Summerville Journal Scene ®
Like many average, everyday Americans, I’m beginning to feel overwhelmed and slightly aggravated with the myriad of discussions about health care reform. Whether positive or negative, this topic has bombarded every newspaper, television news show and radio station. It leaves people like me wondering: Is America really ready for this type of change? Is health care reform worth all the bickering among lawmakers and citizens?
Well, I got the answer to these questions recently as I read about Sen. Jim DeMint’s Aug. 28 visit to the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. During a discussion on health care reform, a student, Erin Massey, who suffers from epilepsy shared that although medicine significantly helps her condition, she still has trouble getting medical coverage through insurance companies.
DeMint has said that 70 percent of all Americans’ health problems are problems of their own making. While touting his own healthcare plan, which is so weak that he has been unable to get any Congressional support at all for it, DeMint said, “Yeah, there will be some people who are turned down. Don’t build a system around those who can’t make good decisions.” Clearly, he’s forgotten about the significant number of South Carolians who can’t get insurance because they have cancer, heart conditions, mental illness or diabetes. S.C. citizens afflicted with these diseases are often rejected by insurance companies because they are high risk patients.
Sadly, these South Carolinians aren’t alone.
More than 45 million Americans don’t have insurance, either because they can’t afford the high premiums or they were denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. More than 700,000 South Carolinians live without health insurance. Many families are losing their choice of doctors due to insurance cutbacks and many simply never had the choice to begin with. This is the reason why our country’s health insurance industry needs reform.
To protect our citizens, President Obama has laid out eight Health Insurance Guarantees that would benefit everyone, even those people fortunate enough to already have insurance. These guarantees include:1) no discrimination for pre-existing conditions, 2) no exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays, 3) no cost-sharing for preventive care, 4) no dropping of coverage for the seriously ill, 5) no gender discrimination, 6) no annual or lifetime caps on coverage, 7) extended coverage for young adults and 8) guaranteed insurance renewal.
Reforming the health insurance system is more than a moral imperative, it’s a fiscal imperative. In South Carolina, many municipal governments are facing cutbacks across the board. They can no longer bear the burden of emergency care for the uninsured. Dorchester County has not been spared from this economic crisis. Businesses, large and small, are struggling to balance their books and are forced to cut jobs because they can’t afford the rising cost of insuring their employees.
Politicians from both sides of the aisle agree that the system isn’t working. Although Jim DeMint doesn’t support the comprehensive health insurance bill proposed by our Democratic Congress, the rest of the country doesn’t feel that way. The majority of Americans want a public option. They want health care reform.
Steve Yeomans is the chair of the Dorchester County Democratic Party. He can be reached at stevejy@aol.com
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* no new jobs have been created. The jobless rate continues to increase. http://www.gallup.com/poll/122840/Gallup-Daily-Economic-Indexes.aspx Although consumer confidence rose slightly when some of the bailout money hit the streets - the bailout money didn't create a singe job.
* Actually the national unemployment number just hit 10.2% in October. This is the highest level yet during this recession. The media reports that the "rate of increase" is slowing... Actually the rate of joblessness is increasing -- What is not counted for are the number of people who have run out of unemployment benefits. Those people are just not counted anymore...... http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
* bankruptcies and foreclosures continue to increase -- not because of healthcare -- This is happening because people don't have jobs! http://www.credit.com/news/personal-finance/2009-11-07/bankruptcy-stats-raise-questions-about-recovery.html
I consider myself a liberal -- many of my views are very liberal. But this this is where Dems fail --- most dems can't do simple math, state a fact or do a little research on their own. The Dems are going to get voted so far off the island it's not even funny.
Posted by: josepi
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, The Post Office, Amtrak - all shining examples of government run or subsidized programs which are bankrupt and financially unsound. I'm sure the "public option" will be different....not! The current House plan, which passed last night by three votes, will cost over 1.2 trillion dollars. The majority of Americans accept responsibility for themselves and their own family. They don't need or want the federal government's "help". The Democrats, a.k.a. Progressives, a.k.a. Socialists, will realize this loud and clear come election time. Republicans who do not support the ideas of limited government, limited taxation, personal responsibility, and upholding the Constitution will be voted out as well.
Posted by: Fred
Hey Steve! I didn't know you were JEWISH. Welcome to the Tribe! :)
Posted by:
I nwill have you know. I work free a lot. I worked free all morning saturday doing Blood pressure screenings. Then worked free Sunday helping a holocaust survivor that has a broken hip. Yes, I put my money where my mouth is. I do not only work for hhealthcare reform but put it on the line every day as a Hospice Case manager. So what have you done lately to help the less fortunate? Like most conservatives, you talk a good ganme about CHARITY but only one thing you worship is money!Oh by the way. Steve Yeomans also puts it on the line, he has worked for years with Habitat for Humanity building housing for the less fortunate. The DCDP volunteerrs and supports PALMETTO HOUSE, a place for those in dire needs. The DCDP has done fund drives and other charitable outreach. What have the republicans and the TEABAGGERS done lately.
Posted by: Patrick C. Labbe, RN MSN Progressive Democrats of America
Every Poll? What polls are they no more hype from the lunatic fringe FACTS!! Do you know facts? Here's one The President promised to keep lobbyists out of the White House and proceeded to break his own promise! The President promised non-partisan work to solve the nations problems - FAIL! As an RN will you work for free/ That' a great step to putting your money where your mouth is! People who complain today about not being able to afford to pay the 500.00/month for private insurance won't be able to afford the "federal" plan either but the difference will be if they don't pay it they'll be breaking the law!!
Posted by: Truth will Out
Every poll done (except maybe FOX NEWS)shows an overwheming majority want either SINGLE PAYER or the PUBLIC OPTION. Americans need and want reform. 70% of all bankruptcies are due to medical bills and most of those HAD health insurance. The US is the ONLY industrialized western country without National Healthcare! We rank 37th in the world for the Quality of healthcare. What more needs to be said? Come to the October 12th showing of Michael Moore's film SICKO. It will be shown at the Unity church on Leeds Ave. in Charleston. It's free! Be there at 7 Pm for the movie and discussion after. Sponsored by the Dorchester Progressive Democrats. For more info patlabb@aol.com or go to www.dorchsterprogressive.org
Posted by: Patrick C. Labbe Dorchester Progressive Democrats
More commie claptrap from Yeomans A JEW Communist!
Posted by: Save the South
Sure the Demo Party wants Gov't owned Health Plan now, regardless of what is in it, even before the plan is written and still debated. We live in a sick society and we elect the sickest.
Posted by: The Curmudgeon
Funny that Yeomans states that the majority of American want a Public option and decries DeMints opposition to the Congressional Plan (which one he's speaking of is a mystery, however?!?) and yet fails to provide anything more than partisan opinion. Check the polls - all of the polls and tell me that your statements are based on any fact! The polls clearly show that "the people" have spoken and they do not trust the Fed to run their health care. Why would they? None have shown the self control need to manage Medicare or Social Security systems that have been around for years. Why does DeMint's plan not get support? Because it doesn't give his fellow Senators the talking points they need to fund raise to get re-elected. It's practical and calls for personal responsibility, something the politicians are running scared about!
Posted by: The Mob
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