HEALTH CARE...it's a good thing

The Supreme Court has found the Affordable Health Care Act to be constitutional. Finally, something for the citizens of the nation. This almost restores my faith. Not quite, Citizens United is still the worst decision by the court in my lifetime. However, for now, I am celebrating living in a nation where people are still important.

As soon as I heard the decision on NBC, I began surfing news channels to see how the decision was being spun. FOX and CNN made it sound like America was about to demand that all citizens dress in brown and goose-step across the nation in Facist revelry. On MSNBC I think Chris Matthews might have wet his pants. He should see a doctor about that.

 I decided to see how the market was reacting. Not at all surprising, Big Pharma, Big Insurance and other medical industry related corporations were in negative territory. Simply an indication that people with enough money to invest realized profit margins were going to be smaller in those industries and were jumping ship. That was all I needed to confirm what I already knew. What is good for citizens isn't good for wall street and vice versa.

Insurance was the first industry to sell nothing. Maybe in it's origin the purpose of insurance was noble but, over time, insurance became the Big Brother of our problems. Insure your home, car, property and body. Never worry again. For several thousand dollars a year you are guaranteed coverage unless you are affected by something that insurance won't cover. Or if you are sick too long. Or your illness requires too much treatment. Or if you have a chronic illness, a pre-existing condition or an Act of God befalls you, then you are screwed. By the way, they do not return the money you have paid them after they have denied your claim. That's called profit.

I have known people with great insurance coverage who still had to spend every single dime they could scrape together on pesky kidney failures, liver problems or some tricky cancer. I have known people to become ill with deadly viruses or sudden, painful, chronic illnesses and have their insurance company deny coverage. In every case I know of personally, the person with the illness ultimately had to file for bankruptcy, even with coverage.

What the insurance industry wants is for healthy people to buy their service and never use it. That makes them rich and happy. For people who dare become seriously ill, insurance providers become unreasonable quickly. Experimental treatments and drugs are too expensive. Transplants, too expensive. Chronic illness, too expensive. Drugs with no generic, too expensive. Go see one doctor to be referred to another doctor. Ever had an injury that was healed by the time you got to see the doctor who could actually treat you? I have. It's very frustrating.

So what happens now that Obamacare is constitutional? People who have insurance coverage can keep it. People with children can cover them on their insurance until they are 26. People with no insurance can either buy it at a reasonable cost or pay the penalty for not having coverage. Those who want insurance but still cannot afford it will receive subsidies from the government. Medicaid will be expanded. Insurance must cover pre-existing conditions and there is no annual or lifetime cap. Sounds horrible. For the insurance industry.

As it is now, people without insurance wait until they are very sick or suffer an injury or medical emergency and then rush to a hospital emergency room. Patients do not magically start spewing money out of every orifice when they enter the emergency room so taxpayers in the city and/or county and/or state cover their care. We pay for the uninsured no matter what. Now all patients can be treated early, can receive screenings, receive care early and don't have to worry about being denied coverage.

The humorous point to the healthcare bill is that it's genesis is based on the plan drafted by Massachusetts under Governor Mitt Romney. Now the GOP, including Mitt himself, must try to convince us that this will be the downfall of America. Mittens has to campaign by berating the bill he signed into law in his own state. That would be like Lincoln wanting to repeal the 13th amendment. Or FDR reversing himself on social security. Or W. denouncing the wars in the middle east. So, was Mittens a horrible, facist governor who forced mandated health care on his state or is he a candidate willing to say anything to keep his backers happy? I am guessing the latter.

So, suck it up, citizens. Now we are all equal under the medical law. Now the poor and disenfranchised can receive decent medical care as needed instead of waiting until their condition is an emergency. Insurance companies now have to actaully do their job instead of increasing their profit margins. This is good for the country as a whole.

There is only one more change I would like to see regarding medical care. Stop the advertising of drugs and medical devices. I am sick of hearing about peeing too often, not being able to pee, the dangers of a four hour erection, the best knee replacement, etc. These are conversations to have with a doctor. Big Pharma wouldn't have to charge so much money for their products if their advertising budgets were slashed. And I won't want to vomit during dinner when the Cialis commercials run.

You're Welcome,
Lillybell Blues

THINGS I KNOW

I recently mentioned that life is short. It is. Life is also incredibly unfair. I have spent enough hours in hospitals, Alzheimer's wards, and nursing homes to know that death is incredibly unfair too. If you have been spared the pain of waiting days, weeks, or years for someone whose quality of life is completely gone to die, then I know you are blessed.

I first learned that both life and death are unfair when I was 30 years old. My chosen brother, my friend, Scotty, did not reach his 30th birthday. The ravages of diabetes took him from his family, friends and from me. That sucked. It was not natural. He was young and had so much talent, heart and humanity. I had lost all but one grand parent by then. I loved them. They were old. They died. That made perfect sense. But losing my friend, my very young friend was devastating. If you still have all of your chosen friends, the ones you cherish, I know you are blessed.

As a society we have life and living, death and dying all messed up. Somewhere in time we got societal priorities completely out of balance. I know we need to refocus.

Life should not be our focus. Living should be our focus. There is a difference. Life is about statistics, accomplishments, expectations, milestones. Living is about learning, doing, focusing, creating, sharing, being. We have long judged people by where they live, where they were schooled, how much money they have. We are groomed to want the facades of success so we can be judged. We should judge people by their wisdom, talent, kindness, fairness and compassion. Their capacity to give love, receive love, share bounty and ease burdens. I know living is more important than life.

Death is something we should embrace, not fear. Dying should be as short as possible. Not for those left to grieve but for those who must do the dying. We keep people alive who have no cognitive ability. We give them medications for high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease when they can no longer maintain their own most basic needs. We try to avoid death at all costs. Death is coming. It can come in an instant. It can take years. I do not know who will experience death next or who will be the last person on earth. I know not one of us will avoid death.

People keep themselves alive with painful, debilitating poison for as long as possible. They have surgeries and experimental treatments to stay here just a little longer. They postpone the inevitable. I understand this choice. It's best for loved ones. The dying want to be here for those life milestones. However, even if it takes a decade, watching someone die hurts. When they do die there is still pain. All their efforts to live may be worthwhile but it does not take away the unavoidable loss through death. I know death comes whether you are ready or not.

Now I am facing another loss. One of my chosen sisters, my friend is going to die. As I struggle to understand I realize I cannot imagine living without her. Yet I probably will. I will miss her like an addict misses their substance. I want to share more living with her. I need her wisdom, humor, honesty and her love. She is one of my rocks. She doesn't judge yet she doesn't suffer fools. She has every single quality of a chosen sister. She has raised an amazing daughter, shared a marriage with a wonderful man for 30 plus years and makes everyone feel like family. My wish for her family and friends is that we have her forever. My wish for her is that she not suffer and feels how much she is loved. She is cherished by many because her capacity for love is immeasurable. I know her next journey will reflect all the love she has given and received.

Live every day like it is your best friend's last. Try to remove selfishness from all aspects of your living. Try not to judge. Try not to be malicious, hateful or angry. Give of yourself without being taken. Love like it won't hurt. Forgive those who are not perfect. Including yourself.

I know this would make for a better world.

You're welcome,
Lillybellblues

LIFE IS SHORT...

In the past few weeks I have learned much about life and death. The emotional ups and downs are grueling. The peace is beautiful. There is just not enough time on earth to be with people we love. The process of losing a loved one varies from sudden, unexpected death to the long, slow goodbye. The end result is the same. Life changes just a bit in that final moment. The best thing that comes with death is clarity. Nothing matters except the people we love. That's it. One simple fact.

No one should waste time hating or judging any other human. We should all look for the good and the potential in others. We should all help when we can, forgive when we can and lift up those around us. Life is short even when people live to an old age. Help your fellow man. Strengthen the bonds with people in your life because someday you have to say goodbye and then it is too late to show remorse or seek forgiveness.

Losing a loved one is losing part of yourself, your history and your heart. The pain can be unbearable but we all must go on. The world should stop just a little when a loved one dies. It is a remarkable experience to watch common, everyday occurrences around you when your world is upside down. You want to crawl into your bed and stay until the pain and the sadness is gone. However, that is not how life or death works. Life is for the living so we get up and carry on. Death is the peace at the end of life and that peace is for all eternity.

Knowing someone is going to die makes saying goodbye much better. There is an honesty and realization of the love that exists between people. There is such clarity and the person who will die can make their peace, say goodbye and come to grips with the end of their time on this earth. The knowledge does not make losing them easier but being able to say that last goodbye, have those last laughs and sharing joy makes the dying process so loving and kind.

We should all live like this is our last day. Show love, kindness, forgiveness, remorse, forge bonds and alliances. Make someone else happy. Do things for them you may not want to do. It could be the last time you can show your love for them.

Our world and our lives are usually about, "me, me, me". Work hard to make life about those you love. Take nothing for granted. Appreciate every day. Do for and unto others as you would have them do for you. Love is all you need.

You're welcome,
Lillybellblues