Health Care is a No Brainer

I’m totally amazed at the number of Americans who don’t seem to give a damn  about the quality of health care in our country. I’m  left to assume  that many Americans are just plain non-empathetic assholes.  Maybe you’ve never experienced anything in  your life that impacted you negatively or your cadillac plan covers all probabilities.

If so, good for you. The majority of Americans would have a hard time surviving the  events that have occurred in my family. At age 3 my only niece was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer.  Neuroblastoma is mostly a pediatric cancer and if not diagnosed extremely early (infancy) a death sentence. My niece was stage 4 when diagnosed and underwent heartbreaking treatment and medical trials. At one time she was considered radioactive. She died at age 7 in 2006. Had it not been for the Ronald McDonald House and the Children’s Cancer Society my brother and his wife would have been left with life-changing medical bills.

And so it was serendipity that allowed my brother and his wife to “survive” the death of their child. It’s  ok, then right?

In February 2010 my brother suffered a massive stroke. He was left  paralyzed on his left side and spends most of his time in a wheelchair. His employer terminated his employment within 2 weeks of his hospitalization.  My brother was left with no health care until his wife was able to add him to her policy . She works part-time and was left with $75 a month after adding my brother to her health care.

 They were told that they didn’t quality for Medicaid because they had 2 cars ( a 1998 Camry and a 2000 Ford Truck, both paid for). My brother eventually qualified for Social Security disability but he can’t be on Medicare until two years have passed since he was deemed disabled.  Say what?

So they scrounge and are lucky that my father can supplement their limited income each month so they won’t lose they home (they have a 14-year-old son).

Less government or screw everyone that can’t afford adequate health care? Should be a no brainer but I’ve found that many of my fellow Americans consider government health care to be socialist or marxist in nature.  Either these people have no worries or  just don’t give a damn. Their minds are small and don’t allow them to think outside the status quo. Shame on them.