, short sighted, mean decision, deprived the most at risk segment of our population of affordable health care. These citizens work hard, often sixty hours a week or more, at minimum wage jobs. Roy cleaned out houses for a rehab specialist. He worked as many hours every week as he could. Then, he went home and took care of his disabled wife and her disabled mother. This little household struggled to keep their most basic bills paid. The medical bills of the two women consumed a large percentage of their income, though both women have Medicare.
Roy did not make enough money to qualify for tax credits, which would have cushioned the expense of medical insurance. He would have had to pay 600$ a month for insurance. That level of insurance might have been sufficent to provide him with preventative care which might have spoted his developing cancer. Instead, he was finally forced to visit a local Emergency Room, once the pain became unbearable, and he grew unable to function. His diagnosis was swift. By the next week, hospice was taking care of him.
The State of Georgia, to save themselves the expense of providing medical insurance for Roy, finds itself on the hook for his Emergency Room visit, his visit to an Oncologist, his MRI and other tests, his Hospice care, his pain medications, and his durable medical equipment rental. His wife and mother-in-law now qualify for food stamps and Medicaid, because, without his income, they are now living on 60% of a poverty level income. But, hey, Georgia kept from having to pay for Roy's medical insurance! What a victory over President Obama!
The denial, by Republic Governors, of basic health insurance for the poorest, most at risk, portion of our population, was meant to be a Statement to the Federal Government about the transendancy of States Rights. Republicans preach that we must all accept personal responsibility. That sword cuts both ways. Our elected officials have a personal responsibility to serve the needs of all their constituents. Even if those officals are Republicans, and their constituents are poor, they have a personal responsibility to all their citizens. It seems that these fat cats, who live off of the taxes paid by working men, have decided to only serve the interests of the top 1% of citizens. It seems to me, that these politicians are running out on their personal responsibility to the other 99% of us. If I were grading them, that is a BIG FAT F, FOR FAILURE.
This policy is cruel, is does not make fiscal sence, and it is morally wrong.
My dear friend died on Novenber 7, 2014. He was not quite 45, a man in his prime. He should not have had to die. The ugly truth is that this policy is killing Americans every day. Come on, Republicans, live up to your personal responsibility and do something to help these folks. At the very least, provide immediate emergency Medicaid for anyone with a serious life threatening illness. The life you save may be someone you know.