Woo! Quite a day for historical change! Of course I'm happy about the Affordable Care Act being upheld! I'm a behavioral healthcare provider. We are the very lowest on the totem pole of what insurance companies consider important to quality of life and quality of care. This act will allow millions of people to get the help they need but thought they could never afford.
My favorite clients, the ones who really get past the stabby barbed wire fence I have erected around my heart for the purposes of self-preservation and protection, are 97% of the time the ones with state health insurance. In CT it's called Husky.
These are the people who are appreciative of the lengths I go to on their behalf. They are the ones who always call and make sure I know if they can't make it in that day. They are the ones who bring my dogs treats. The ones who understand that I am not just sitting in this office all day waiting to serve them.
They have never been in the position of people serving them simply because they exist or have money. They are the people you see (or quite possibly, don't see) when you're at the grocery store or eating out at a restaurant. They're the ones who pick up your garbage cans, clean your streets, and maintain the place you live in so you don't have to. Chances are, they take care of your elderly parents as well as watch your children when you have to be at work. They are the background, and the backbone, of your and my world.
These are people who know that appreciation is a precious commodity in this world so they understand the importance of saying Thank You.
I've done a lot of reading today about the ins and outs of the ACA. I will totally admit, it's complicated and I don't understand parts of it. Specifically the part about the individual mandates. There will be a fine for not having health insurance? Well...will that fine be less than the cost of care if you become sick or injured? Would you prefer total financial devastation if you have the bad luck of getting into a car accident and need to be admitted or even operated on to save your life? I don't know if I've got that right but it seems to me like the Supreme Court makes a fair point and even with the 3.5% tax for when you sell your home to go to the ACA, I still don't see that as being unfair to the middle class and working poor. Because chances are, if you're selling your home you're either buying a new one or moving onto something else. You're not living off Ramen noodles right?
Admittedly, I'm a soft-hearted Liberal. I think everyone -EVERYONE - is entitled to health care. I really don't care what kind of person you are or what you do for a living. As a human being you shouldn't have to die years or decades earlier than necessary because you are a diabetic and can't afford insulin. I want every person to have safe, quality healthcare. And yes, this does apply to drug dealers, bank robbers, violent criminals and nonviolent criminals, immigrants (because last I checked, they had human DNA too), fat people, smokers, addicts of all varieties, and yes, child molesters. That last one mostly being selfish in that when they go to prison I want them to be healthy so they can enjoy the years of ass-rape and whatever other creative things their fellow inmates can come up with.
I'll keep reading and trying to understand the ins and outs better. It directly benefits me to do so as this is already the system I make my living off of. I look forward to learning more and understanding better and will do my best to handle the influx of patients the ACA will be sending my way.
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