Nobody has a crystal ball to predict whether or not the person who has a license to carry a weapon is going to kill someone else yet it is their right to be able to carry that weapon. Similarily, nobody can predict whether or not the person that was just born is going to be blessed with good or bad health thus potentially needing thousands of dollars in coverage. People who live the healthiest lifestyle they know how, also, are diagnosed with an array of illnesses. Lung cancer doesn't just affect the population that makes a poor decision to smoke. It's just something that is a part of life and nobody is excluded from the chance of it happening to them. Dr. Davis Liu makes an excellent point in his article "Is Healthcare A Right Or A Privilege" (http://getbetterhealth.com/is-healthcare-a-right-or-a-privilege/2010.03.31) when he said:
"Children who haven’t had time to abuse their bodies do develop cancers, type 1 diabetes requiring insulin, or are born with genetic problems, like cystic fibrosis, that require expensive medical therapies that potentially are lifelong. Once diagnosed, these children are now plagued with the “pre-existing” label and unable to get health insurance. Over the past many years, the leading cause of personal bankruptcy for individuals and families is due to medical expenses. As a parent with an ill child could you simply walk away?"
It's sad to think that a baby or young child who hasn't had much opportunity to really live and experience life yet, in an instant, can be considered to have a pre-existing condition and be denied necessary coverage to nurse them back to health and give them that shot at life. How is that just? I think it's a little embarrassing that the United States is among the wealthiest countries in the world and our healthcare system seems very contradictory, therefore, not doing a good enough job to take care of its citizens. One must have a clean bill of health in order to pass the application process and become insured. Even then, depending on employment and a few other things, it might not be affordable. People selling their homes and possessions, divorcing, or relocating just to have their healthcare needs met is unacceptable. I have great hope that the healthcare reform will "grant" that right to everyone to have healthcare coverage no matter what the age or situation of the individual.
Here is a great link to a video with President Obama discussing the healthcare plan. Take a moment to watch, it's only 4 minutes!
Hey Heather,
ReplyDeleteI also smiled when I read the example that the dictionary defined for privilege. I really like how you brought in the Bill of Rights in. I never thought about it that way, but that makes alot of sense. If we have the right to free speech and the right to bear arms, why can we not have the right to good healthcare?
I never knew that children born with an illness cannot be insured because it is considered a "preexisting" condition. I think that is absurd. If you are a parent who has a child that is born with such extreme condition that limits their life, how can you not grant this child the best that he/she can have, even if their life is cut short?
"I think it's a little embarrassing that the United States is among the wealthiest countries in the world and our healthcare system seems very contradictory, therefore, not doing a good enough job to take care of its citizens." I completely agree with this statement. Sometimes I wished I lived in a different developing country because their lifestyle and condition currently seems far more appealing and affordable than living here in the United States.
Great post Heather!
Hello Heather!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is so true and I am with you on health care being a right in our country! We are currently without health insurance, due to my husband losing his job after 15 years and not being able to afford health insurance. I am scared to death! I am making myself sick worrying about my family and "what ifs". There has to be a better way of making health insurance more affordable for all and especially for those that really need it because of sick children, due to preexisting conditions or serious injuries. No one should be dropped or denied of health insurance. And there should be a way to make it more affordable.
In the You Tube presentation of President Obama’s plan, he stated that our current system is “a system full of waste and abuse.” How true is that! Did you ever think why does a band aide cost so much more in a hospital then it does in a store, and where the profit goes? The insurance companies, lawyers, drug and medical supply companies, hospitals and doctors are the reason why health care is so expensive in this country and why some Americans cannot afford health insurance!
Thanks for the You Tube link; I enjoyed watching President Obama explain his plan! I just hope he can follow through with it!
Beth
Namaste Heather,
ReplyDeleteThank you for saying that. It is unfortunate that health care is so expensive, but human beings have the right to affordable health care and health insurance. In countries like India only the privilege can get health care because only 10% of their GDP goes toward health care.