This is mommyblogging
Yesterday was a nerve-wracking, twisting, twirling, everyone walking around with an accidental mohawk kind of a day in our house as we waited to see what would happen with health care reform. Now, before I go any further, this is not going to be a rant or an attempt to shove my liberal agenda down your throat. And if it were possible I'd pass out cookies and Tic Tacs at the end. And of course we'd bless them first and ask the Lord to make sure that everyone had a safe trip home.
Many of you I'm sure disagree with me when it comes to health care reform, and that's fine. But I was really hoping that this bill would pass because it affects Leta directly and immediately (and Jon and me eventually). When we started this business five years ago we each had to apply for private insurance individually, and each of us was denied because of pre-existing conditions: Jon for hay fever, me for depression, and Leta because of a skull disfiguration at two-months of age that healed itself within a few months.
We applied to three different companies, and each company denied us. So we qualified for the state-run high risk pool. Which is basically catastrophic insurance. And it costs a fortune. But now Leta cannot be denied insurance for her "pre-existing condition" and no longer has to depend on the state-run plan. I heard a lot of talk about how this bill was going to socialize medicine, when in fact just the opposite is happening, at least in the case of my six-year-old daughter. We can now pay into the private sector for her health insurance. Boom.
Also, if Marlo gets sick, she can't lose her insurance.
Is this bill perfect? No. Is it a start in the right direction? I personally think so. Do I expect to change anyone's opinion? Of course not. But I thought it was important to show you that we are a living, breathing example of how this bill is changing things. For the better, I think. This is healthcare for my children.
I guess I wanted to put this example out there for a couple of reasons. One, I just had a friend call and ask if I could explain some of the minutia of the bill because she couldn't make heads or tails of it. (For a more in depth look at what all this means you can read here, here, and here). And two, just when the stress of yesterday had reached such explosive proportions that the windows started to vibrate, I noticed a flyer tucked inside the handle of our front door. You are not going to believe what was printed inside:
Here are some of the highlights:
"Is health care reform to create total government control or to trigger a chain of events leading to civil unrest and state separation from the union? Either way the Constitution will DIE... But who wins?"
"States are already declaring state sovereignty, they WILL NOT ABIDE by this law."
"Some people are talking about not paying anymore taxes to the federal government, others are talking about taking up arms, and who knows what else."
"The federal government will withhold funds from the states; states will have to use a lot of money to fight the federal government in our liberal courts."
"The education clause in the bill is to assure and to cut deals with the unions, minorities, universities, to make sure they stay on his side."
"With the homosexuals, lesbians, Human Rights Campaign, and MoveOn.org on his side, he counts with the support of the most ready and organized group with 20 years of experience in going to the streets as well as bringing along the immigrant minorities and african-americans, he is set and sure to create civil unrest and excusing himself to execute full control over all our rights by force."
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.
The whole point of the flyer was to get us to call Congressman Matheson to get him to vote NO on the bill, even though he declared more than two days earlier that he was planning on a NO vote. Personally, I'm sad that he cannot ever claim to be a part of this historical moment.
Forget tornados and leprechauns and spiders, that is some of the scariest shit I've ever read. I know people hate it when I get all political, but I had to bring this up at least to say WHAT?!?!? Do some people really believe this?!
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FM Living
Mama Boo said:
WOW! Annie get your gun and shit! THE WORLD'S GONE CRAZY!
03.22.10 - 12:04 PM / 1Grey.and.Vis.Mom said:
I, being Canadian, am so happy that one of the richest countries in the world is finally joining the rest of us in health care sanity... it will probably be a long road, but i hope the people with a voice don't ever give up helping the little guy!
all i have in my head right now is the Beatles....
and you know if it's not "gonna be alright" bring yourself and your beautiful family a few hours north! we'll let you go to the doctor:)
03.22.10 - 12:04 PM / 2dianemaggipinto... said:
matheson is a super fakeout democrat. last election i wrote in "karen shepherd" instead of voting for him.
unbelievable so many can get so uppity about this, but it's okay our military budget?
i questioned an insurance rep once about these mysterious pre-existing conditions, saying: i'm fertile. isn't THAT a pre-existing condition?
see you at the death panel!
03.22.10 - 12:04 PM / 3Snippet said:
That flyer is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen! I truly hope there aren't people out there stupid enough to believe that junk! I for one am thrilled that this has passed- finally a step in the right direction! While this isn't a perfect step, it's something, and I'm grateful for it! Shame on every single Republican who voted against it...
Hehe my recaptcha is "limb concern" how appropriate!
03.22.10 - 12:07 PM / 4Grammar Snob said:
I'm honestly shocked at how much of that crap they actually DO believe. Tell me, have you ever seen so many Don't Tread On Me flags flying in your life? And how many of those people flying the flag actually researched it to even know when it was originally flown? My question is this: how exactly would McCain have been better than this?
03.22.10 - 12:08 PM / 5seattleeco said:
Four years ago, I was in a tailspin that was exacerbated by my inability to get health care due to a preexisting condition. I was a healthy 25 year-old with the same thyroid problem that a tremendous number of women have. There is nothing, NOTHING, worse when it comes to health "care" than figuring out that you aren't worth enough to an insurance company for them to provide coverage. If I hadn't been able to lean on the generosity of extended family, I'd have paid far more than the $3500 I paid that year (premium + crazy high deductible). My crime? Taking the opportunity to live in England, where I didn't have proof of insurance because I was automatically insured. That lack of proof meant I had a coverage gap when I returned to the US. It was a nightmare.
This bill is a start to providing insurance for everyone who needs it. Thank God it passed.
03.22.10 - 12:08 PM / 6Vander said:
I actually LOVE it when you get political. It's the conservative nutjobs who are getting all of the attention: we need intelligent people to discuss this publicly too.
My sister has six kids and an unemployed husband and should totally be behind this bill, but isn't because she thinks her sick 5 year old would be put before a death panel. Makes me sad, then mad.
Thanks for writing about this. Seriously.
03.22.10 - 12:09 PM / 7Ains Mom said:
@Seattleeco: If you think that $3500 was too much to pay, wait until you see what your Federal taxes are going to increase to in order for the government to pay for this health reform. Your taxes will increase far more than $300 per month - I can promise you that much. And actually getting in to see a physician? Good Luck.
03.22.10 - 12:14 PM / 8fashionqueen24 said:
Amen to that sister!
03.22.10 - 12:16 PM / 9SJ123 said:
Thank you for saying this. I am self-employed and have a child with asthma and some other underlying conditions. We relied first on COBRA, then luckily were eligible for extended CAL-COBRA, but what do we do next? Our insurance premiums are more than our mortgage, and the coverage is not that great, but we are thankful to have it given our daughter's needs. We can't qualify for an individual policy at any price.
I can't say enough how much this legislation will help me, by giving me the confidence that, at some point, I will not have this fear that I won't be able to provide my daughter with insurance. I have worked hard and played by the rules, and I am NOT a leach on society.
03.22.10 - 12:20 PM / 10MichelleD said:
I totally understand your reasoning for wanting this to go through.
That being said, I hate this bill (and for the record I'm neither a conservative or a liberal crackpot. Or a libertarian crackpot for that matter). Honestly, I'd like this bill better if it was real socialist/national healthcare, like France, Japan, Canada, or Italy.
03.22.10 - 12:20 PM / 11Twoods29 said:
Also, if there are any other questions regarding the new health care bill, please refer them to Ains Mom. She is a psychic and can estimate the amount of tax dollars your check will increase by, as well as give you an estimated wait time of future doctor's visits after said bill goes into action. Please be assured that Ains Mom is not spouting off any information that was heard on Fox News, or while listening to the Rush Limbaugh radio show. Thank you.
03.22.10 - 12:26 PM / 12Krys72599 said:
Personally I was against the bill, but not for any of the whack job reasons some other conservative people are quoting. There is no reason on earth that you or your family should have been denied healthcare. Let me say that up front. If you're willing to pay, you should be able to have insurance.
I'm a firm believer that the problem lies within the insurance companies and although it sounds very cliche, tort reform and industry regulation were stepping stones on the path I thought should be followed, not handing all of this off to the government to manage, control and screw up.
I've been blessed with decent health, I've been paying my high premiums all along, with virtually no benefits paid out other than wellness appointments (there were a couple of broken bones and one surgery tossed in there, but not catastrophic dollars and cents). And since I've paid in all along, I believe I have the right to choose my own doctors and my own treatment, and quite frankly I am worried that some version of all the scare stories that are out there might come to be (not in the form they're being talked about, because a lot of that is honestly only a scare tactic).
And I have never seen anyone denied care - I've watched them (and by "them" I mean people without insurance) come into the hospital and into the immedicenters, state that they have no insurance and receive care. Yes, people have been denied *insurance* and that's a different story, but *care* IS available for those without insurance.
Obviously that's not the ideal scenario either, but I have to say that the government being the Big Cheese in health insurance has me scared silly! And I wish the bill had not passed. It still needs major reconstruction before it could have been in a form that I could agree with across the board.
03.22.10 - 12:27 PM / 13misheru said:
Heather, I'm right there with you on this one. I think this is a absolutely fantastic and I am SO glad we finally have made a step in the direction of civilization in this country.
I am so proud of America right now, I could cry; yes, a public option would have been terrific, but reform has been badly needed for years. I've lived in England (fully socialized medicine) and in Japan (public option health insurance) and the quality of care I received both places far exceeded anything I've gotten in this country.
In Japan, I was able to use my (public option) insurance to pay for preventative care, which solved the following list of problems: bad knee, bad shoulder, bad wrist, weight problem, slight asthma. I also lost 30 pounds and was healthier than I had ever been. The end result saved the system money, as I did NOT need carpal tunnel surgery, did NOT need knee surgery, etc etc. I never experienced waits longer than what I've experienced in the US, either.
I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I just think this is fantastic, and I want to shout it all over! I can't believe the doomsday talk going on, because LISTEN! HEALTH CARE REFORM NEEDED TO HAPPEN! Hurray!
Exclamation point...infinity.
03.22.10 - 12:26 PM / 14njschoolgirl said:
Thanks for bringing this major political milestone up today. It is a step in the right direction. The people who aren't behind it either have great inexpensive insurance, healthy children or have had a lobotomy. Yes, taxes will go up. Have you checked the tax rate in other countries with health care, great schools, free universities, etc? The people there LOVE what they pay for. Our country has been a joke to other places for many reasons, now we can maybe check health care off of that list!
03.22.10 - 12:29 PM / 15terrible_t said:
Honestly, this bill is not good. There were too many things added to placate the anti-everythings out there.
However, it is also not bad. It could be a good place to start - a stepping off point as it were.
Hopefully as the lawmakers and bureaucrats step off, they don't trip over their own feet... ~slaps forehead~ OH GAWD WHAT WAS I THINKING OF COURSE THEY WILL.
03.22.10 - 12:29 PM / 16dianemaggipinto... said:
#8--do the math $300 mo increase in taxes = $3600 year. less than what most people pay in health insurance premiums and gobs less than out-of-pocket expenses for the insured, underinsured, uninsured
03.22.10 - 12:29 PM / 17No Reply said:
You know, I think the frustrating thing on both sides of the argument on this and pretty much everything political, is that people find the most bat-shit crazy example of the opposition's side and present it as if it might be the secret document they are all huddling around as their rallying call. That flyer is crazy - whoever wrote it is a nut - but that doesn't discredit or address the sane and reasonable arguments against this bill and how it was passed.
Reason.com has a ton of good write-ups on why this healthcare bill is unprecedented (not in a good way), a step in the wrong direction for health care and a really unfortunate financial disaster in the making. There's other write-ups on this too, but it doesn't much matter at this point.
I'm glad it's personally beneficial to you and your family and that the uninsured will have a way to get coverage. That's nice.
We'll see how it plays out in practice and vote accordingly.
03.22.10 - 12:29 PM / 18Collynn_Sick said:
Thank you for that piece. Most people who have complained about for or against the bill have not read any of it. Do people really believe that their Congressmen have read the bill? These political professionals pick and choose what they want to read, vote for or against.They have interns that do the scut work for them. Washington is their stage and they, the actors. Nothing is perfect, including this bill, BUT at least someone has tackle this issue that has been long overdue -- 10 years folks.
03.22.10 - 12:30 PM / 19QoB said:
Wait, HAY FEVER is a pre-existing condition?
I wish you were joking.
Hopefully the bill is just a place to start getting better healthcare for the US...
03.22.10 - 12:32 PM / 20gofugyerself said:
Great post! I think this bill is a great start to the reform we need. And that flyer is just plain scary.
03.22.10 - 12:38 PM / 21catballouu said:
I'm not entirely sure why health care isn't a right in the first place. Do we pay taxes? Are we alive? Yes? Then we should have health care. Period and end of story. There sure is a lot of pointless, reckless, and scary rhetoric about a basic, fundamental human right: staying healthy. I love Jason Chaffetz' comment this morning: "This is a sad day for those of us who believe so strongly in the sanctity of life." http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14728289
Of course, I'm not sure if he's talking about the unborn children that we are all supposedly aborting and who need protection to gain entrance into a life of health care woes or what, but there you go.
Not sure that I agree that we all ought to be required to have health insurance, when I think the simpler answer is that we should all just have access to health care, much like Canada or France (who haven't had any socialist takeovers that I've seen). Insurers have no role in this debate at all.
03.22.10 - 12:39 PM / 22misheru said:
From Twitter: "I can't help but think this is what Jesus would've wanted...If they'd had this back in Bible times it would have saved him a lot of work and freed him up to focus on the catering aspect."
And yes, that flyer == crazy.
03.22.10 - 12:39 PM / 23tiedie said:
The Republicans look and sound like "drama queens" when it comes to their opposition to this Bill, like it was an actual Health Care Reform Bill, instead of "hint of reform" it actually is. It is but a chip in the concrete of the health insurance monopoly in this Nation.
Finally. Something. An itty bitty something in the right direcion and by the Repubican response you would think it was the end of their world which everyone knows is alive and well in the hands of K street hustlers and the C street prayer house.
It is important to hear how this Bill helps your family and many other American families.
Health care is a right that the human race should aspire to achieve for itself while we leave behind the idea that it is a privilege of only the few who can afford it.
03.22.10 - 12:39 PM / 24rainylakechick said:
Thank you! Everyone in this country regardless of wealth, skin color, class or employment status deserves to have healthcare.
I'm so sick of reading on Facebook about the world ending because of the healthcare bill.
03.22.10 - 12:40 PM / 25Cool_Mable said:
I'm really curious how many people that oppose health care reform are uninsured? Or are those that oppose this reform sitting comfy, cozy with their own health insurance policy and opposing this legislation? Just wondering if all parties are looking at this with the appropriate amount of compassion towards others.
Isn't the bottom line about access to health care and how to make that happen for more Americans? How can this not be the most vital concern?
The bill is imperfect, of course. But it's a start.
PS - Thanks for the links in the blog - it's good to read up on the facts.
03.22.10 - 12:41 PM / 26Pinkie Bling said:
I KNOW, RIGHT?? I live in SLC, too, and that is SCARY. I called Rep. Matheson to encourage him to vote FOR the bill, even though I knew it wouldn't do a bit of good. Your family is one of the first examples of health care ridiculousness I heard about (back in the day), and I always think of you guys when I think about this issue. Of course, you are NOT the only family I know who is affected. I've seen people ruin their credit, and I've seen others go without treatment because they couldn't afford it. At least it's a step!!
Fox News, et al. need to stop feeding the crackpots, because...YIKES.
03.22.10 - 12:41 PM / 27melnyc said:
Let's talk about pre-existing conditions. Hay fever? For real? My daughter was a micropreemie and lived in the NICU for 5 months. Then she had heart surgery. I had thyroid cancer. I fully recognize that my family is way too big a risk for an insurer. Thankfully I have a job. But now I don't have to stay up at night panicking about what would happen if I lost my job. My husband is a free-lancer. I am really happy this thing passed, but isn't it a damn shame that no Republican could vote for it? What is wrong with people?
03.22.10 - 12:41 PM / 28bookworm said:
As a Canadian, I can tell you that I am beyond relieved not to have to worry about health care for myself or my family. I am grateful that when I go to the doctor or make a visit to the emergency room, I don't get a bill in the mail or have to fill out paperwork beforehand. I'm happy that I don't get rejected for health care or insurance because of some prior medical ailment that no longer applies to me. Canadians may pay more taxes for this, but taxes are part of life, and I'd rather pay a little more to make sure the health of those I love is taken care of (and even the health of those Canadians I don't know one bit), than have to struggle with paperwork and worry about not being able to afford to take my child to the doctor. I pay taxes for our education system, to take care of our infrastructure and keep our roads safe, etc. Why wouldn't I pay more to take care of our health, too?
03.22.10 - 12:42 PM / 29japeterson said:
Yes, this flier is crazy, but to act as though it represent all who oppose the health care reform bill is definitely straw-manning. There are a lot of people who have very well-reasoned, sensible objections to this bill.
This piece from CNN presents several different viewpoints on the issue: http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/22/health.care....
Definitely worth reading.
03.22.10 - 12:42 PM / 30