Watching the presidential inauguration today is not part of my civic duty.
Paying my taxes is, so this morning I went to the town office to pay our town and county taxes, which will help to provide our community with roads, parks, public safety, libraries, water and sewer systems, and many other things that make our everyday life possible. (Later in the year, we will pay our school taxes, which funds the very important work of educating our young people so they can grow up to be responsible adults.)
This afternoon, I attended an event in conjunction with the national bus tour to “Save Our Health Care” by stopping the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Our hope is to pass additional legislation that will build on and improve the ACA – and which the Congressional Republicans have refused to consider during the Obama presidency.
Millions of people only have insurance today because of the ACA, including some members of my family. Everybody also benefits from provisions of the ACA, such as no exclusions for pre-existing conditions; 100% coverage for wellness exams, mammograms, colonoscopies, birth control, and other benefits; women not being charged extra just because they are women; and no lifetime caps on claims. Seniors get help with closing the “donut” hole in the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
Many people think that the rise in insurance premiums has been caused by the ACA, but the truth is that the rate at which insurance premiums were rising was much higher before it was enacted. For most people, the federal subsidies make premiums affordable. Even if the deductible is high, people benefit from lower costs for appointments; doctors and hospitals charge people without insurance much higher prices. Additionally, Medicare has had years of solvency added because of the ACA.
It is scary that the Republicans in Congress are looking at repealing the ACA without simultaneously replacing it. It makes much more sense to improve the ACA than to abolish it.
Mend it. Don’t end it!
Health care is a human right and providing it is one way that we in the United States can “promote the general welfare” as our Constitution states.
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Join us for Linda’s Just Jot It January! Find out how here: https://lindaghill.com/2017/01/20/jusjojan-daily-prompt-jan-20th17/
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Top of JC's Mind 
I sincerely hope you remain covered by health care insurance. It’s a scary prospect to have to live without it! All the best, Joanne.
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Thanks, Linda. B and I should be okay for now, as we are covered through B’s workplace, but problems will arrive when he retires, especially if they ruin Medicare, which begins at age 65.
Many others, including our daughters, are in more immediate danger if they toss the ACA without a viable replacement.
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I can understand why people down there rail against everyone paying for government healthcare whether they need it or not – the transition period would be horrible. But that’s how we do it. Our health insurance is provincially run – everyone pays, everyone gets equal care. And nobody loses their house when they get sick.
I wish you luck.
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Many of us are in favor of a single-payer system, similar to the one you have in Canada. It would be cheaper, fairer, and better for public health. Many people like Medicare, which covers people 65+ so we sometimes call the concept Medicare-for-all. Instead, we have the bulk of our health insurance tied up with private insurers, who are taking profits out of our premiums and who make the system immeasurably complicated. We need all the luck we can get; I’m just afraid it will take DT and the Republicans totally breaking the health care system before we can get new people in office to craft an equitable, quality system for all of us.
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Let’s hope he actually did have something better up his sleeve, like he said he did!
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It’s still a secret if Trump and/or the Republicans do have a plan. They keep saying they do, but we haven’t seen a bill yet.
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I hope you still get health insurance. Over here in Australia we have good health care for low income earners (like me). I don’t know how I’d survive without it.
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Thanks, Suzanne. All the other highly economically developed nations provide good health care for everyone. The US is shamefully behind in that regard, not that millions of us aren’t trying to rectify the situation.
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I am following the women’s marches around the world with great interest although I have been unable to attend one in person. I really hope a saner world emerges from this radical time we are living in.
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The marches were amazing – and peaceful. There was a lot of positive energy that everyone can use going forward, whether one was able to attend a march or not.
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Yes, I am hearing that from many people. It’s exciting.
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Of all The Donald’s threats, the one to end ACA is the one that concerns me the most. It’ll hit everyone is some way, foreseen or otherwise. This is going to turn into one heck of a mess.
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We are going to fight like crazy to keep it. You are right that it will affect everyone. People don’t understand how wide-ranging the ACA is.
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