What is the Health Care solution?

I've heard a lot of arguments on both sides, about what America should do about the health care crisis. I think there are a lot of misunderstandings about what some of the proposed solutions are, though. But, when I read a story like Suzanne's, I know something has to be done.

Suzanne from Manchester shared her story about falling into Medicare Part D’s “doughnut hole” – the gulf between the low cap of prescription medication costs covered by Medicare and the high threshold for coverage for catastrophic insurance. She said

I was paying maybe $6 to $28 for my prescriptions and I thought, ‘well great, what is everybody complaining about?’ And one day my husband came home from the pharmacy with two of my prescriptions, and he said, ‘you know this cost over $200.’ I had fallen into the doughnut hole.

Although covered by Medicare Part D from January to August, Suzanne has to pay the full costs for her prescribed medicine from September to December. Ballooning costs have forced Suzanne to make a last resort decision. She takes her most expensive drugs, prescribed for her coronary disease condition, every other day.

Our health care system is failing us, and something must be done. Out of all of the proposed plans that I've read about, Barack Obama's health care plan is the one that makes the most sense to me. I think it will achieve the goal of covering Americans, but will also be feasible to get it passed in Congress.

Barack Obama believes we live in the greatest country in the world and that when it comes to health care, America can and must do better. The Obama plan will save a typical American family up to $2,500 every year on premiums by:

1. Providing affordable, comprehensive and portable health coverage for every American;
2. Modernizing the U.S. health care system to contain spiraling health care costs and improve the quality of patient care; and
3. Promoting prevention and strengthening public health to prevent disease and protect against natural and man-made disasters.

I really like that on Obama's health care plan page, he's got a feedback tool, asking for input from individuals. It really makes me confident that when he becomes president, he will be the people's president, and continue making policy decisions with input from American citizens.

The Threat Can Be Overcome By Hope

This morning as I was cooking bacon, and had time to myself without the hustle and bustle of life, I wondered how I'd gotten to this point in my life. The point where I'm the Chair of this group, Utah for Obama, as well as Field Director for an area of Salt Lake for our county Democratic Party. Barely more than a year ago, my life seemed plenty full, between children, my boyfriend and work. How have I found the ability to add in the responsibility of helping out the county Democratic Party, as well as the one of leading a group dedicated to getting Barack Obama the Democratic Nomination this coming February?

More importantly, why am I doing this? It would be so much easier to throw myself into work, make some more money on the side to support my family and pursue my own interests, of reading, computers and living the good life. And it occurred to me that I felt threatened by our government. My children, and the life I'm living, are at risk because America chose poorly in the last two presidential elections.

Part of that risk is obvious - this pathetic war that our country is in. But, much of it is less obvious, and stands in the shadow of the war. Our government has taken away many of the freedoms and rights that I consider myself having been born to. Right now, I consider myself, and anyone else who disagrees with the administration, at risk of being hauled off in the night and disappearing to Guantanamo Bay, without true reason. I don't consider this a likely thing, by any means. But, given the current administration, and the abuse of our Constitution that I have seen, it is within the realm of possibility.

And so, it's not a matter of finding the time for these political activities. It's a matter of knowing I have this responsibility, a responsibility to my children and family and friends, to help in whatever way I'm able, to bring a change to our government. A change taking us back to the America we once were, with the Constitution we hold dear. While our government may never be totally trustworthy, we are able to elect leaders who are. And I believe Barack Obama is the only choice we have in the next election, if we are to have those things.

Yes, I agree with his stance on leaving Iraq, and focusing on where the terrorists really are. I agree with his idea that our foreign policy should begin as a diplomatic one, and that war is not the only way. I agree with his idea that every American has the right to healthcare, and his ideas of helping change the inner cities through fixing the problems and not the symptoms. I agree with so many of his views. But, the same could be said of other candidates. The difference is, they are not holding out the same hope for change. I can see in their body language, in their history, that their idea of change is to maybe get out of the Iraq War, but it is not to bring about the Change to Washington, or the Change to a better America.

The other candidates may offer relief from the worst parts of George W Bush's adminisration, but it goes no further. And I don't believe we have to settle for the least worst candidate, this time. We can have a president who cares about the America that we all love, and every one of the people in it. His decisions won't be party line, or influenced by a lobbyist who bought his vote. He will look at the bigger picture, and know that signing a bill that fixes one problem, and causes another, is not right. He won't give us Universal Healthcare by plunging us into further debt. He will give us Universal Healthcare by giving us the best solution and finding the best way of funding it. He won't pull out of Iraq and ignore the problems we leave behind. He will pull our troops out of Iraq while finding diplomatic ways of helping to fix the issues there. He will not do what he thinks is best for our country while lying to us. He will do what he thinks is best for our country, while trusting Americans with the truth.

And for those reasons, I believe that the threat of the Bush administration is only temporary. And I believe that I want and need to work to help other Americans, especially Utahns, to see the hope we have for our future.