My Take on Obama’s Speech
Warning: I am libertarian and inherently against all forms of big government.
“No one should die because health care is too expensive”
Issue one- this was a direct quote from Facebook. It was a viral chain status last week. This is more an issue with his speechwriter. Write like an adult, please.
Issue two- Every hospital in the US is required to administer treatment to anyone who walks though their doors, regardless if they have health care. Payment plans can be negotiated for those who do not. (this, however, is not required but should be) Case in point, myself. I didn’t have any of my health care info on me when I got a brown recluse spider bite. I wasn’t asked about my insurance until AFTER I received a diagnosis and medication. Same goes for my husband when he was hit by a truck in a crosswalk. Those of us with coverage are already paying for the uninsured’s visits to the hospital through our premiums. To say people are dying because they are being refused care in our nation’s emergency rooms is reckless and irresponsible.
“The time for bickering and playing games is over”
Excuse me, Mr. President, but debate is an essential part of DEMOCRACY. Just because we don’t agree with you doesn’t mean we’re doing this just to annoy you. Health care is a very serious issue. It’s not something that should just be rammed through Congress to add to your legacy. Yes, people’s lives are at stake. Let’s do this right. This includes Tort Reform (funny that Congress is made up primarily of lawyers and none of them are interested in discussing this), Insurance Co-ops, and public health care controlled by the state a la Massachusetts.
“No one should lose their health insurance because they lose their job.”
There is already a system in place for this. It’s called COBRA, http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/cobra.htm, a public option (yes, one already exists) run by the Department of Labor that extends your benefits for 18 months after losing your job, which is incredible considering unemployment is only paid out for 6 months after termination. Instead of creating an entirely new system, why don’t we fix the one we already have?
