Sometimes being a good dad means being a bad blogger, which is why I skipped the debates in favor of Iron Maiden with my son (full disclosure: this wasn’t a difficult choice).
On the other hand, I’ve sure seen the fallout on Facebook and Twitter. I gather there was some disagreement about health care.
From what I’m seeing on social media, “deep divisions” is an understatement. And for the life of me, I do not understand why. I’m seeing people vowing they will “never ” vote for someone who supports Medicare for All over more Medicaid expansion, and vice versa. God forbid you support a public option—you might as well admit you’re a neo-Nazi who wants babies to die, but only after Jeffrey Epstein’s had a round or two with them.
These are just random samplings. I’m far too lazy to go through the whole list of objections, counter-objections, accusations, hurt feelings, and overall whiny-ass-titty-babyism. Instead, here’s a little truth.
I have chronic asthma, and currently no health insurance. I was smart and stocked up on meds, knowing that my coverage was ending. Because I live in a state that didn’t expand Medicaid, I’m jumping through a whole bunch of hoops to re-establish residency in Pennsylvania, where I probably qualify. That means I’ll be low-balling my income—as you do when you freelance—and likely owing taxes—with interest and penalties for late payment, naturally—as a result. My steroid inhaler, which I use twice a day to keep the wheezing away, used to cost $300/month back in 2013, the last time I had no coverage. I have no doubt it costs more now. I need to do these things simply so I can continue to breathe properly.
As a bona fide middle aged person, I’m now wearing bifocals. Do you have any idea how much it costs to get your vision checked out?
I need a crown on one of my molars, after a filling dropped out a few weeks ago. I didn’t have the time then to get it placed, but the dentist told me it would likely take up my coverage for the entire year. I sure hope nothing happens to that tooth while I’m uninsured, because I don’t just have a big fuckin’ pile of money lying around that I can dip into at a moment’s notice.
Look, I get it. The Affordable Care Act is kinda sucky. It does some things really well (poor and sick people who couldn’t get insurance can get insurance now!) and some things not so well (Why am I changing insurance plans again? Why is my deductible so high? Why does this silver plan suck so bad?).
I think debate is good. Heated debate is good. Disagreement is fine, health care is a big thing.
But this “my way or the highway” shit I’m seeing from some folks (the loudest ones, of course) is nonsense. As someone who’s directly impacted by the discussion, let me say it clearly: I don’t give a flying fuck WHAT model health care takes, as long as it WORKS.
Medicare for All? I am 100% in favor of that.
A public option like what we fought for during the Obama years, only to have the president himself turn his back on us? I am 100% in favor of that too.
Expanding Medicaid in more states and making more people eligible? Yup. I can get behind that.
My stance is Whatever’s clever.
It is the correct one, and all of the screaming babies threatening not to vote, hurling insults and invective,and stomping their feet are wrong.
If we lose this election, we’ll likely wind up with no health care at all.
