Know someone against health care reform? Have them read this story.

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The following personal account appeared on a Facebook page and is being reprinted here with permission from the author.

In general, I think anecdotes are an overused tool in political persuasion – but not this time, and not on this issue. For one thing, this particular story highlights the urgent need for health care reform in several different ways – not all of which get enough press. It also shows the adverse impact our crazy, broken, non-system can have on cultural touchstones such as marriage and entrepreneurship – two favorite conservative talking points.

But also, the response to it underscores the absolute abandonment of any pretense of “compassionate conservatism.” On the original Facebook post, most of the responses are – as one would hope and expect – sympathetic and supportive… but not all. Some are of the its-your-own-fault or why-should-I-help-you variety.

With the compassionate veneer now so passe, what we are left with in the debate over this issue is not simply naked me-firstism, but something even nastier. It isn’t simply about “you’re on your own” or “every one for themselves,” the comments and heated rhetoric actually crosses over into an enthusiastic grinding of others down. For some of the most vocal trying to prevent reform, it’s become about punishment – not just for the sin of finding oneself in an untenable situation, but for having the gall to hope for some kind of help from one’s government and community. A brief tour of the right wing sites and you’ll see; it’s gotten ugly beyond words.

So here, then, is a story that lays out, once again, the status quo these misguided tea party types are so determined to protect:

When I was 20 and in college, I was still a part of my mother’s insurance through her work. I was pregnant and so relieved that I had pretty good insurance (in my opinion) I was pregnant and seeing the Dr weekly around 7 months and didn’t have a copay. (Thank GOD! because even a $10 copay would have been impossible for me at that time)

When Reya was born, she was covered for 30 days. She wasn’t a dependant, so they didn’t have to cover her. In those first 30 days she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (eye cancer). Everything was a blur. We flew to NY for her treatment because nobody in Texas was equipped to deal with a 10 day old baby with 3 tumors. (when we got to NY 3 days later they found 4 more)

Much, much more follows…

My dad and aunt Dianne paid for the trip. We thought it would be a 3 day trip. My dad came with us, but we were told they would be starting chemo and Reya and I couldn’t leave. Dad flew home and left me with a newborn Reya and $1500 in cashier’s checks (courtsey of Aunt Dianne) Between hotel, airfare, food, and other essentials the whole trip cost about 4K. We were in NY for 3 weeks. Reya’s second round of Chemo was AFTER she was 30 days old. I was 20, I was scared. I had a brand new baby.

When we got back to Texas, I took her to DHS and applied for medicaid knowing that in 2 weeks I had to be back in NY for more treatment. I had NO idea how I was going to handle these insanely expensive medical bills. (did I mention I was scared?) DHS had a medicaid card for her in less than a week. Reya was covered. Without govt healthcare I have no idea how this would have played out. It still makes me ill to think about it.

Here’s the tricky part. Reya’s got a history of cancer. She’s also missing a tumor suppressor gene. That puts her at risk for secondary cancers later in life. Teenagers with her diagnosis have a significantly higher chance of sarcomas (bone tumors). Add in the trouble we’ve had with her knees and the number of times she’s had them xrayed, and it makes me nervous. VERY nervous. Reya is uninsurable. No private insurance will cover her, and if they did they would exclude cancer treatment, and the premium would be insane. If I make too much money, she LOSES her healthcare.

If I get married, she loses her healthcare based on Levi’s wages. His insurance WILL NOT cover her because of her pre-existing conditions.

I’m trying to start a business, but I’m terrified to do anything. (it bears repeating) If I MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY REYA LOSES HER INSURANCE. One of those pesky secondary cancers could show up.. Then what? Or better yet she doesnt get annual screenings and nothing gets caught til it’s too late. That is a SHITTY way to live.

If this healthcare bill passes then I can still work, still start my business and not have to worry about Reya’s ability to see the proper care givers. If it doesn’t I may have to sit this one out. I cannot have her not be insured. The risk is just too high.

3 thoughts on “Know someone against health care reform? Have them read this story.”

  1. … of listening to the little whiners who clamor to keep every selfish penny at the expense of others – to hear them rage on and on about loony conspiracy theories, like the fictitious future “death boards” while they tell real people who are, right now, facing death, disfigurement, or some other form of health care Russian roulette to “f* off and die” – is just too much.

    These people are perfectly happy take your actual life away from you right now, while whimpering that they’re scared someone might take away some theoretical life in the future. They are willing  to believe insane outright lies, as long as those lies make them feel justified in hating someone else.

    Here are a few of the things they are willing to believe:

    • Obeying the directives in someone’s Living Will = death board.
    • The government plans to unleash roving bands of marauding euthanasia specialists to knock on your door, to tell you whether or not you need to be euthanized (yes, they REALLY believe this).
    • Adding a new insurance choice = taking choices away.
    • Insurance companies, with literally thousands of paid staff, whose sole job is to deny your claims,  won’t get in the way of your health care (like they already do, every day); but government, with no such staff – and no profit motive, will.
    • Tacking a profit onto anything is cheaper and better than doing the same thing without tacking on a profit.
    • People using government health programs now (like medicare) will lose government coverage if more government coverage is added.
    • The “free market” should rule, but we can’t allow the “demand” half of the market’s “supply and demand” to, well, demand anything.
    • The government has no right to help keep people well, even though the very first words of the constitution say government’s purpose is to “promote the general welfare.”
    • Publicly supported medical care is “socialist.” But publicly-paid police, fire, defense, medicare, veteran care, roads, schools, social security, ambulance services, and so on, aren’t.
    • Giving small businesses the option to save money while ensuring their employees’ health care is bad for business, but constraining them to choose between laying employees off or dropping care due to annual 20% or greater hikes in insurance premiums is good for business.

  3. Odum and Jay:  Thanks for those pieces.  The story about the woman who fears losing govt health care is all too typical here in the USA.  I am in it myself, in fact, in a different way.  And while I have heard horror stories about the NHS from British, their comments generally run like those in the piece.  They cannot believe what it is that we do here.  Sadly, I think this right wing onslaught will defeat Obama’s proposals unless the liberals fight back even harder and I do not see that happening.  

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