I never really understood how the "healthcare crisis" currently affecting the US related to me- after all, I'm one of the lucky members of the minority population who has health insurance. I'm a registered republican; I don't buy into this hoopla about how the "poor" have to live without health insurance.
Then I found out how much our health insurance costs.
$12,000 per year is what my parents currently pay for healthcare coverage for my family of five- an expenditure that's increased almost $2000 in the past two years, according to my mother. I come from a wealthy family residing in Amherst, and even for us, that's one hell of a price tag.
Now I get it.
How could a working class family of five afford this? More importantly, how am I going to afford this when I age off of my family's healthcare plan in less than two years? The answer: unless I'm lucky enough to find a job where my employer will cover some or all of the cost, I will be one of the over 50 million Americans with no health insurance.
Lets hope I don't get cancer or hit by a car.
"Super Tuesday" is here, the day where a majority of states, including New York, will select their Republican and Democratic frontrunners for the 2008 Presidential Elections. Before you elect a candidate based on military experience, race, or a great smile, think about whether you'll be joining the ranks of the uninsured, come graduation.
Our current government would like white suburbia to believe that the "healthcare crisis" is really one impacting freeloaders, the uneducated, project-dwellers, city residents and those who have unspecialized employment. The American public, however, hasn't been fooled, and most recognize that healthcare is a front-runner election issue.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both have plans that could eventually lead to universal coverage- the topic on everyone's political tongue during the past year. While Hillary aims to require everyone to have health insurance, Barack plans to require that only children have it, and they both plan to pay for it by rolling back tax cuts for the wealthy.
Just like election issues do not stand alone, neither does the personal candor of each candidate. Obama, the drug-using black man, and Hillary, the coattail-riding woman who stayed with her adulterous husband, are seen by many through the eyes of their personal characteristics, rather than their stance on any issue. Those who are still off fighting the Civil War might still be tempted to think Hillary should head back to the kitchen and Barack should get back in his shackles, rather than run for the presidency.
McCain is seen as a war hero, Romney is said to have that perfect presidential smile and comb-over, and if you love Law and Order, you might have even been tempted to give Fred Thomson your vote, despite his lack of a chance and far right stance.
Every four years the same basic issues come up- abortion, immigration, foreign policy, the economy- and now, healthcare.
Healthcare is that one issue that has a chance of reaching some resolution, come November. Does the situation really have to become so bad that poor health trickles upwards to the upper classes before something is seriously done to change it?
In the United States, the only industrialized country to not have universal healthcare, medical bills are the number one reason people lose their homes in the United States. Should they survive those three things that kill people most often- heart attacks, cancer and car accidents, they're left to sit on a pile of hospital bills.
With staggering healthcare costs being the reason people cannot afford long-term care, transplants, infusions or other life saving surgeries, and lives are being lost every day as a result, this is an issue that needs resolution now, not in a decade or two.
Instead of telling you who to vote for, I'd like to encourage you to consider things that are usually only fleeting thoughts- the decision to wash your hands frequently, not getting a flu shot, or sharing a bottle of water. Consider the things you put even more consideration into; having unprotected sex, driving recklessly, binge drinking and the like.
How will you feel, post-graduation, when you age off of Mom and Dad's plan, and costs of health insurance have climbed so high that employers can no longer afford to offer it and compete at the same time, and you're left to choose between plans you can't afford?
This is something to consider when picking a candidate on Tuesday, or in November. It's an issue that transcends race, gender, party lines or political stances. It's your health.
And it's potentially your life.
It's healthcare Russian Roulette. Maybe you can afford antibiotics without healthcare for strep throat or to get a broken leg reset.
Just don't get into any serious accidents, avoid getting heart disease, and try not to get cancer.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
