On Health Care Reform:

ere's the thing: Im fucking sick and tired of all the belly-aching over health care reform. Im sick of hearing people whining about supposed affects it will have on them when they do not know what in the FUCK they are talking about. They hear someone else say something and then go around bitching about it as though it were fact. "I saw this posted on so-and-so's facebook status so I just had to re-post." Shut the fuck up! So-and-so is a dumb ass and so are you!

Ive generally been for health care reform. Ive had long periods of my life where Ive been without health insurance (like right now and for the past year or so) and the entire time I think to myself "if something happens to me - getting hit by a bus or in a car accident or struck by lighting - Im totally and completely FUCKED!" and there is nothing awesome about carrying that idea around in the back of your head at all times. Once, I had to go to the ER for intense stomach pains though I sincerely did not want to because, at the time, I was not insured. But, it was reasoned to me that I may need my appendix out or some other life threatening situation, so I went. 3 hours and $4000 later, I left the ER with no conclusion of what happened to me - or if it could happen again - and the most expensive experience of an ass-fucking ever. I received multiple bills from multiple doctors (half of which I couldnt even recall meeting as the only thing helpful to my condition that was provided to me was an abundance of morphine) with non-specific line items and ridiculous balances! I contacted OHP (Oregon Health Plan, to the layman) and they basically told me that even as a single, out of work mother, I was SOL. Great!

As it happens, right now I am unemployed and uninsured. I could purchase health insurance, but then I'd probably also have to live on the streets or starve. Also, coincidentally, I've been experiencing excruciating and mysterious back pain for the last three days. Boy would I love to see a doctor right now! Or a physical therapist. Or even a fucking voo doo witch doctor. Anyone that could make this pain go away would be welcome in my eyes. But I cant afford any of them. Luckily, friends and family have shared with me whatever left-over pain killers are laying around their medicine cabinets, and with those (coupled with wine) Ive managed to keep the pain manageable.

I decided to read the health care reform bill for myself. All 1990 pages of it can be found here. Ok, obviously I didnt read the whole thing, but I've skimmed the parts that interest me. Heres what I like about it (excuse me if I dumb it down a bit as I have been drinking wine and taking pain-killers):

It puts and end to the whole "denial due to pre-existing conditions" thing. Or, as far as I can tell, limits the check for any pre-existing diagnoses to 30 days prior to application. Ive never had to deal with this issue, but I know plenty of people who have. Ive even known people who stay at extremely shitty jobs because they dont want to switch health insurance plans because of a condition they have that would exclude them from coverage anywhere else. How horrible to be trapped in a shitty job because of health concerns!

It ends annual and lifetime benefit limits! I have had insurance through such SHADY insurance companies (AHEM! Aetna! *cough*) that, when I did the math, I paid MORE into them than my annual benefit limit would cover - even AFTER deductibles! And when I read the fine print, I found out that the limit on ER coverage was something totally ridiculous like $1000! $1000 will get you INTO the door of the ER, the real costs start racking up well after that!

It allows children to stay on their parents' plans until their 27th birthday. This is a nice option for parents who can afford to keep their kids on their plan that long, especially if their kids are going to college and not working. I mean, my mom would probably still be like "get a job and pay for your own coverage", but thats only because money was tight at my house. If she couldve afforded to, she would have kept me on as long as necessary.

It requires insurance companies to cover reconstructive/cosmetic surgery for people with deformities, which, to my knowledge, has been strictly up to the insurance company until this point. Seems fair.

It has provisions to combat price gouging and regulate premium increases.

People who like the plan they have now get to keep it, with no increases in cost. In fact, it is estimated that almost everyone paying for insurance now will see significant decreases in cost over the next 5 or 10 years. I dont know what everyone who has insurance now is fucking complaining about. If you like what you have, fine! You dont have to do anything! Unless you make more than $500,000 a year, you arent going to see any increases in taxes or premiums (and if you do make more than $500,000 a year right now, suck it).

Ok, I'll skip to what I dont like about it:

It makes health care coverage mandatory. If you dont participate in the "exchange" (the pool of insurance providers), you will be fined 2.5% of your income. Ok, that doesnt go down as easy. No one likes to be told by the government that theres one more thing they HAVE to do whether they like it or not. The white house's website made a good analogy though, and that is that each state mandates auto insurance coverage, and that this mandate is similar. Fine. Its not that I dont WANT health insurance (believe me, and this very moment I would enjoy very much to have some coverage) its just that I cant afford it.

So that brings me to one more (and the last, I promise) thing I like about it: the federal government is going to offer credits to those low income AND middle class (!) families that need assistance getting themselves and their families covered - which will bring the actual out-of-pocket expense way down.

So, ok government. Yes. I would like some insurance now please. Lets do this.

WTF is up with the 2014 implementation date?