Cover the Uninsured Week

I have been remiss in my duties this week, given the focus of this blog, because I haven't mentioned until now that this is Cover the Unisured Week.

Kate over at Healthy Policy, however, is much more on point and offers this post covering the latest report of stats on the unisured.

Kate reports these stats:

• 41% of the uninsured adults reported skipping medical care because of cost last year.  This number doesn't include the 20% of children who lack health insurance. 

• 23% of uninsured adults report their health as "fair" or "poor," compared with 12% of insured adults.

And she takes the words right out of my mouth when she prefaces those stats by saying:

So while others will persist with their false claims that the uninsured receive care, and therefore the problem is not immediate, remember this:

I don't so much get people commenting that the uninsured receive care, but rather that the vast majority of the uninsured are uninsured because they want to be so, and it's their own damn fault if something happens. Folks can maintain that bluster until you bring up children...at which point even these folks can't pretend children control their own health insurance destiny. That's when the argument that they can receive care comes up.

How could someone "let" their child go without insurance? Here's one story of how you end up with an uninsured child from BlogHer. Is the guy in this story a jerk of a unique and highest order? Well, a jerk of the highest order? Sure. Unique. Don't think so. I know more than one person personally who has had health insurance or contributions to health care for their children become a pawn in post-divorce conflicts. And I really don't know that many people!

This last weekend I was at the California Democratic Party state convention, and concerns about the health care crisis were a regular topic. The Platform Committee had lengthy arguments over whether to advocate single-payer or universal health care without requiring single-payer (more like Massachusetts.) They went for the former. I tend toward the latter.

But at least we agree it is a problem, and it does need to be addressed.

Check out Cover The Uninsured.org and all the stats, stories and activities and tell me you don't agree!

Cover the Unisured Week

Comments

[Denise]

Jerk of the highest order? Well no, not really. I've met bigger jerks but that's another blog entry and one that I can't write at the moment. An idiot who is totally clueless about healthcare needs and such, totally.

I'm not making excuses for him, we lovingly and not so lovingly refer to him as "the dirtbag". He refers to himself this way which is one of his redeeming qualities. When he screws up, he admits it. Which he has done. And he does attempt to remedy his screw ups, which he is doing. It's gonna cost him big time, financially. And he gets to hear me rant and rave, which is a very high price to pay.

This was a wake up call for me (and for him) though. Never having to experience being uninsured meant that I didn't understand the pure FEAR people live with. Seriously. It's FEAR. I keep calling my son, reminding him to drive carefully, take his vitamins, reconsider the vegetarian thing because of the B12 issue we both have blah blah blah. Fear! I hate it! My ex husband, the dirbag, will pay for putting us through this!

[Elisa Camahort]

Thanks for commenting Denise. And for pointing out the day-to-day fear that haunts people without coverage. I've heard that before from many uninsured folks. When I was younger and went through a period of no-coverage I really didn't think about it much. It would be a totally different story if that happened to me today.

[Mollie Foti]

I agree with Elisa. When we're young, we think we're immortal. As we get older, we realize we should drive at the speed limit, take our vitamins, and do everything in moderation (at least when it comes to things such as alcohol and caffeine.)

I'm fortunate that my family can afford health coverage and care. And I'll soon have two more grandchilden, bringing the total to 11. I'm excited (as always) but can't help but think of all the grandmothers (and mothers) out there who live in that fear noted above.

Of course, it's a complicated problem, with no single root cause. Affordability, access, quality, availability - all need to be addressed. Unfortunately, there is so much literal "life and death" emotion involved, it's difficult to have a rational discussion about health care.

Aloha, and, yes, drive safe and take your (our) vitamins!
Mollie

[terrri lester]

can anyone please tell me what is wrong with this country that finds it acceptable to spend thousands and thousands of our hard earned tax dollars to keep people unworthy of breathing the same air in prison where they get healthy foods, great medical care, lounge around all day, work out in a gym, get educated, etc. and the the hard working people who are honest,underpaid,uninsured who have been the backbone of the success of this country are ignored, taken advantage of and disposed of like trash? well i have decided that i want my tax dollars to work for me instead of working for everyone else who is unworthy. i speak for myself and everyone else who is in my situation who cannot even consider health insurance and who lives every day afraid they will get sick or have an accident that will destroy everything they have had to scrape for! it is way past time for a change. our so-called wonderful goverment needs to take our hard earned money and reward the people with health insurance because that is the least the goverment can do for these hard working people. they as well as myself,do not need to worry day in and day out about the what ifs! life is hard enough with out the worry of not being insured!! does any one agree with me?

[Elisa Camahort]

Certainly I agree with you that the government needs to undertake the admittedly tough task of making sure health care is available to all.

I don't agree that I'm in a position to decide everyone in prison is "unworthy of breathing", and should be allowed to go without health care.

I don't think health care should be treated as a "reward" to begin with, which might explain my discomfort. Because who's going to do the deciding about who "deserves" it or not, then?

[terrri lester]

I think you have missed my point about people in prison. The point I am making is that people such as Zacarias Moussaoui and the BTK killer will spend the rest of their natural life in prison and GUESS WHO is footing the bill? (ie $50,000.00 + for each a year). I am also NOT saying that some deserve health care and some don't! please let me clarify it EVERYONE NEEDS HEALTHCARE regardless of who you are! This terrible crisis is not a REWARD for anyone. I am simply saying if this country can do all they do for inmates with our tax dollars then why can't they set enough aside to provide the healthcare that each and everyone deserves to have?

[Elisa Camahort]

Yes, I think I get you much better now. Thanks for clarifying.