Affordable Healthcare “Hits and Myths”

The affordable health Care Act.  It seems that’s the number one topic this week; everyone is scrambling and screaming about how it’s either the end of the free world or it’s utopia realized.  Stop. Relax and take a deep breath. The world is still spinning and the sun will still rise tomorrow.  

First let me state the facts that everyone seems to be dancing around.  This is a tax, make no mistake.  I wish lawmakers would just have the fortitude to call it a tax.  It’s administered under the Treasury; the cost is in proportion to annual income and under the exchange, is even eligible for tax credits. If they had called it a tax instead of a fee from the beginning, this would have saved a trip to the Supreme Court.  I’m ok with calling it a tax. Why?  The U.S. Constitution, Article I Section 8: “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States”

Remember that line about the general welfare, because I’m going to revisit that in a paragraph or two.

Secondly, all insurance rates will go up; the most common increase is around 8% and that’s median.  Some will go up considerably more, other less so, but all will go up.  There’s a lot of talk about the 80/20 rule; where the companies have to spend .80 of every dollar to provide better healthcare.  What they don’t mention is how vague the improvements have to be.  For example a company can dedicate that .80 towards R&D, which can offer tax incentives and tax credits, offsetting the cost to neutral. What a deal! And let’s not forget that while those with preexisting conditions cannot be denied insurance, the insurers can charge up to 3x the average premiums with no end in sight.

Now that I’ve gone over the negatives and if you’re still reading this, you likely think I’m against Obamacare.  Not so. I actually support the Affordable Care Act and I offer this as rebuttal.

Affordable healthcare promotes the general welfare. (I told you I’d come back to that.) Pretty simple. We are all one people and if one suffers, we all suffer.
The fact is that people are not going to cease becoming ill, no amount of obstruction or filibustering will change this; we need healthcare reform NOW to provide access to affordable coverage, including preventive care. Today we have swine flu, bird flu, HIV, Hepatitis and TB on the rise, these are transmittable yet the GOP assumes these are not class specific.  There is no disease or chronic condition that will be frightened off by a large bank account.  

The GOP was given every opportunity to participate in creating a universal healthcare bill and conciliatory gestures were repeatedly offered, only to be met with scorn. The arguments were extraordinarily flimsy at best and offered no real alternative, just more obstruction tactics. Personally, I don’t like the mandates and lack of price controls, preferring Medicare expansion but I still congratulate the Democrats for taking the courageous first step. It’s a journey long overdue.

So now the GOP has played the final card in their arsenal; the budgetary shutdown. This behavior is atrocious and a shameful display of ignoring the people who are making life and death decisions about whether to buy food or healthcare. It’s an insult to the people and to the Constitution. If your solution is to rely solely on obstruction, you’re grossly abusing the purpose for which the voter entrusted you to represent their needs. Regardless of your position on reform, at least parents can be assured that their child’s preexisting condition is no longer a factor and that seniors need not fear the Rx donut hole or a lifetime coverage cap. I have several friends who literally owe their lives to being able to obtain affordable healthcare and I would ashamed to tell them “Sorry, I’m against big government”. Reminder GOP, big government includes the EPA, FDA, school integration, The Philadelphia Plan, the 1st increase to Social Security, and a proposed actual minimum living wage.  These were all under Republican administrations. Oh and by the way, so was a proposed universal healthcare by President Nixon, markedly similar to Obamacare. Just saying.

We’re the wealthiest nation yet 49 million people go hungry each day, our veterans sleep under bridges and 45 million have lacked basic healthcare insurance, praying they wouldn’t fall ill. Despite this, we’ve spent so much of our resources not taking care of the needs of the many but of the few. I always say that we may never achieve the Constitution’s preamble of “a more perfect Union” but we shouldn't stop striving for it.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

I'm a caregiver to a parent

So this is “Sincere Saturday” more or less.  I won’t lie; it’s been a rough week, mostly because of my need for personal privacy.  I like my privacy, not because of nefarious purposes but because I’ve had others use my circumstances for other reasons. Anyway to circumvent that issue, here’s something that many people don’t know about me. I don’t tell a lot of people because I tend to be a private person and to be honest, it’s seemed to make some uncomfortable. I’m the primary caregiver to a disabled parent and have been since my early 20’s.  That’s the foremost reason that I don’t attend most conventions or parties, and that I live a relatively quiet life. It’s not an easy task, it’s a great deal of “that’s ok” reassurance and clean ups, and the most difficult part: that of the role reversal from child to parent.

I’m only saying this today because, while I do think there should be pride in being a caregiver, there absolutely shouldn’t be disdain. This week in particular, I’ve had to defend my position professionally and I think that is atrocious. In the past, I’ve endured the “lives in his parent’s basement” jokes (despite that it’s my home and that I pay the bills) and tried to make light, but sometimes it’s hard.  Hard to not take even a day off in decades, hard to shun relationships, hard that you not have to be the parent and hard that knowing despite how much you love that person, that the most fearful thing is that inevitable day when they’ve slipped away. 

There are a thousand and one issues that come with being a caregiver; it’s a lesson in compassion, humility and of honor, because no matter what, you know that you’re doing the right thing. You’re repaying a debt and fulfilling a duty; but how is this different than being a single parent?

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From here on out, I’m very sorry if I do make you uncomfortable in my role as a caregiver, but I do take pride and I will no longer be quiet. Caregivers shouldn’t be ridiculed, but rather respected for what they do.  When you’re old.. when you no longer can care for yourself, what will you think of caregivers?

Thank you for taking the time to read. 

Why I am a fan of the Green Lantern

Why I am a fan of the Green Lantern.

The Green Lantern.  He can’t lift a battleship, or control the weather.  He isn't an alien from another planet, blessed with countless superpowers and he doesn't have unbreakable bones. The Green Lantern can’t stick to walls and doesn't have a personal fortune to dedicate to crime fighting gadgets.  He’s essentially a normal human with an occupation as a space cop, patrolling his beat with a ring.

That’s what makes the Green Lantern unique among all other superheroes. Not to sound all ‘Kill Bill’, but you see unlike Spider-Man or Superman, Aquaman or Thor, the Green Lantern’s superpower is willpower.  He has to believe that his ring will act as a conduit for his imagination and will or it’s useless.  The more he focuses his willpower, the greater the construct and range of abilities.  Superman can have his moments of doubt but as long as the sun burns yellow, he is still Superman with all of his Kryptonian powers at his disposal.  Even when Spiderman is frightened and his web-shooters run dry of webbing, he can still stick to walls, sense danger and lift a Buick. There’s never any fear that their powers will fail them even in the worst of circumstances.

If the Green Lantern is afraid, his ring is powerless to affect anything with the color yellow and if his willpower falters or he questions his own ability, his constructs crumble and he’s defenseless. He has to swear an oath and recharge his ring every 24 hours, reaffirming his loyalty to the Corps and his resolve to fight evil. He’s the only superhero that HAS to live up to his own ideals.

So here it is for a truthful Thursday.  I like Green Lantern because he believes in himself; he has to. No matter how tired he is or wounded or betrayed or spiritually depleted.  He still believes. For my money, that’s what makes him the greatest of heroes.

Thank you for taking the time to read.