For the past week, I have had a serious cold. I mean coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever and all the other symptoms you read about on the Nyquil box. However, after trying an array of over the counter medications, drinking a number of hydrating liquids and getting plenty of rest...I still don't feel well. My mother suggested that I go to the doctor...maybe it is something worse than the common cold or maybe it is just allergies...the mysteries of my sickness can easily be diagnosed and probably cured with just a simple visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, I had to give the answer that 32 million other American has to give when this suggestion comes about...I don't have insurance.
With Sunday's historic Health Care Reform bill passed, I woke up this morning with the hope that very soon myself and millions of Americans will never have to say that statement again.
It has been a long haul for President Obama's plan to bring health care to all Americans. It was a major reason why many people voted for him in the first place. I wonder if the people who supported and voted for him to get into office remember that during his campaign he consistently promised to fight for Health Care Reform. He drove the point home at various rallies and town hall meetings that all Americans deserve good, unbiased health care coverage. I think the surprise came when unlike many politician who talk the talk, our President actually walked the walk. He made good on this promise and has proceeded to make good on all of the promises that he has made in his effort to re-build America.
Now the battle against this bill has been bitter. Accusations of unconstitutional behavior, the stories of death panels and threats of lost individual rights has lead to insane protests and the creation of the tea party movement. On the day of the vote, Representatives were met with fierce prostests in regards to the bill but along with this came the racial slurs and spitting.YES, PEOPLE WERE SPITTING. All because a bill promised equal health care coverage for all. Is it truly that people believe that this bill violates their rights? Is it really about the lack of options that the bill supposedly does not present? Or is it plain and simple selfishness? The haves will continue to have and the have nots need to fend for themselves.
The important thing to do before taking a side on any issue is to gather the facts first. The bill does not take away options...in actuality it presents an additional one. It presents one to all of the people who for years have felt that they did not and would not ever have one when it comes to taking care of themselves. No more dropping people because of pre-existing conditions, no more ridiculous prescription costs, no more fear of getting sick and not having someone to take care of the cost that you put in for them to take care of. The government has given every American an additional option that protects their rights to be, get and stay healthy.
Of course this bill was met with controversy, every historic bill that ultimately changed the face of society has faced strong opposition. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Social Security Act was also deemed unconstitutional. It was believed that President Lyndon B. Johnson's Medicare Act would lead us to a socialist government. And prior to that President Johnson signed probably one of the biggest bills in our country's history The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and it would take me an entire blog to cover the opposition that occured. The point being that each of these historic Acts helped change and shape America at the time and also proved to be successful and necessary. I mean I could vehemently point out the both bills were introduced by Democratic presidents who were willing to take a chance on what was right and during their terms working to re-build a damaged nation. But the point is that the positive affects of the bills were eventually felt and those that opposed these bills were quieted by their indiviual success.
The ultimate point of the entire matter is that it was time for this bill to be passed. The subject of health care has been raised in Washington since 1912 and has been advocated for for decades. And it is TIME. Our country's middle class has been drastically depleted by overwhelming debt mostly caused by medical bills that can't be paid and sicknesses that aren't being cured. People are getting sick and being turned down for care because of denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions...are you kidding me?! If you are a human being, than you have a pre-existing condition. We all will eventually die from something. The purpose of the medical field is to preserve and improve the lives of others. It was created to care for people and many medical professionals want to but the cost of just a general doctor's appointment is completely outrageous. So people walk around with minor illness that with lack of medical attention turns into major illness which with no care at all eventually leads to death.
This bill means so much to all of us out there who have had to avoid trying to find a general practitioner because we don't have insurance, who have avoided going to the emergency room because of fear of the massive bill we would receive when we walked out because we don't have insurance, who have ignored symptoms or looked for home remedies of cure instead of going to the specialist because we don't have insurance. The fear is over and the option is presented. My government is doing what in my opinion it is supposed to do which is take care of its citizens. Does the bill penalize people who don't get insurance...in four years...yes, that will be the case. But that is in four years, 2014, which gives people plenty of time to CHOOSE what type of coverage they would like to have but it also avoids anyone coming up with the complaint that they do not have the OPTION.
