I'm running out of heart and patience for angry Progressives doing their best to defeat the health care reform bill. I expect Republicans to try to thwart this legislation, that's pretty much a given. But when those who call themselves Democrats or Progressives or Liberals, etc. do it I feel frustrated. While each side's reasons (and values) are different they have one thing solidly in common, and that is the insistence on total purity and the complete unwillingness to consider anything but the everything they want.
Listen, I know that all of us are trying to do what we believe is right. I know that no one is undertaking this cause out of any malevolence. But I'm here to say that unless you're someone whose very life depends upon whatever action Congress takes, there is no way you can fully understand or appreciate what health care reform means to me or thousands of other Americans like me in similar shoes. And unless you've been practicing mainstream medicine of late, you can't really know what takes place in the medical setting, who is doing what, and what the mentality is.
I worked for nearly 30 years in a variety of clinic and hospital settings: the emergency rooms, acute care, oncology, hospice, quality improvement, administration, outpatient doctor's office, and the clinical research settings. I've been on the floor unit, hospital administrator, and clinic director. I've worked in hospitals and doctor offices in half of the U.S. states. And I spent nearly 20 years serving on board after board, committee after committee as a volunteer in the non-profit sector, successfully developing and implementing medical care plans for those in under-served, under-represented, and poor areas that most people don't care about. I think I know a little something about nearly every medical perspective on this issue and learned about community and legislative resistance the hard way. And after being a patient with chronic illness for nearly 10 years, I know a little about the system and how it treats people like me.
Something has to be done.
Now.
I agree with much of the progressive argument against this bill. Yes, it's been watered down. Not enough is being offered. It leaves too many people out. Corporations will find ways to get around certain provisions. But I'm not going to overlook the good this bill will do simply because it has problems. I won't ask that several thousand lives be sacrificed now in order to hopefully save more lives in a few years. To me, that makes no sense. And I'm not willing to take a chance that we won't HAVE another chance if reform fails this time around.
The irony here is that while progressives claim Washington is not listening to them, they're not listening to me - or anyone else who has a differing opinion either. And they fail to see that their efforts not only hurt people like me but fracture our ability to get anything done. In their unwillingness to compromise anywhere on this issue they've become just as dogmatic and self-righteous as the right wing.
So if you're one of those Progressives reading this now, I pose the following directly to you:
I worked for nearly 30 years in a variety of clinic and hospital settings: the emergency rooms, acute care, oncology, hospice, quality improvement, administration, outpatient doctor's office, and the clinical research settings. I've been on the floor unit, hospital administrator, and clinic director. I've worked in hospitals and doctor offices in half of the U.S. states. And I spent nearly 20 years serving on board after board, committee after committee as a volunteer in the non-profit sector, successfully developing and implementing medical care plans for those in under-served, under-represented, and poor areas that most people don't care about. I think I know a little something about nearly every medical perspective on this issue and learned about community and legislative resistance the hard way. And after being a patient with chronic illness for nearly 10 years, I know a little about the system and how it treats people like me.
Something has to be done.
Now.
I agree with much of the progressive argument against this bill. Yes, it's been watered down. Not enough is being offered. It leaves too many people out. Corporations will find ways to get around certain provisions. But I'm not going to overlook the good this bill will do simply because it has problems. I won't ask that several thousand lives be sacrificed now in order to hopefully save more lives in a few years. To me, that makes no sense. And I'm not willing to take a chance that we won't HAVE another chance if reform fails this time around.
The irony here is that while progressives claim Washington is not listening to them, they're not listening to me - or anyone else who has a differing opinion either. And they fail to see that their efforts not only hurt people like me but fracture our ability to get anything done. In their unwillingness to compromise anywhere on this issue they've become just as dogmatic and self-righteous as the right wing.
So if you're one of those Progressives reading this now, I pose the following directly to you:
I know you think I'm a deluded, kool-aid drinking, spineless Democratic Obamabot wandering aimlessly in my drunken crush-on-Obama stupor. I know I hold no credibility with you. Still, I want you to know that if you get your wish and the current health care reform bill dies, so will I. A successful defeat of this bill will eliminate my chance of getting the transplant I need. If the bill succeeds, I will be able to purchase the secondary insurance required to be accepted at a transplant center. That option will become available almost immediately, it's not one of the things that will be phased in over several years. Short of a new miracle drug or other cure, without that option, I have no options.
So, if you still want to continue this fight and your efforts to defeat the bill are successful, I have one final question for you. Will you give the eulogy at my funeral and explain why it really is a victory to my grieving family?
No comments:
Post a Comment