My way or no way? No way!
I went to a meeting of the Health Access Coalition today in Raleigh. The coalition is a group of organizations seeking to get health care for all Americans.
We’re a diverse group with diverse opinions. There were some single-payer-system advocates who were truly angry about the idea being rejected out of hand by Congress. They were passionate about it being the best way to accomplish universal access to care.
That may be true — studies have said it is — but we tried the my-way-or-no-way thing 16 years ago and got nothing. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have died from lack of access to care.
I agree they should be allowed at the table. But they can’t be inflexible. I brought that up and mentioned that my child was one of 30,000 who died last year because they couldn’t get access to care.
All I require of a system is that all people have access to quality affordable health care. And by affordable, I don’t mean sky-high premiums to private insurance companies.
I do have a preference. I support the public plan as much as I support the US Postal Service. It’s the same thing.
Although the Postal Service has its flaws, it still is the least expensive way to send mail, and it is as reliable as any of the more expensive private companies.
That’s what I want to see with health care. If people want the public plan, they can choose it. If they want a private plan, they can choose that. I don’t think reform will succeed without it.
But if we can put together true reform with true affordability and real access without a public plan, I can live with that — and so can 30,000 people a year.
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a new peer support program for people newly diagnosed with chronic or serious illness or with a new disability and their caregivers.
Patient Pals are people who have experience with various illnesses and disabilities, who can help someone newly diagnosed or with a new disability work through the fear, frustration, confusion and grief often experienced in the first few months.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
People with new illness or disability fare better when they have a role model -- someone who can help them negotiate their new path in life.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
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