The Great Health Care Debacle

"A true disciple knows his brother's woes, as his own, as his own, as his own"
English Hymn


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Why I Blog

I contemplated starting a blog for a couple of months before it became a reality. I hemmed and I hawed. On one hand, I thought it would be a great way to share my views and opinions with the world. On the other hand, I wondered if I would be able to sustain the commitment of time and resolve that such an endeavor demanded. What pushed me over the edge of my indecision and catapulted me into the blogosphere? It was a singular experience.

When I bought the DVD of Michael Moore's documentary Sicko, I did so as a Johnny come lately. I had wanted to see it when it was initially released, but missed it somehow. Finally, almost two years later, I found myself in front of the T.V., mesmerized, shocked, and utterly demoralized. No film had that kind of emotional impact on me since Sophie's Choice. I was filled, paradoxically, with the type of frustrating emotion that leaves you paralyzed and unable to defer taking action for another second. At that moment, Blogomatic for the People was born.

Sicko: Unforgettable But True

This is my 7th post. Only now, do I feel ready to address the issue of health care in America. Since I have been inspired by Michael Moore's film and haunted by its images, it will serve as a framework for our discussion (Mike, I hope you don't mind). Think of this blog as a hybrid movie review/social commentary.

The Problem

Almost 50 million Americans don't have health insurance. That's roughly 1/6th of the population. The United States is the only first world, industrialized country, that does not provide universal health care for its citizens. This can only be regarded as a national disgrace. The rest of the population, those who do have some form of health insurance,are also in a precarious state. Coverage gives a sense of security. But it's illusory, a false sense of security. At any given time, the insured can become so catastrophically ill that their co-pays, deductibles, and exceeded benefit caps could easily cause their financial ruin.

The number one cause of bankruptcy and homelessness in America is due to excessive medical bills. Even more alarming, is the statistic given by Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Warren: "When we were studying the families who filed for bankruptcy, here is the finding that really blew me away: 75% of the families who ended up in bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious medical problem had health insurance at the onset of the illness or accident that ultimately landed them in bankruptcy. They had health insurance!" (This quote is taken directly from Michael Moore's interview with Elizabeth Warren featured in the supplementary footage of the Sicko DVD.)

These statistics evidence a broken health care system in the United States. However, statistics are really numerical abstractions that project human realities with faces, the faces of everyday people like ourselves, people who have suffered and died because of our gulag healthipelago. Sicko shares these stories with us: disenfranchised patients being "dumped" in front of public health facilities by "for profit" hospitals, the seriously ill being condemned to death because their insurance providers will not cover the necessary treatments required to save their lives, a baby dying after it was turned away from an emergency room because of her mother's inability to pay. Many of us could add our own story to it.

The Solution: Universal Health Care Now!

We need universal health care now! It is intolerable for 1/6th of our population to be uninsured. It is intolerable for those who have insurance to potentially face financial ruin if a catastrophic illness occurs. It is intolerable for us to allow big business to reign over our health care. Their bottom line is greed and they treat people like cattle.

Support H.R. 676!

Representative John Conyers of Michigan has proposed bill H.R.676. This bill provides universal health care for all the citizens of the United States of America. We must no longer except "sound bite" answers from our politicians which express some sort of abstract desire for health care reform. Instead, we must tell them. "You're right, we do need health care reform! You'll be happy to know that it has a name and is actually written out on paper. It's called H.R. 676."

Please write your representative and urge them to support H.R.676!

Epilogue

Empathy is one of the greatest character traits a person can possess. In turn, evil has been described as the absence of empathy. We feel empathy for the plight of our fellow man and hope our spiritual growth and maturity increases this impulse within us. This is the genius of Michael Moore's movie. It helps us to face the everyday woes of everyday people, just like ourselves. It increases our awareness, arouses our empathy, and ignites our compassion.


Congressman John Conyers of Michigan Leads the Fight to Pass H.R. 676