You know, the last time we had this healthcare debate, I'z dead-set against it. You remember when Hillary was a-tryin' to stick socialized medicine down our throat whether we wanted it or not? Well it was kinda like my mama dosing me with calomel when I'z a tike. Didn't like it any better then.
But I've grown some since. Fact is I've come full circle on this thing. I can see we need it, this reform. And if it's gonna mean much, it'll have to have that public option or some other means of makin' health insurance companies honestly compete price-wise for our business. It's high time we reigned in their free run on us, I'm a-thinkin'.
Truth is my mind begun to turn over on this question long afore this Obama got elected. Sorta slapped me up the side of face one day.
Some smarty britches pointed out there's countries making cars they sell here. And those countries got government health care, so employers over there don't buy it for their workers. Ain't no surprise they undercut us on sticker price when GM's payin’ for worker health insurance and Toyota ain't. There's a problem sure nuff. Tough bein' competitive with that extra burden.
Do you know folks pay more for health care in this country than what other folks do in any other developed country of our sort? I can tell ya who to thank for that: them insurance boys.
I don't go to the doctor much but traipsed into the dentist office just the other day. I aim to keep my teeth. I like to talk, you see, and people understands you so much better when you're not just bumpin' your gums but got some hard fangs in there for them consonant sounds too. Do you know a cleanin', x-rays, oral exam, and two fillin's cost me more than a week's pay?
Now them insurance companies don't pay that, no. The dentist hands them a sky-high bill like mine, and some insurance sharp wrangles Doc down to a price where they settle. Wise to the waltz, Doc's done overpriced his services.
But whenever it's little ole, uninsured me in that chair, guess what? I'll be payin' that full, inflated price, that's what––with just a smidge off for a pacifier. At the saw-bones or 'mergency room, you'll get the same song and dance if you happen to be unlucky enough to walk in there uninsured.
Now some folks'll swear we pay more here 'cause we get better care in this country. Who does? You know damn near half the citizens of these United States has no health insurance a-tall? That means no access. Try braggin' on the quality of American health care to them folks.
And the half of us what are insured, most got it through the place we work. Lose your job and then what? There's a heap o' that goin' round just now, y'know, bein' a depression on and all.
Still some folks think it's just radicalizing, this notion of government messin' in our health care system. Why it'll be pure-D socialism for sure, they reckon. I 'spect some Americans said as much when Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare was a-bornin'. But somehow them programs has helped a bait of Americans since we got 'em and left our republic intact.
I'm a-feared some of our issue with this new-fangled reform is just our cowboy mentality in this country. Fiercely independent by nature, us Americans like to see ourselves tall in the saddle, a-wranglin' our way through life, trustin’ to nothin' but our own strength and wits.
Trouble is there's powers in this land a heap bigger than wee cowpokes like you and me. Them's the Wall Street boys what wrecked our economy and left us to pay fer it. Them's the insurance-healthcare bunch what's priced us into a corner or charity ward.
Truth is a lot of Americans are satisfied with the healthcare insurance they got 'cause they hadn't had to use it yet. Shame is, when they do need it for somethin’ big, they're apt to find it comes up short. An insurance company can be plenty glad to take your money. Don’t look for the same glee when they go to payin’ it back, though your life could depend on how willin’ they are to do that.
The plain truth is we're small fry in a big ole ocean, and by damn if we don't need a government to protect us from the sharks. Teddy Roosevelt called that a "square deal". He was a Republican. FDR called it a "new deal". He was a Democrat. Mr. Obama calls it simply "reform" or "change", and I don't care what he is, I'm with him on it.
And I'm tellin' ye now, politician, whatever your stripe: you vote against meaningful reform, and I'll be votin' against you the next time you run for anythin’.
Sincerely,
Jasper Pickens |
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