Serena Woodward: Williston Herald

 

 

 

  Serena Woodward is an employee of the Williston Herald. Serena’s blog and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Williston Herald, Wick Communications, their employees or staff members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Type "health care reform" into any search engine right now and you're likely to receive over 5 million hits. From newspapers to bloggers, health care reform has become a hot button issue. While most people nationwide would agree that health care needs to be addressed in some manner, most people will fall into one of two categories, those that feel a public health care option is a good idea and those that think the price tag for such a widespread change is too high. Few people sit on the fence on this issue. It is hard at times to get a good feel for what is actually being proposed. Amid accusations, fear tactics and out-right untruth, the average American is having a hard time getting a clear picture. One of the problems is the actual text of the bills themselves (there are four currently being proposed with a fifth on the way). The copy I read was 1,081 pages long. The first 16 pages were definitions and by the time I waded into the actual bill I was bleary eyed from trying to interpret the political double-talk. Add to this the ads running on television every night designed to show on side of the issue and the torrent of media coverage all giving differing versions and how is the average American supposed to make any sense of the issue?

 

 

 

 

 

Fears about the proposed reforms to our health care system range from the added cost in taxes to the limitations that may be placed on which doctor you can visit and what procedures will be covered. Many individuals are also concerned that they will not be allowed to keep their existing private insurance or purchase private insurance once the reforms take effect.   The President has been quick to reassure the public that none of these would happen, but this has not done much to allay fears of government-controlled health care.    Rumors have been flying for months. Will the plan provide coverage for illegal aliens? Will there be caps on certain procedures for individuals past a certain age? An article in the September 11th issue of the Williston Herald by editor Alan Reed gave coverage of a recent talk given by Marlowe Kro of the North Dakota AARP as he addressed attendees at the "College for Seniors" that was held at Bethel Home in Williston. Kro pointed out that one in three Americans knows someone that has stopped taking medication or cut back on medication due to rising costs and added that health insurance premiums are expected to almost double in the next seven years. He also addressed rumors like "socialized medicine", rationed health care and the ending of the Medicare program. All of these rumors are false, but this has not stopped people from discussing it. Once a rumor takes hold, it is hard to stop it from spreading. 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other side of this debate are those in our country who are faced with the daily reality of being uninsured. Being unable to take a child to the doctor, being denied care due to lack of insurance, or due to a preexisting condition or facing mounting hospital bills are all solid motivators to get behind a public or universal health care plan. Former North Dakota Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp recently spoke at a health care reform rally that drew both supporters and opposition. She recalled a letter she had received from a single mother and breast cancer survivor detailing how she had to take a second job just to pay for her medical care. Heitkamp said, "No single mom should ever have to get a second job to pay for health care. We don't live in that country." Sadly, for many individuals and families in the United States today, adequate health care and access to affordable, dependable health coverage is a daily struggle.

 

 

 

 

 

Yet, even among supporters there is a certain amount of skepticism regarding the plans being proposed. Mandatory health care coverage and the question of cost per household have even staunch supporters rethinking the proposed plans. How will the government choose to define "affordable"? Will they run the public option the same way they run current social programs? Most of the social welfare programs available currently use an almost impossible scale to determine poverty. If the government applies these standards to a health care option, will it really become accessible to those who need it most? 

 

 

 

 

 

With all the questions floating around, the fear-mongering and the rampant speculation, it can become hard to remain unemotional and even harder to focus on the larger picture of how health care reform could help our country. An article I read recently made an excellent point: Americans do not mind change, as long as it is done incrementally. A perfect example is the minimum wage. It took five years to increase and as a whole, we were fine with that. The changes to our health care system that are being proposed would be done in one sweeping change, and this make many Americans nervous. There would not be any time to evaluate how the changes are effecting us and many people worry that without proper procedures and oversights in place, the new system will fail under its own weight. 

 

 

 

 

 

I have not met anyone who does not believe our health care system needs to be fixed, but I cannot find anyone who agrees on even on point or a solution to the current debate. So how do we, as a nation, address the problems surrounding an overhaul of the health care system without getting bogged down in our own politics and emotions? What is the best way to get a message to our elected officials that we expect a fair system that doesn't burden or leave out any one group of citizens? These questions are at the very heart of the current debate and until we can answer them any discussion concerning health care change will become stymied before it has a chance to get off the ground.