Tuesday, December 06, 2011

healthcare is a human right

I'm down to the wire with my last week of studying before NCLEX. Still worried that reason will completely leave me the day of the big test and I'll draw a blank on everything or forget how to read or will be so nervous my blood pressure will put me into the hypertensive crisis range (which would be impressive considering my normal BP is like 80/50 when I wake up in the morning). Anyhow I was taking a study break and drove my recycling to a local place (because they do curbside recycling every other week here but there's one truck that collects everything and tosses it together and somehow I just question whether everything is actually being recycled or if this is some half-assed fabrication to keep Ravenstahl in office). But while driving I was listening to NPR and they had the former Medicare & Medicaid Chief Donald Berwick on discussing Obama's healthcare reform. Now I don't understand why people shake their heads and tsk tsk healthcare reform. I think they're either misinformed, because they get their news from FOX, or they're inhumane. It just doesn't really make sense to me. A friend of mine had to read the bill for work and she said if you're the head of Aetna or some other insurance company I understand you being against the bill but otherwise, no. The bill forces hospitals and doctors to be accountable, rewards preventative care, stops insurers from fucking over those with preexisting conditions by denying them coverage, seniors get more money for medications, young people can remain on their parents insurance until their 26. The only potential problem that I could see is nurses and nursing aids getting screwed because the focus on reducing infections and pressure ulcers in hospitals is wonderful yet there are many non-profit (yet highly profitable hospitals) that will put the burden of achieving that success on the nurses and aids, yet not hire enough nurses and aides to do that (and at the same time admonish those same nurses and aides for not using good body mechanics but not give them the time to be able to do that). But but but, sorry I tend to go off on my soapbox tangents, the thing that made me want to drive my car into a wall, was during this interview they played an excerpt from the Teaparty Republican presidential debate in Florida back in September where Wolf Blitzer posed a hypothetical question to Ron Paul asking what he would do if a healthy 30 year old who opted out of health insurance was gravely injured and fell into a coma, should the people not pay for his care. And he responds 'That's what freedom is all about, taking your own risks.' to which the audience erupts in applause, and Blitzer counters, 'So are you saying society should just let him die?' and at least three members of the crowd shout out yes. There are many things that I read or hear or see on the news at a local, national and global level that make me think things are very end of days lately - not that I'm particularly religious but things are just dire (although if you spend a weekend in NYC you would never know it). And when I hear people say shout out someone should just die because they opt out of health insurance, which I would think would be because they cannot afford it, how can any human being be against someone being treated if they're ill? It isn't humane and therefore I don't think the person against treating the gravely injured person is human. At least I view them as far less than human. I need to make a tee shirt, get a bumpersticker, wear a blinking hat that says 'healthcare is a human right' because it is and I'm more than willing to shout it from the rooftops, hop up and down and fight anyone who thinks otherwise.

1 comment:

sew nancy said...

I agree. That is so crazy. Yeah, that makes me really pissed off.
But, Happy birthday girl. You are going to go Io Baskin Robbins for one of those sundaes you like, right.