hoveringsombrero | Sep. 15th, 2009

Dear friends against government healthcare,

You are allowed to have your own opinion, however if you are my friend, and care about me I would like to ask that you keep a few things in mind.

#1. When ranting against government healthcare, please remember that those of us that are uninsured are not all lazy drains on society. The common gripe seems to be against "those people on welfare having a dozen kids." These people already have medicaid/mediCAL/medicare. Those of us uninsured and freaking out about it, do not.

I am 32. I have no children. I am not collecting welfare or any sort of state benefits. But I am trying to get at least something, so that I can also get healthcare. SO THAT I CAN WORK AGAIN.

#2. Those of us who are uninsured and partially diagnosed or undiagosed with chronic illness basically only have two choices: (current)state benefits, or (proposed)state benefits. I've already been denied coverage for pre-existing conditions WHEN I WAS INSURED. I am now too far into the process for new diagnoses to be able to qualify for hardly any private healthcare in the future. I have admitted pre-existing conditions to ER and clinic in order to get help and they're on record. If I could manage to work long enough to get work covered insurance, my expensive antibiotics and some surgeries will still likely not be covered.

#3. Yes there are clinics, no they are not free in most cases. I'm already hundreds of dollars further in debt from just a few doctors visits and have to often reschedule or cancel others from inability to pay the minimum. Attempting to qualify into a sliding fee program (among other things) which should lead to even further help.

#3. If you care about me, or someone in my situation, at least try to be more aware of your phrasing when ranting against something that looks a lot less like socialism and a lot more like a light at the end of the tunnel to some of us. If you must rant, rant against specific points, not against those "lazy people trying to take [your] money."

I understand that none of you (as far as I know) are ranting about ME specifically. But it is getting harder and harder, every day, to not take this personally. I just want to get better. What if this healthcare you hate turns out to be my only hope? I'm not saying it is, or that there aren't valid points against the current proposed program. I'm just asking you to please stop and think how some of the things you say, make me and people in my situation feel. And imagine, if it really is my (or someone you care about's) only hope, how would you feel then?

This is one situation in which I will delete inflammatory responses, I will not debate specific points of healthcare with you, or listen to even one more person tell me I don't want government healthcare. I am not in a position to debate specifics, I do not have that privilege. I do not have a preference, I JUST WANT ANY HEALTHCARE, I'M SICK OF EXPENSIVE CLINICS AND STRESSFUL EMERGENCY ROOMS. Got it?

Thanks.