If you’re thinking that health care reform is an issue unique to our times then think again. It’s been around before, and before, and…
Check out this historical look at health care legislation from The Associated Press. It looks like this issue started clicking way back in our nation’s early beginnings.
-1798: The Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen in 1798 marks the beginning of federal involvement in health care.
-1854: President Franklin Pierce vetoes a national mental health bill on the basis that it would be unconstitutional to regard health as anything but a private matter in which government should not become involved.
-1912: Former President Theodore Roosevelt campaigns as the Progressive Party candidate on a platform calling for a single national health service.
-1920: The Snyder Act of 1920 is the first federal legislation to deal with health care for Native Americans, setting up the beginnings of what became the Indian Health Service.
-1921: The Maternity and Infancy Act of 1921 (Sheppard-Towner Act) provides grants to states to plan maternal and child health services. The legislation serves as a prototype for federal grants-in-aid to the states in the area of health.
Ziggi Landsman
From: Anne Haywood [mailto:AnneElizabethHaywood@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 4:20 AM
Subject: PLEASE read–FW: It’s about the Character of our Country
Enclosed is the President’s views on healthcare. All you have to do is press play. I know that you’ve been hearing a whole bunch of nonsense, and I understand the choice you’ve had previously of college or medical for me, insurance or actual healthcare for yourselves. For generations the healthcare system works better for insurance companies, than it does for us without any accountability. So if you could please watch this I would appreciate it, because I want you to understand. I have worked really hard to fight the head and spinal injury diagnosis, because it counts me out before I’ve even started. The system now diagnoses me as helpless if I get healthcare and pay exorbitant amounts to insurance companies that are willing to do nothing—because they say that my situation will not improve. Or the other choice in the current system is for me to handle everything myself 100%, with no assistance, no insurance, no doctor’s visits, and no prescriptions—unless I pay for it all myself, disabled, and currently unable to work sick. Now I’m smart, but not nearly what that would entail…which is what I have been doing and playing wonder woman for 22 years this May.
I talked to my doctor Friday—she called me after 6pm, after 22 years—9 years at that health clinic specifically, and she finally says to me: “…OK Anne, whatever you want, however you want to do this,” and I said: “That’s just it. I have no idea; I’ve gone without proper healthcare with an undocumented medical history for 22 years. It hasn’t been until the last 2 years that anything’s been done specifically that I need. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do medically, it’s all been trial and error for me.” Now I have 2 choices, keep up with this ridiculous shenanigans where I’ve had additional injuries, gotten little or no care, and am getting worse; or I am open to change, improving the system and let the people who need help, like me, get help, improve the economy and modernize healthcare so those who want to pay traditional private insurance can, and the ones who can’t at least are covered so ER visits don’t make us all broke. If the system the way it is, works, then why is AZ—the biggest supporter of United Healthcare broke, while UH is making record profits? Can you honestly say that it’s because UH is taking perfect care of everyone, honestly communicating accurate medical histories, and everyone is just not working and/or every single person is not paying taxes? Can you honestly look at my situation and think that every single doctor that I’ve seen, out of the last 22 years, has had an accurate look at my medical history and done absolutely nothing because that’s what should be done? For instance, why, right now, when I haven’t had pt in only 1 week (because it’s spring break and my pt is out of town), am I getting red rashes, puffiness on my head, neck and shoulders, become sick with bronchitis in one lung, and a sinus infection in one red eye…how exactly does that work unless I’ve got these pre-existing conditions/weak points of disability from one 5/15/88 mva accident?
From: David Axelrod, The White House [mailto:info@messages.whitehouse.gov]
Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 1:10 PM
To: AnneElizabethHaywood@gmail.com
Subject: It’s about the Character of our Country
Dear Friend,
Today, in his final speech before this weekend’s vote, President Obama made the most powerful case yet for health insurance reform:
Together, we are going to fix health care in America.
Let’s get it done.
David Axelrod
Senior Advisor to the President
This email was sent to AnneElizabethHaywood@gmail.com
Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy
Please do not reply to this email. Contact the White House
The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111
…and it ain’t just due; it’s done!!
We need to tell everyone what this means to people with SCI and how it will help the country to bring down heath care cost and improve care. Many people have not given up the fight to stop heath care reform, so they will try to appealed it, by removing the people that voted for this landmark legislation, in November. So we need to support the people that supported us.
Assuming the senate adopts the reconciliation bill it’s a big win. Not over though - regulation drafting,implementation and enforcement to say nothing of constitutional challenges are coming up.
For those of you who wish to continue the fight to the end, you can pitch in by contacting your honorables.
Just go to http://www.spinalcordadvocates.org/health-reform-needs-one-final-push/ and help push this sucker over the top.