08.22.09
More Ramblings on the Universal Health Care Issue
I’ve been trying to keep up with the currently proposed universal health care issue. While I am concerned about it because I personally prefer less government involvement, if possible, I understand the argument that as our health care system stands today, changes sure could be helpful. Being that I’ve personally experienced a life-threatening disease, I know how expensive medical payments are and can be. It’s not unheard of for people to lose all their life’s savings even while having medical insurance coverage. I will never forget receiving a bill for a three weeks’ supply of Desferal totaling $8,000 because my medical insurance claimed that they did not cover the pharmacy that was supplying the drug. That was only a fraction of my medical expenditures. Fortunately for me, that would have been a “temporary” situation, but I know there are many, many others who are blood transfusion dependent for life who will require life-long treatment of Desferal or Exjade or other iron chelating agents in addition to blood transfusions and other medical assistance. How can they afford this without help? I recall one of my relatives in the Philippines needing a blood transfusion while hospitalized and since their medical system is different from ours (people there generally pay out of pocket if they are fortunate enough to be able to do so), my cousins had to “buy” the blood “first” before they could transfuse my aunt. And I know that a unit of blood can be quite costly, not to mention a unit of platelets, immunoglobulins (I know of a patient who used this and told me they billed her insurance $40,000 for one bag of IVIG), and other blood products.
At the same time, I try to pay attention to the other side of the argument even to the extremes such as comparing Obama to Hitler because of his support for health care reform. Personally, I think that’s going way overboard. First of all, it’s not like all countries who have gone the way of universal health care or some form of it have gone the way of Hitler. I recall watching Michael Moore’s movie, Sicko, and I did think he brought of up some good points. I knew that not only Canada and the UK has nationalized health care, but also France and Italy. It made me wonder what other countries have universal health care. A Google search brought me to this article dated July 5, 2007 titled What Countries Have Universal Health Care? Below is a map from that article which shows in blue which countries currently have universal health care or some form of it. The countries listed are: Afghanistan*, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq*, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Click onto the map to enlarge.
So I ask myself, have all these countries gone to hell in a hand basket because of this socialized program? I have heard people claim that people from all over the world come to the United States for advanced treatments for various illnesses. But didn’t Farrah Fawcett go to Germany looking for alternative treatments for her anal cancer? Evidently, she did not find what she was looking for here in the U.S. and sought care elsewhere. Notice that Germany is on the list who practice some form of universal health care. Obviously there is more to consider here.
So in light of these arguments and to settle in my mind whether the Obama/Hitler comparison has any merit, I have reserved a copy of his book, Audacity of Hope. I know that before Hitler’s rise to power he already had ideas of a superior race. I have never heard Obama claim such a thing. The issue of superior race is the hallmark of Hitler’s notoriety. How about euthanasia? My understanding is that euthanasia was practiced here in the U.S. before Germany did so. Thus I want to read Obama’s book to see if he has any references to that. I have seen some YouTube videos trying to insinuate that Obama is a racist, but from the quotes given, I did not see them that way. I think reading those quotes in their proper texts might shed more light on Obama’s intent with those comments. Just merely stating that there are noticeable differences between ethnic groups isn’t racist, but merely stating an observation. It’s quite different to claim differences, than to claim that those differences mean that one group has the right to dominate another group or that one group has the right to eliminate another group based on there inherent racial qualities. So we’ll see.
Regarding Obama’s stance on abortion, personally, I don’t agree with it. However his argument that he wouldn’t want his daughters to carry a child resulting from rape was the very argument one of our good, Christian friends had. Not to mention names, but this Christian is one of the very few who we feel have an understanding of the Bible close to ours. He did not outright say that he was for abortion, but rather found it extremely difficult to know if he would or could stand the idea that his daughter would have to carry and give birth to a child resulting from rape. And this is from a good Christian man whom I greatly respect. Of all our Christian friends, he is one that I am sure of his salvation and has an extremely good and kind heart and a good grasp of the Bible. Yet, he falters on this issue. So I am reluctant to believe, solely on that example, that Obama is an evil man because of his stance on a very touchy aspect of the abortion debate. I would need to know more.
So while I am cautiously watching the progress of this health reform (because I think Big Pharma is really screwing us as the system currently stands, but I’m not one to fully trust my health care on the government either), that’s a little more of my 2 cents for now on the health care issue. I’m sure there will be more to follow later. . .
Marlakins
patti said,
September 1, 2009 at 1:16 am
While I think we definately need changes, I’m not for having the government run anything. Just looking at Medicaid and Medicare (and having to deal with them because of Marie and Ron’s mom) makes me scared to have them touch anything else. My BIL is a doctor and 80% of his patients are Medicaid and Medicare and he gets paid 20 cents on the dollar for most stuff. He’s far from wealthy and only sticks to it because he’s not too far from retiring.
I think an area that I have not seen addressed is that of alternative medicine, healthier living. How is Obamacare going to affect those who desire alternative care and don’t need or want health insurance? And there ARE those. We were one of “those” that didn’t want to bother with insurance because we knew we would never use it as most people do. Because Ron is almost 50 and his risks of things like heart attacks, etc. goes up we finally decided to get insurance. Doing so was costly because of Kassandra’s bladder issues and mine as well. We went with a very high deductible knowing that we would only use it for true emergency room needs (ie. broken bones, etc). Trauma care I guess you’d call it. And we pay $350 a month for that! It will be the first thing we drop if economics ever requires it. But people like us who didn’t have it before would be forced into government care and I don’t think that’s right either.
Somewhere there is a middle ground. In Texas where they had major tort reform the cost of health insurance dropped over 30%. So start there. Then look at pharma who is raking everyone. It’s hard to even get a doctor to prescribe something that might be old and out of patent because pharma is pushing them to do otherwise with kickbacks, etc. Try Ultram for instance. I don’t know how, but something has to give there. I’m totally against care for illegal aliens. They are breaking the law in the first place. While I understand compassion, I’m looking at this from a strictly constitutional standpoint at the moment.
I am hopeful Obamacare will die a slow death and with it all of the libs will be voted out in the next election. Not that pubs are any better. I’m hoping for some constitutionalists!
patti
Administrator said,
September 3, 2009 at 10:25 am
Yeah, I’m also very curious how this new health reform will influence alternative treatments. I haven’t heard anything to speak of. As long as it’s still available to us, I really don’t care too much if the government covers it. However, I remember Farrah Fawcett went to Germany for some alternative treatment as did Dominic Dunne for his cancer. Supposedly Dunne went to the same clinic Farrah did and also took some treatment in Costa Rica. Both Germany and Costa Rica have some form of universal health care, as far as I know. So it seems they’re not opposed to alternatives there. England seems to be a different story, tho.
Yeah, we’re like you with the health insurance. It’s really too expensive the way it stands. My sister and her hubby have to pay their own insurance because they work for themselves. For the two of them they pay close to $1,000 a month. No kids. Seems crazy and why not put the money aside to save for a rainy day. Seems it would be good enough for emergency traumas, but probably not if you get hit with a catastrophic illness. A long lasting catastrophic illness will easily wipe out your entire life’s savings. Medical fees and drug fees are just too expensive. One of my sisters is also a dialysis nurse and when she worked for an agency, they paid her $300 per patient. She might have 3 or 4 patients a day sometimes. And you know many of those dialysis patients have to have dialysis 3 times a week or so. Can you imagine what their expenses are like? And the $300.00 is just for the nurse, not the blood or the drugs or any of the overhead or middle people or even the doctor. It’s really a sad state some people are in.
In all of this, I try to think what would Jesus do? Would He care for them or turn them away? I think of what Joseph did when he stored up the grain in Egypt during the famine and his brothers came. They came from afar so were considered foreigners. They were required to pay for the grain (although Joseph did put extra in there, heheh). But what if they didn’t have money? Would Joseph had turned them away? I suppose some people become indentured servants? And also I think of the time in Acts when the Christians were selling their property to share with the Christian community. They willingly set up a social system amongst themselves. But the key there I think is “willingly.” They were not forced to do it, but rather did it of their own accord. A couple of the problems I see today is that there is too much concern for profit and a general lack of love for each other. Many family members don’t even want to take care of each other, so why should they want to take care of strangers? Overall it drives up the cost of health care as more caretakers are involved. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan? He cared for a complete stranger and even left money for future care. Did he want anything back in return? I don’t recall it saying so. And Jesus said to be likewise. Jesus himself and the disciples healed many people. Did they ever ask for money in return? And would Jesus approve of all these Pharma drugs anyway? Would He give them to patients knowing the side effects of so many of those drugs? So much to consider.
Well must dash for the moment.
Marla
patti said,
September 6, 2009 at 2:00 am
I have often wondered about Samaritan Ministries. It is not health “insurance” per se but a group of christians paying into a system that they all can use. I have one friend who was a part of it during college and said she hated it because they chose what they thought were reasonable things to cover and that meant she frequently didn’t get something covered. On the other hand, they don’t pay for abortions, or birth control or things that are contrary to the bible. I have been unable to convince my husband it would be a better way to go. They don’t pay for alternatives though and they are not for catastrophic care either. I know other people who rave about it and love it. I guess there are always two sides to every story.
As far as foreigners, the bible clearly lays out the case that we are to follow earthly laws and leaders unless it conflicts with what God commands. I do not see telling illegals to go home and come back legally as conflicting with God’s commands. I totally agree though that people lack the compassion to care for family members that once existed. In general it comes down to selfishness and not being able to look beyond ones own wants to another’s needs. One thing we’ve tried to impress on our children by taking care of parents/siblings is that it is what God intended for families to do. While I fully believe that Ron’s mom caring for his dad with Alzheimers until 6 days before he died likely brought on her MDS – she fulfilled both her committment in marriage to his dad and her love of God by giving herself completely to a task that literally took her life eventually. But I believe that is what God intended. She did not give up until dad was no longer sleeping and she simply could not function 24hrs a day with no sleep. Even then, dad only lived 6 days in a nursing home. I have always admired her for that and it’s what we want our children to learn as well. Funny, mom felt like a failure because she did not live out that last six days with him at home.
I know when we moved Marie into the group home that we struggled with this very issue. We sought counsel of several people and overwhelmingly they said it was more caring for her to learn to be independent (because she can be) then to keep her in the life mom had her. But at the same time they reminded us that out of sight is easy to be out of mind and that our requirement would be to make sure we see her weekly and are actively involved in her care (so she knows it). It was a good admonition and has several times moved us off the couch on a sunday afternoon when we were exhausted but knew we needed to go see her. Caring for someone takes time and commitment (as you guys know) and most people aren’t willling.
So while I do believe people and families CAN care for loved ones, if they do put them in a home – I think the overwhelming majority of people do it out of convenience. We just saw someone do this many months ago and it grieved us. Her husband had Alzheimers but he wasn’t that bad yet. She put him in a home and then was grieved that he lived so long after she had done so. And she was a christian. It bothered us so much.
Anyways, I think the caring for family thing is so lost these days. It is sad. But it’s also wrapped up in the issue of health care in many ways.
patti
Administrator said,
September 6, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I agree that sometimes people need help caring for their loved ones because some conditions like Alzheimer’s can be very difficult to manage as they tend to go through so many stages like anger fits, to wandering off and getting lost, to not being able to feed and clothe themselves or even wipe themselves in the bathrooms. They often become so dependent that they need 24/7 care which is impossible for one person to do without a break for sleep and stuff. And even the Good Samaritan put the stranger up in an inn to be cared for, but he left money to take care of the expenses. So I do understand there is a place for that. Also given the fact that some people just don’t have the gift or know-how to be a caretaker. Man, I know some people who I wouldn’t trust with a 10 foot pole alone near a baby, ha ha ha! So yeah, if done properly, help is definitely in order and that’s why it’s nice to have a large family to help spread/share the work/love. So I do try not to prematurely judge people who need help with caretaking as each situation is different, and I only hope that if my turn comes, that I do what’s right and pleasing to God.
Yeah, I agree that there’s always two sides to a story! But I’m seeing more and more that there’s “more” than “two” sides, and often “several” sides, ha ha! I think this health care issue and the immigration issue are examples of that. There are so many aspects involved that need consideration. For instance take illegal aliens. You say they’re breaking the law. But really, there are so many laws that contradict one another, that it’s not so clear that an illegal alien has no right to be here much less no right for medical assistance. For instance there are many reasons foreigners come here just like in times past in the beginning of the founding of the U.S. such as various persecutions in their countries. In that case we have due process to determine whether they can legally remain or not as a legal alien. And just because a person may break one law doesn’t mean that he forfeits all other rights as a human being. That’s part of the argument with Guantanamo. They didn’t want the “detainees” here because they didn’t want them on this soil otherwise they would have certain legal rights, yet even so, those detainees still were afforded medical care and food. As an example of contradicting laws, I believe there is a law that if there were a person who’s life was in danger and you had the ability to help but did not, then you could be convicted of second degree murder or something like that. So say for instance an illegal alien came here, got into an accident then had to go to the hospital for emergency care. If I said, “hey, you’re illegal, I’m not taking you to the hospital” and then he died, I think I could legally be convicted of man slaughter. The fact that there are so many contradicting laws is how so many lawyers earn their living–by looking for all the contradicting laws that allow loopholes for their clients. And there are many! Okay, another example. What if a family came here illegally, then their little daughter got severely sick and needed medical assistance, This child had no choice to be an illegal alien, but that’s what she is. Do we deny her care because of her parents’ wrong? I’m sure there are many more scenarios. I don’t think it’s so simple as “you’re breaking the law, go home.” If you need emergency care and don’t have the funds to “go home,” what do you do?
Do people abuse the law? Absolutely. But remember are all laws just? No. There was a time when African Americans were considered “property,” not humans. There were many “rights” that were denied them in the not so distant past. I’m sure you’re familiar with the one child policy that China had. So you happen to get pregnant with a second child, I guess it’s okay to have an abortion then because it’s the law, right? Not for this Christian. Laws are “for” people, not people for “laws.” While the Bible does tell us to submit to the governing authorities, it doesn’t say we don’t have recourse to appeal to a higher authority as Paul did when he appealed to Cesar.
And most of all, I have to look at what the Bible tells us. Even in the old testament the Israelites provided for the “sojourner,” because as God explained, they should remember that they, too, were once foreigners when they were in Egypt. Also remember we are taught that the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Jesus tells us that there is no law above love. Is it loving for us to send a person in need away just because they are illegal aliens? Their crime was to live in a war-torn part of the world and to come on this soil? Think of all the displaced peoples all over the world? There are literally hundreds and thousands of peoples in refugee camps with many Christians among them, including women and children. Uganda alone has thousands of them. So should all those countries deny all those people assistance because they’re “illegal?”
And then I have to remember that the Bible also warns us that how much mercy we mete out will be measured back to us. Jame 2:13 reads:
“For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”
And of course Matthew 25:43-36
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
In the end, I think we are all accountable for our actions. As Christians we are accountable to one another, yet do we even ask if any of these illegal aliens are Christians before we want to toss them back over the fence? I think of all the money we spend in the military for destruction. We spend more than any other country in the world. Is it okay to spend more to kill than to care and cure?
Marla