My sister wrote an email this morning showing how much she has learned how to swear. Alas, I think she has good reason. So I wrote this letter. You may copy it (changing details as appropriate) and send it to the prez. candidates and your own senators (I didn't bother with my representative because he is very much a Bush lapdog).
Dear Sen. Barack Obama,
Dear Sen. John McCain,
Dear Sen. Debbie Stabenow,
Dear Sen. Carl Levin,
My sister had a stroke last February 1st at the young age of 50. Though it appears she will make a reasonable physical recovery, it will not be complete. However, various government agencies have figuratively beaten her, leaving her on the floor for the count. She will emerge from this experience a pauper, relying on the fickle graces of the government for her existence.
Before the stroke, she had her own modest business and, like many in
When the stroke hit she had no insurance to pay for emergency room, a week at the hospital with a flurry of tests, and two weeks at a rehabilitation center. The physical therapy she received was not nearly enough for her to recover the use of her left hand but continued therapy requires proof of insurance. Thus, she has been declared disabled and unable to hold a job. She had to close her business.
This is where the story turns from unfortunate to tragic. Before she started her business five years ago she had managed to accumulate a modest $20,000 IRA, something that would last a year or less for most Americans, something that would allow her to be only slightly less of a burden to family, friends, or the government during her senior years. Yet because of that IRA, what little health insurance she had has been cancelled and her application to Medicaid has been denied. There is no way now to get the therapy she needs for recovery and her diabetes medication has just gotten significantly more expensive. The IRA will vanish in an instant to pay the early withdrawal penalty, the emergency room, the hospital, and the rehab center. She feels well and truly screwed by The System. Every government agency has closed its doors to her.
Please, I urge you, make it go away.
By that I mean do all you can to make universal health care a reality. It is long past time for a nation as rich as ours to have such a shoddily funded health system when countries much smaller have managed it quite well at a much lower per-person cost.
It is ironic to me that we already have the makings of a world-class health system -- one good enough for
I am annoyed that a great deal of money for health in this country goes into the pockets of the for-profit health insurance industry, where it does little to actually improve anyone's health. The goal of those companies is to make money, not keep anyone healthy. Implementing Medicare for All has the advantage of side-stepping the health-insurance industry.
I am enough of a pragmatist and sufficiently outraged by my sister's plight that I'm willing to praise any method that will restore health care for my sister while we also work towards the goal of Medicare for All.
Sincerely,
The Crow
I sent this letter through the following websites (using my real name):
Stabenow's site has a blog with an announcement of a Healthy American's Act (alas, the link to the single blog post points to a post about fair trade, though the press release can be found here). She claims it would be budget neutral in 2014 and have a surplus after that. The announcement doesn't say how it would work but does say it has bipartisan support.
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