Turning down federal money, just for spite
Although the US Supreme Court upheld almost all of the Affordable Care Act, it did allow states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion that would offer health coverage to 15.8 million people.
Currently, Medicaid, a federal-state partnership that covers the poorest Americans, almost never covers single adults. Children and pregnant women are covered, as are people with disabilities, but most adults between 18 and 65 are on their own. My son had to be diagnosed with stage 3 cancer to get Medicaid, and he had to leave his wife to get it.
The expansion, the cost of which will be paid to states by the federal government, would cover everyone whose income is 133 percent of the federal poverty level or less. The federal government will pay 100 percent of the added costs for the first three years and 90 percent thereafter. That’s one hell of a bargain for states, but several Republican governors are saying they will reject the expansion.
Really, the only reason to reject the expansion and leave millions of low-income people without access to health care is spite. There is no logical reason to say these people don’t deserve care when you won’t have to pay for any of it for three years and then pay just 10 percent of the cost afterward.
In Texas, where Gov. Rick Perry says he plans to opt out, one out of every four people is without insurance. One quarter of the population. And Rick Perry rejects a solution that would cost him nothing for the first three years and very little after that. But forget about the lives that would be saved or the suffering that would be averted; it apparently is more important to reject anything that comes from President Obama.
Meanwhile, these governors have the best health coverage government money can buy, as do the people in the US House of Representatives who have tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act a mind-boggling 33 times while leaving their own care in place.
It’s the worst example of I’ve-got-mine-get-your-own mentality I’ve ever seen.
Tags: Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
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.
Life o’ Mike honors Joe Eblen
Life o' Mike presented its first Michael T. Danforth Community Service Award to Joe Eblen at a luncheon on June 8, in the Friendship Hall of First Congregational Church, 20 Oak St., Asheville.
Joe, seen here with Leslie Boyd, left, and his wife, Bobbie, has spent his life helping children and families, both as a coach and game official for more than 60 years, and as founder of Eblen Charities.
Start From Seed
Life o' Mike has a new program- Start from Seed (SFS).
SFS is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.