Health Care Anyone???

Well, I just got home today from my fabulous, relaxing vacation. It was a family vacation, and I split it up between my mom and dad. It feels really good to be my age, and still enjoying my family vacations. I remember there were a few years where just the thought of a family vacation would make me turn the other way. Don't get me wrong, I love love love my family, and I love seeing my extended family, but the idea of taking off work for camping, or taking off work to go somewhere with my then serious boyfriend, or my friends to the lake for a week, the latter usually won. While on vacation, there were some pretty serious conversations going on.

For those of you who know me well, you know that politics is a passion of mine. I won't hide my conservatism at all, but what a lot of people may not realize, is there are a lot of things I'm liberal on too. This very topic was brought up, and if you know my mom, she can get pretty heated about it. That's where my passion comes from. My mom is also extremely conservative, more so than me. We were discussing the future of our nation, and where we see it going. One of my cousins is a teacher, and education is huge for her, obviously. So is health insurance. (see where I'm going with this???)

My mom is completely against a universal health care system, and for the most part, so am I. What scares me most about it, is that once the government starts paying for our health care, it can start getting to the point to where they can tell us how to live. I think that everyone in this country (that is here legally- meaning a Green Card, or Visa) should be eligible to receive some sort of health care. I think that it is the governments job to ensure that those who are not offered health care through their work, have some sort of affordable option for health care. Does it need to be mandated? No. Should I have to be required to show proof of my insurance every year when I file taxes? No. I should be given the opportunity to elect to take it, and hopefully my decision is a wise one, and I choose to get the insurance. Now, obviously, some people are going to assume that it won't happen to me, I'll just make sure I'm healthy. So offer them a solution, if you have to go to the ER or DR for something and you don't have it, if its urgent, give them like a 6 month period of standard care, and require that they then get insurance. IF they fail to follow through with their payments, then do some sort of penalty, tied to their employer. If they are unemployed, I think that free standard health care is sometimes necessary. COBRA is expensive. I'm a healthy, young female and my insurance is $300 a month on COBRA. RIDICULOUS. But if they are unemployed on their own will, and refuse COBRA, their own problem. Where is the personal accountability for people??? Can't our government trust us enough to do the right thing? I'm not saying that no one should get free health insurance, I think that if you truly can't afford it, then yes the government should help you out, but I don't think that I want the government telling me what I can and can't do for my diet. By 2014, each individual person will have to have their BMI recorded to their health care provider. Which means, if my BMI is too high, the government then is allowed to tell me what I can and can't eat, and put me on a diet. SORRY NO. I understand the obesity problem, but since when is it my fault that other people are obese? That may sound super insensitive, but because a large group of people can't choose to eat healthy, and not eat at Mc Donald's everyday, I have to suffer? Because the government cut funding to our schools, which in turn cut funding for PE classes and after school sports, I have to suffer? Why is it the government's responsibility to make sure we are healthy? Aren't we responsible for ourselves? Laws are in place to not hurt each other, and to be safe, so yes we need some guidance. But this kind of control is too much.

Insurance is expensive because the cost of the procedures. And the equipment. And the malpractice lawsuits. And the salaries of the Drs. And the cost of research. So here's an example of why its so high: I had a surgery about 4 months ago, that fixed a deviated septum (I had less than 25% airflow through my nose) and my tonsils removed. I paid a total of $3500 for this surgery (my insurance covered 90%- with a max payment from me being $2500). I received a bill from my doctor, for approx. $8,000, showing me what my insurance was expected to pay, and then the remainder to me. Well, I wanted to make sure that I didn't overpay, because we all know doctors won't give refunds, so I waited for my insurance quote. I got the insurance quote, and my insurance was charged over $27,000. For the hospital facilities, anesthesia,etc... now mind you, over $15,000 of that was because I had to stay overnight. Because of a doctors mistake. I aspirated during surgery, because he had messed up and was careless and had somehow gotten blood in my air tube down my throat, and into my lungs. It was supposed to be an outpatient surgery. I wasn't supposed to stay overnight. Meaning this $15,000 charged to my insurance, in which I had to pay $1500 towards, was HIS mistake. So why is it, that even though the Doctor screwed up, I have to pay? I think this is partly the reason why insurance is so high. If a doctor screws up, or complications occur because of that mistake, that the doctor should be charged. He should have to pay for it. I shouldn't have to pay for his mistakes. If doctors had to pay for their mistakes, I can guarantee that less mistakes would be made, because they would be more careful and extra cautious.

Also, this Obamacare, will now pay for abortions. I'm sorry, I am not against abortions. Sometimes its better than having a child. But why does the government have to pay for them? In the case of causing pain or issues to the mother, insurance can cover that. In the case of rape, and incestuous relationships, yes the government should step in. But because horny people can't be smart and use protection, why should the government pay for it??? People use abortions as birth control. Trust me. I know. I've seen girls in the clinic for their 4Th one, when they already have 3 kids. HELLO. USE PROTECTION. I think if you're dumb enough to not use protection, you suffer the consequences. It's called being responsible. If you can't afford a $400 procedure, if in case you do get pregnant, don't have sex. Control yourself. Be responsible for yourself. Buy a $10 box of condoms. Seriously, this shouldn't be rocket science here.

Now, I'm not 100% up to date on the health care policy, and I don't know everything there is about it, and I'm not saying go after the big man, but there are things that need to be fixed, and I would love to trust my government to do the right thing. I am sick of everyone blaming the other party. If its a republican complaining, its Obama's fault, if its a democrat, its Bush's fault. I hate to break it to ya, they don't have ALL the power. Congress has some. But I would love to see our president be a little more bipartisan. I'm sick of every time he makes a speech about something going wrong, it's always the previous guys' fault. When will he set an example for the rest of the politicians to not play the blame game, and try to be bipartisan. When will he step up and be a leader for the entire country and not just the Democrats? I will never vote for him, and I didn't the first time. But I really hope the people who did realize that this man isn't presidential material. He's not the complete idiot that I once thought, hell he was good enough to get enough votes to become president, and I'm sure he's done some good. For the democrats. But I hope that America wakes up and realize just where our country is headed, and they have the balls to stand up and fight for our America, the way our Founding Fathers had for us to be able to make these choices. I pray that the the next president doesn't affiliate with a party, but is truly an independent, and believes in the justice for our people, and faith in our people to have them do the right things for themselves. Who isn't strictly Republican or Democrat, but has views on both sides favorably. I know that's a lot to ask. But a girl can dream. Right???