Healthcare For All...Why We Must Keep It Movin'

I have been thinking about this health care reform legislation and while it is significant that the House passed its bill we must remember there are two more obstacles to cross. We must clear the Senate where they have yet brought it to the floor for debate and passage, and the second hurdle is the joint conference before final passage for the President’s signature. That’s why it ain’t over until the “Fat Lady Sings”?

The reason I am so passionate about health care reform is because I have lived and breathed healthcare since my medical retirement. I have firsthand knowledge of seeing it when I worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry for Pfizer in the 80’s and what I witnessed in the emergency rooms as I am being directly admitted to the Oncology medical floor. To see the pain and suffering, over crowdedness, and cattle call is unacceptable and this is in a private for profit hospital.

There are over 40mil uninsured and over 100mil underinsured Americans today. When I think about my experience as a leader of Human Resources and would have to look for savings each year it was easy to call my Insurance Consultant and renegotiate the rate as all Companies do each year. You would also increase the premiums of the employees. That is what they do in Corporate America. Although I didn’t like doing this it was one of those choices you had to make when you were in Corporate America having to consider shareholder value and P/E ratios.

Believe me the insurance industry can do almost anything they want to do because of the Anti-trust loopholes Congress has given to them over the years. As a matter of fact, I was informed that my coverage will be canceled at the end of the year. Coventry informed me they were dropping my type of coverage in Georgia. They gave no reason but I suspect it was because they were losing money. I have been hospitalized almost every other month this year and some of the stays have been over 14 days. I have had some really expensive procedures done that cost them a pretty penny not counting my weekly or bi-weekly procrit/aranesp shot. Yet, the issue is; should they be able to drop people at will?

For those of us with chronic diseases who can’t afford the type of insurance I have you must let Congress know we need the Public Option included in Health Care Reform. We need to put pressure on the insurers and drive down the cost of health care in this Country; otherwise the alternative is the further decline of our way of living. No Country can survive the pressure of a get all you can get attitude of the insurers and call it , “the free market”.
Gird Your Bootstraps and let’s advocate until we get the legislation we need to put pressure on insurers so all Americans have adequate healthcare. It is a moral obligation and a right. Call your Congressperson today!