– President Barack Obama, February 24, 2009
I hope and pray that health care reform change begins ASAP. Unfortunately I fear that will not happen.
After watching the President’s address to the joint session of Congress on Health Care I found myself extremely disenchanted: not with anything Mr. President said (he was quite inspiring), I was disheartened to hear the booing and yelling from the Republican side of Congress and the very inappropriate outburst from Rep. Joe Wilson. If Congressional members cannot express feelings and ideas in a civil manner it is no wonder American citizens are not capable of positive political discourse. I have started to close myself off politically because nothing positive comes from sharing my thoughts and feelings. There is no exchange of ideas and principles, only yelling and bickering. We can’t even talk to each other anymore! We are surrounded by shocking and distasteful beliefs, actions, and tactics. My greatest fear is that the political shenanigans between the two political parties will prevent any real change or progress.
The previous paragraph was brought to you by the grief and emotional eruption resulting from receiving the following letter from the hospital where I received my D&C in February. After five months of consistent payments they mailed me this:
“***FINAL NOTICE***
This is our final effort. We value your patronage and want you as a patient. But, as much as we regret, your account may be placed with an outside agency for collection unless full payment is made within the next ten (10) days.”
BULLSHIT! They do not value my patronage or want me as a patient. If they did, they wouldn’t be such pricks. The phone calls to them are nothing short of horrific. I swear the call center representatives at the hospital were direct hired DMV employee rejects with anger and rage issues. I know it’s probably an error (I hope) and I will call them shortly to attempt resolution, but I am not looking forward to it anymore than I would look forward to a colonoscopy.
Receiving that letter really struck a chord in me. I am sick and fucking tired of all the bullshit associated with our health care and the political responses to the possibilities of change. So I did what any normal American would do, I wrote a letter to the President. I was going to email it but I think intent can be lost in the current electronic shuffle. So I’m rocking it old school and sending my letter via snail mail.
Good luck to you on this. I can’t understand why people DON’T want health care reform, but then I remember that really the insurance companies don’t want health care reform, because then they won’t be able to make obscene profits off of us anymore. And since they are the ones with all the power and influence, they are feeding their propaganda into the masses through the representative under their thumbs. Again, good luck.
I hope that works! Why in the world would anyone want to keep this horrible system? I can’t wait for a single payer plan.
90% of all our bad debt is hospital bills. FUN!
I could not agree with you more! After living in England for two years, where they treated the ill in a civilized (or civilised as they say!) manner, I find it appalling that there are so many in this nation- the wealthiest nation in the world- that are without health care. A dear friend’s daughter is battling cancer at the moment (she is 14) and I cannot imagine what it would be like if she didn’t have the top-notch health care she has.
More likely than not, she would have gone untreated with cancer spreading through her body.
Anyone who does not see this as a human rights issue is blind or stupid.
I have a slightly different take on this, since my job depends on having employer sponsored benefit plans – but – I am in favor of health care reform. I do think that insurance companies are built to promote ill treatment (please note, I also understand they can’t cover everyone for everything or they would go broke. They really would, folks). They need to have some regulation that keeps things in check. And I don’t have a problem with a competitive public option. Although we have to work with Medicare in my job, and trust me when I say, it’s all kinds of fucked up. Seriously.
Oh, and I think it’s bullshit these guys are turning you over to collection when you pay. Some hospital systems in this country are a lot to blame for how things are as well.
Go for it!
See also this amazing commentary by Keith Olbermann -
“Health Care Reform: Saving American Lives.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33217642