October
4
Rd^c or C hange .?
Health care reform vital as public option is debated
E lise B rown
It's a confusing topic,
misunderstood even by the
people who claim they're
experts on the subject. It
ties into nearly everything
today, from the recession
to unemployment to the
psychology of everyday
citizens. It's relevant,
even to us high schoolers.
Rumors are started about it,
truths about it are hidden
by scare tactics, and people
who talk about it rarely
know what it really is.
So, what exactly is the
health care debate all
about? And why should
you care?
What health care is and
why it's flawed
If your parents have jobs,
chances are their employer
provides health insurance.
If you go to college, chances
are your school provides
health insurance. Your
parents' insurance or your
insurance pays 80% of the
cost for certain treatments,
and you or your parents
pay 20% of the cost as well
as the d ed u ctible (out-of-
take care of, and insurance
companies don't like to lose
money. As early as 2001,
18.1 million people were
denied health insurance
because of "pre-existing
conditions."
This term seems as if it
was invented solely for the
purpose of making sure
people can't be approved
for coverage. "Pre-existing
conditions" can be cancer,
autism, acne, obesity,
having seen a therapist
within a year of application,
even pregnancy. If you
have something the matter
with you before you file
your claim, it can be denied
“In
'93, not many people thought
reform was needed.../ think we're
going td get it done this time.”
-Kurt Schrader, congressman
modest amount of money in
the bank, and be under 65.
And Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families are for
families, not lone people,
and it is, well, temporary.
Therefore, there must be
faster than you can say
"pre-existing condition."
When this happens, the
whole cost of what you
need is paid on your own
dime. And when you have
something serious, this
50 m illion A m ericans w ho
are under 65, unem ployed,
pocket charges).
b eco m es a hu ge problem .
In fact, abou t h a lf o f all
may say. "That's a lot! That's
so nice of them." It seems
like it, but the system really
is quite money-hungry.
When you file an
insurance claim —
meaning, when you ask for
insurance to cover what
ails you — it can be either
approved or denied. If
you want 80% of the cost
for that prescription, that
surgery, that checkup, to be
waived, you need to plead
for the insurance company
to do just that.
Many times, insurance
claims are denied. You see,
sick people cost more to
foreclosures in America
happen because of the cost
of medical bills.
After all, one must have
their priorities, and the
health of your loved one is
just a bit more important
than a house. Sadly, the
insurance companies make
Americans at risk of losing
both.
So the private sector is .
flawed and corrupt. But
there are other choices.
"Eighty percent!" you
I »
m
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on their own, and have at
least some money in the
bank. That money probably
pays for food and a house
and car insurance, which
is required by most states,
since cars are important.
Besides, these programs
aren't necessarily for
paying health insurance.
Social Security and TANF
are mainly for, according
to Congressman Kurt
Schrader, Democrat of
Oregon's fifth district,
"giving social support
Public programs
during a recession, like the
aren't for everyone
one we're in right now."
When you're 65 or older, -
The citizens have their
the government gives you
social support. They can
pay for food and a house
and a car. But they still can't
afford health insurance.
Health care's painful
history
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Medicare. If you have a low
income, the government
gives you Medicaid. Social
Security and Temporary
Assistance for Needy
Families can also help.
There's so many options,
but any way you slice it,
there's usually a way to
have someone else help pay
part of your medical bills.
But one thing is curious:
if there are so many options,
why are there 50 million
Americans living with no
health insurance?
The answer is simple.
Not everybody qualifies
for everything. It's possible
to be unemployed, have a
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•
This debate has
happened before.
"In 1993, the Clinton
administration made a
big push for health care
reform... In '93, not many
people thought reform was
actually needed," Schrader
said. The insurance
companies were fighting
it, the doctors and nurses
were fighting it, we were
fighting them... Also, in '93,
Clinton said to Congress,
'Here’s my principles, here's
the bill.' People didn't like
that too much. What was he
doing telling us what laws
to make?
"Obama's approaching
this better. He's saying
'Here's some of what I
want, but you get to make
the bill."'
Second time's the charm,
after all.
If the private sector
can't do it, Congress
should make it so that
every American can have
affordable, adequate
coverage. But how?
Medicare for everyone
The solution lies in a
public option. The public
health insurance option
will give people who
absolutely cannot afford
private insurance and do
not qualify for Medicare or
Medicaid, affordable health
care. The payment will
work the same way private
insurance does, 80-20 with
a deductible. The only
difference is nobody will be
denied health care.
Don't worry, future or
current taxpayers. Your
taxes will not be raised.
President Obama said in
his address to Congress on
Sept. 9 that it'll practically
pay for itself; the cost
efficiencies in the current
system will be fixed and the
money that is saved will
pay for p u blic insurance.
In fact, the public
option may not even be
a government-run plan.
Schrader hopes to see a
"national coalition of non
profits who would be the
public option... like Care
Oregon, Kaiser, and Health
Northwest." Those non
profits already provide
Oregonian small businesses
and individuals with a
more affordable insurance
option.
Everybody would
pay their fair share for
insurance, though not in
the form of taxes. It would
be in the form of less costly
premiums. It wouldn't be "a
free ride," as Schrader put
it, just cheaper.
Sounds like a good idea,
right? Our community
seems to agree. Forty-three
of the 100 people I surveyed
say they would like to
see some sort of public
option, government-run or
not. (Meanwhile, 41 said,
"What's that?")
Anti-reform: Why the
opposition is wrong
The idea has been
refused, though, by a
precious few. Sixteen
percent of those I asked said
they would not support a
public plan. According to
a New York Times/CBS
poll from Sept. 25,26%
of those surveyed said
they would not support it.
That's a reasonable amount;
anything will have dissent,
and that's good.J
But boy, are those 26%
vocal.
Not us, of course,
not to that extent. We're
teenagers. We're not tea
partiers or birthers. We
don't shout down Senators
and Representatives at
town halls. So let's not start
doing that. It's evident that
the town haliers are out of
their minds: we shouldn't
become one of them.
They've said that reform
is "communism," "a Nazi
policy," and "un-American."
This kind of talk is infantile,
imbecilic and has no real
substance or sense. So, one
must wonder about the
town haliers:
• Why is a public
option "communism," "un-
American," "a Nazi policy?"
• What's more American
than helping your fellow
American?
• How does health care
for all compare in any way,
shape or form to the bigotry
of Hitler?
• The public option is, to
a degree, socialism. Would
you reject public schools,
the post office, the library?
Nobody will take away
your private insurance.
Your private insurance will
actually be made better. It
will not be replaced. It will
be made more cost-efficient.
It will be made more fair.
"Pre-existing conditions"
will be illegal. And every
man, woman and child will
have either fair private or
inclusive public insurance.
Prescription for change
Americans have an
inalienable right to live.
Denying insurance and
denying care because of
corporate greed restricts
that right. If the private
sector cannot protect our
right to live a healthy life
and not worry about the
cost, the government might
as well protect it. And it
doesn't even have to be the
government, as Schrader
said. Insurance could be
offered by non-profits as
well as corporations. It's a
choice, an option. A public
one.
"Being a small
businessman, I know how
important competition is,"
Schrader said.
Since many argue "How
can you compete with the
government?" — even
though private schools and
FedEx are doing that just
fine — the public option
might as well be provided
by a national non-profit.
It's a perfect slogan for
reform: Health care for
people, not for profit.
"I think we re going to
get it done this time," said
Schrader.