It is perfectly fine for persons with the finances to support their own health care to do so. However, there are millions of people in this country who cannot afford health care. And all this time, the insurance companies have used a surprising percentage of subscribers' payments not directly for healthcare but for their own profit. There is something quite wrong about leaving the poorest of our citizens on their own in a world where healthcare is so horrendously expensive. As for worries about the "nanny state," the bill specifies that persons must purchase insurance but also provides both for restricting the price of that insurance to reasonable levels and also offering varying modalities of insurance that establish different forms of coverage. Imagine what would happen if someone in a family just above the Medicaid-approved line developed CML. How would that family pay for Gleevec or Sprycel or Tasigna, and the tests that need to be done? We all know how much those medications cost. We all know how expensive it is to visit the oncologist and have a PCR done. For most of us, if we didn't have insurance, we'd be dead. For middle and working class people, the cost of self-pay health care, or even basic insurance coverage, is far too high and often unobtainable due to a pre-existing condition or other barriers the insurance companies put in their way. The health care bill gets rid of the pre-existing condition problem. It covers children not already covered under other programs. It finally makes it possible that people do not have to use the ER as their basic health-care provider. We all know what a burden that places on hospitals, often bringing them to the edge of bankruptcy. St. Vincent's Hospital, in New York City, one of the mainstays of healthcare in lower Manhattan, and also known for its cardiac unit, was forced to close down because it was treating so many of the poor and indigent for nothing: it was forced to close down, leaving the entire area without a nearby hospital. This situation can no longer be tolerated, not in good conscience, not ethically nor morally. If you have the money to pay for health insurance, or self-pay out of pocket, lucky you. But we cannot, as a moral nation, deny health care to our citizens who cannot afford it, or can no longer afford it due to losing their jobs or having reached the "lifetime limits" of their particular health plan. Please remember that in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when a farmer's barn burned down, the entire community would gather to rebuild that barn and restore the family's well-being. Well, the health insurance barn is burning and we all must do something to rebuild it.
On Wed, Feb 2, 2011 at 5:43 AM, <[email protected]<cmlhope%[email protected]> > wrote: > Today's Topic Summary > > Group: http://groups.google.com/group/cmlhope/topics > > - Tests came > back<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_group_thread_0>[3 > Updates] > - Chat Reminder - Tuesday February 1, 2011 - Using Skype - 10:00 PM > > Eastern<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_group_thread_1>[1 > Update] > - Light a candle on behalf of CML > patients.<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_group_thread_2>[1 > Update] > - Digest for [email protected] - 4 Messages in 1 > Topic<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_group_thread_3>[2 > Updates] > > Topic: Tests came > back<http://groups.google.com/group/cmlhope/t/4e502c1fe5597030> > > Suzieq <[email protected]> Feb 01 07:06AM -0800 > ^<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_digest_top> > > Greenie & Martin: > > Greenie, Humana only covers people from Rolla (I think it was) on > back towards Springfield. My mother came up here from Florida with > Humana and had to change because it wasn't take anywhere here where we > live. Anthem has been very good to us so far, even though it's > expensive and we've got a very high detuctable. They pay for the > Gleevec right now and my co-pay is just 25$ and I have Co-pay > assistance thru Novartis' My CML Circle. > > > Martin.....I'm already on Zavie's list.....:):) I think I'm like 964 > or something like that. It's good to see/hear from you again, > though. > > Suziq > > > > > Lee <[email protected]> Feb 01 06:37PM -0800 > ^<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_digest_top> > > Congratulations, Suzieq! So very happy for your EXCELLENT results! > Blessings to you and all CML survivors! > Lee :-) > > > > > > Martin Gartenberg <[email protected]> Feb 01 10:30PM -0500 > ^<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_digest_top> > > Martin.....I'm already on Zavie's list.....:):) I think I'm like 964 > or something like that. It's good to see/hear from you again, > though. > > Suziq > > Still, I am very happy for you. Just continue having good health. > > Marty > > > > > Topic: Chat Reminder - Tuesday February 1, 2011 - Using Skype - 10:00 PM > Eastern <http://groups.google.com/group/cmlhope/t/dc10fea105913d85> > > Zavie Miller <[email protected]> Feb 01 04:24PM -0500 > ^<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_digest_top> > > Chat Reminder - Tuesday February 1, 2011 - Using Skype - 10:00 PM > Eastern > Photos - Susan Komen Run For The Cure - West Palm Beach - FL > - Just too many photos. Click on the URL to see them all. > > https://picasaweb.google.com/zavie.miller/ChatReminder02?feat=email# > > > > Topic: Light a candle on behalf of CML > patients.<http://groups.google.com/group/cmlhope/t/8738f088cf1dfa19> > > Laquita <[email protected]> Feb 01 09:25AM -0600 > ^<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_digest_top> > > A request has been made for all of us to light a candle today on behalf > of > all CML patients. 2:00 P. M. is the designated time. > > Here is the poem that I have framed and hanging in my room. I read > it quite frequently as it expresses so well what we all feel. > > Hope > is the thing > with feathers > that perches > in the soul > and sings the tune > without words > and never stops > ----at all. > Emily Dickinson-- > Email: [email protected] > > > > Topic: Digest for [email protected] - 4 Messages in 1 > Topic<http://groups.google.com/group/cmlhope/t/517775b14931082d> > > Victoria Reiter <[email protected]> Feb 01 08:36AM -0500 > ^<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_digest_top> > > The new health care bill does NOT include the "End of Life" provision > so > many people fear. There is NO provision for planned euthanasia or > refusal of > services. What was provided for (although after all that kerfuffle in > the > media and people thinking they were going to be refused service because > they > were too old or sick or something, that proviso was removed from the > bill) > was the possibility, on a VOLUNTARY basis, for a patient and doctor to > discuss the patient's desire for how he or she wanted to be treated as > death > neared. This was the same as what is known as A Living Will or an > Advance > Directive in which a patient says what he/she wants or does not want > when in > extremis: a DNR, use of a ventilator, palliative care only or the > entire > panoply of available medical processes to keep one alive no matter > what. In > any case, each person SHOULD have this conversation with his doctor > and SHOULD have an advance directive in his medical files. The ONLY > THING that part of the health care bill provided was that the doctor > would > be paid for taking time to sit down and have a serious conversation > with the > patient. Until then, it was a catch-as-catch-can situation, and has > reverted to that ever since the rumor was deliberately spread that > there was > something sinister about it. > On Tue, Feb 1, 2011 at 5:21 AM, > <[email protected] <cmlhope%[email protected]>< > cmlhope%[email protected]<cmlhope%[email protected]> > > > > > > > Daniel Brown <[email protected]> Feb 01 08:26AM -0600 > ^<https://mail.google.com/mail/html/compose/static_files/blank_quirks.html#12de5f854ffe03da_digest_top> > > If you choose to place your healthcare in the hands of politicians and > beauraucrats then go ahead, but don't force your blind faith in government > on me. There is only one way to reduce healthcare costs, reduce the amount > of healthcare delivered, especially at the end of life where the most > expensive care is given. > > Now we can argue semantics all day long about what is in the healthcare > bill, but all I want is for government out of my healthcare. I will take > the > responsibility for my own life without the nanny state doing it for me. > On Feb 1, 2011, at 7:36 AM, Victoria Reiter wrote: > > > > > -- > [CMLHope] > A support group of http://cmlhope.com > ------------------------------------------------- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "CMLHope" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope -- [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope
