The Right to Be Healthy

"Successful is the man who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks thrown at him." -David Brinkly


We've taken a step back from the brink!

Health-con one has been averted.

Historic Health care legislation has passed!

This morning I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief.

For all the debate, and the nay-sayers, there are hundreds of thousands of us whose lives depended on reform.

There are hopefully millions of future patients who will never have to suffer the stress and anxiety associated with our current healthcare system.

Thirty two million people will now be able to receive insurance under the program and no one can be discriminated against based on a pre-existing illness.

Patients now have a safety net if a company raises rates to unaffordable levels during treatment in an attempt to purge them from utilizing their services.

My favorite part of the bill, which hopefully will be enforced to keep me alive, is insurance companies are now banned from placing lifetime limits on coverage.

In the summer of 2008 I was looking ahead to my second bone marrow transplant and dangerously close to reaching the two million dollar maximum coverage amount on my insurance.

I underwent a clinical study (which is paid for by the researchers or hospital) to prep for the transplant. Mass fundraisers were held and my treatment was never delayed, but I was looking at moving to Boston and paying out of pocket for a million dollar procedure.

Lucky for me (Divine intervention), my husband's company, and therefore our insurance policy, was purchased by a large corporation.

I, again, had two million dollars worth of coverage.

Not everybody is rescued by a loving community and divine intervention.

I had 856,000 in medical charges last year alone.

Eventually, I will hit the two million max again.

Now I won't have the insurance company dictating when I need to stop treatment.

I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief.

There is a great article and a link to complete text of the bill at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35961584/ns/politics-health_care_reform/?GT1=43001

For a country that has defined itself and lived according to the precedents set in one page of text by our forefathers, I agree, the complex 2700 page bill is a little over-the-top.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), Our country has changed since it's inception.

If the constitution were penned today, there would be committee after sub-committee defining what, exactly "Life" meant. And then there would be more committees for "Liberty" and "The pursuit."

"Happiness" alone would have to be defined much the same way Bill Clinton needed a definition for "sexual relations," with all the media coverage and threats of litigation that accompanied the infamous 90s scandal.

Of course, Before any of this occurred, someone, somewhere, would draw up an incomprehensible flow chart illustrating what may, may not, could possibly, or should not happen in the process.

That's the beauty of America folks. We all have the right to be heard.

Now, we all have the right to be healthy.