On Healthcare Reform
Michelle Malsbury, BSBM, MM
September 04, 2009
One of the single most influential persons in shaping legislation for universal healthcare has died, but that does not mean that the bill has to die along with him. Senator Ted Kennedy wanted to leave universal healthcare as his legacy and now it is up to congress and President Obama to keep this plan alive. Please do not allow the right led opposition to this bill to distort the good things that can come from it. Below I had countered three of the top lies coming out of camp right.
One argument from the right is that President Obama will have a "death squad" that will literally decide for whom and when to pull the plug. This is just a blatant and outright lie. What this legislation proposes is that people with terminal illnesses or the elderly can opt to have a conversation with counselors who will help them to fill in paperwork for DNR´s [do not resuscitate] and Living Wills. Sometimes those documents are filled out by attorneys, doctors, or physician´s assistants for family members of the patients or patients themselves who wish to have such medical situations clearly outlined should they require such. Let me provide a personal example for clarifications sake. When I was in my early 30´s my mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer---and yes she smoked. She and I went to her attorney and filled in a DNR and Living Will so her wishes would be clear to any and all medical staff who oversaw her near the end of her life---which was a scant three months from diagnosis to death. Those documents saved everyone in our family a lot of trouble and anguish. It was one of the single most selfless and compassionate things we could do for each other. I thank her until this day for having the temerity to do so.
Another lie from the right is rationing of care would be rampant under the universal plan. Pack of foolish lies is all that is. How many of you have health insurance now? Does your insurance cap the amount you can claim each year? I bet it does. If you look at that scenario with an honest eye and any iota of intelligence that can be considered rationing too. Follow my logic please. If you have something happen and you are near your limit and your condition can wait you postpone your procedures until the next year---right? Nothing would change for you under this new legislation. Insurers are always looking at creative angles to subvert payment unless they can make more money on your specific condition than they should. For example, when my mother was diagnosed with her terminal lung cancer she had a wonderful healthcare policy with Blue Cross/Blue Shield that had a lifetime payout of $1 million dollars, most of which has not been spent. The greedy doctors along with the greedy insurer racked up over $800k in medical costs for this test and that test in those short three months of her life and they knew full well that she would never live longer or have a better quality from anything they tried. They wanted the money----plain and simple! And they got it! Greed was their only motivation! This practice needs to end entirely because it just drives up the cost of healthcare for all of us!!!
Lie number three is that you will have no choices in what doctors or care you get if you opt for this universal plan. If the things that congress outlines and that President Obama has asked for come to fruition you, the patient, will have far more options than you do now! If you like the plan you are now on you can keep it---yes keep it and see no changes whatsoever! If you have no insurance, like me, you can select how much coverage and a variety of plans/doctors that fit your current health picture. You can vary this plan as you age or as your health changes. You can also opt to have catastrophic coverage for any unforeseen things, like cancer or a car accident that leaves you immobilized and unemployed. You can select your own doctors and not have to be referred by one to see the next---which saves time and money! Choices are abundant under the proposed universal plan!
I don´t know about you, but to me all of that sounds pretty nifty! Please call or write your congressional representatives telling them to press onward with our universal healthcare plan so ALL Americans can have access to quality affordable care! Let´s make Senator Kennedy´s legacy a reality! Do it NOW! Your health and the health of your family cannot wait!
One argument from the right is that President Obama will have a "death squad" that will literally decide for whom and when to pull the plug. This is just a blatant and outright lie. What this legislation proposes is that people with terminal illnesses or the elderly can opt to have a conversation with counselors who will help them to fill in paperwork for DNR´s [do not resuscitate] and Living Wills. Sometimes those documents are filled out by attorneys, doctors, or physician´s assistants for family members of the patients or patients themselves who wish to have such medical situations clearly outlined should they require such. Let me provide a personal example for clarifications sake. When I was in my early 30´s my mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer---and yes she smoked. She and I went to her attorney and filled in a DNR and Living Will so her wishes would be clear to any and all medical staff who oversaw her near the end of her life---which was a scant three months from diagnosis to death. Those documents saved everyone in our family a lot of trouble and anguish. It was one of the single most selfless and compassionate things we could do for each other. I thank her until this day for having the temerity to do so.
Another lie from the right is rationing of care would be rampant under the universal plan. Pack of foolish lies is all that is. How many of you have health insurance now? Does your insurance cap the amount you can claim each year? I bet it does. If you look at that scenario with an honest eye and any iota of intelligence that can be considered rationing too. Follow my logic please. If you have something happen and you are near your limit and your condition can wait you postpone your procedures until the next year---right? Nothing would change for you under this new legislation. Insurers are always looking at creative angles to subvert payment unless they can make more money on your specific condition than they should. For example, when my mother was diagnosed with her terminal lung cancer she had a wonderful healthcare policy with Blue Cross/Blue Shield that had a lifetime payout of $1 million dollars, most of which has not been spent. The greedy doctors along with the greedy insurer racked up over $800k in medical costs for this test and that test in those short three months of her life and they knew full well that she would never live longer or have a better quality from anything they tried. They wanted the money----plain and simple! And they got it! Greed was their only motivation! This practice needs to end entirely because it just drives up the cost of healthcare for all of us!!!
Lie number three is that you will have no choices in what doctors or care you get if you opt for this universal plan. If the things that congress outlines and that President Obama has asked for come to fruition you, the patient, will have far more options than you do now! If you like the plan you are now on you can keep it---yes keep it and see no changes whatsoever! If you have no insurance, like me, you can select how much coverage and a variety of plans/doctors that fit your current health picture. You can vary this plan as you age or as your health changes. You can also opt to have catastrophic coverage for any unforeseen things, like cancer or a car accident that leaves you immobilized and unemployed. You can select your own doctors and not have to be referred by one to see the next---which saves time and money! Choices are abundant under the proposed universal plan!
I don´t know about you, but to me all of that sounds pretty nifty! Please call or write your congressional representatives telling them to press onward with our universal healthcare plan so ALL Americans can have access to quality affordable care! Let´s make Senator Kennedy´s legacy a reality! Do it NOW! Your health and the health of your family cannot wait!
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