Dear GOP - the collective you are an Idiot

[bovil]

Originally posted by ladyqkat at Dear GOP - the collective you are an Idiot

(Post originally seen in this post by ramblin_phyl. I have been notified that it was originally posted by suricattus in her journal post. The story and words are hers, but I do believe that it needs to go viral and that as many people as possible need to get their stories out there. Only by making a noise about this can we make a change in our society.)

There is a move afoot in the nation -driven by the GOP - to repeal the new health care laws, to protect corporate interests, to defend against fear-mongering (and stupid) cries of "socialism!", and to ensure that people are forced to choose between keeping a roof over their heads or getting necessary health care.

This movement is killing people.

Think I'm overstating the fact?

Ask the friends and family of writer/reviewer Melissa Mia Hall, who died of a heart attack last week because she was so terrified of medical bills, she didn't go see a doctor who could have saved her life.

From another writer friend: One person. Not the only one. That could have been me. Yeah, I have access to insurance -- I live in New York City, which is freelancer-friendly, and have access to freelancer advocacy groups. Through them, I can pay over $400/month ($5,760/year) as a single, healthy woman, so that if I go to the hospital I'm not driven to bankruptcy. But a doctor's appointment - a routine physical - can still cost me several hundred dollars each visit. So unless something's terribly wrong? I won't go.

My husband worked for the government for 30 years. We have government employee (retired) insurance. It is the only thing of value he took away from that job. His pension is pitiful. He still works part time. My writing income has diminished drastically. Our combined income is now less than what it was before T retired fifteen years ago. Inflation has diminished it further. In the last 30 days I have racked up over $8000 in medical bills for tests and the beginning of treatment. Our co-pay is 20% after the deductible. And there is more to come. Our savings are already gone. I have the gold standard of insurance and I still can't pay all the medical bills.

Another friend lost her insurance when her husband lost his job. She couldn't afford medication and ended up bed ridden for three months at the end of over a year of no job and therefore no insurance until he found work again.

It's our responsibility. All of us, together. As a nation.

EtA: Nobody is trying to put insurance companies out of business. They will always be able to offer a better plan for a premium. We simply want to ensure that every citizen - from infant to senior citizen - doesn't have to choose between medical care, and keeping a roof over their heads, or having enough to eat.

We're trying to get this to go viral. Pass it along.

I'm going to post my story as the first comment to this post if anyone would like to read it. If anyone wants to tell their story, please tell it on your own journal and post a link in the comments. Maybe, just maybe, TPTB will listen to the slaves peons who clean their toilets before they have to clean their own.

Comments

[bovil.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough I don't have a personal health insurance crisis story. Even when I've been sick I've been healthy as a horse, and I'm currently covered by Kaiser through work.

I still think universal coverage is a better and fairer way of subsidizing health care for the poor, under-covered and self-employed than our current system of people going to emergency care centers and not paying or going bankrupt paying.

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

I'm a Brit, my only contribution is that we have no death panels in the UK, everyone's treatment is free at the point of care. If you have a heart attack, you only have to worry about your health, not about how you are going to pay for it. We have universal health screening.
I can't believe that a prosperous country such as the USA has such barbaric health care and I have nothing but sympathy for my American friends.

FF

[lechatnomade.livejournal.com]

I hate to say this because it makes me think about the nasty dichotomy of my work vs. my views, but I now work for a health insurance company, and it's just... sickening. I have serious issues with the whole institution, but it I'd be homeless without the wages, so here I go to bed to go in in the morning. Will pass this along tomorrow.