Janice L

RainbowPUSH Atlanta

Atlanta News & Announcements

Mathis Commentary on Health Care Reform

Today, I called Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA) and spoke at length to Jessica
in his Evans (suburban Augusta) GA district office. She explained that the
Congressman was not likely to vote for the legislation due to the complexity
and length of the bill. His answer to the problem of 40-plus million
uninsured was voluntary pools and tax deductible insurance premiums. I
pointed out that these measures are ineffective for low-income workers who
typically don't itemize on their tax returns and don't belong to
associations that can take advantage of the voluntary pools. I asked Jessica
to please convey to the Congressman that I hoped he would support this
President's legislation because President Obama is trying in good faith to
solve the problems of cost and access to health care. I also pointed out
that since the Congressman is relatively invulnerable to political defeat
(80% Republican district) he was free to offer leadership across the aisle
on this important issue. I also made the point that the U.S. lags the world
in health care policy - and that the world is watching us to see whether we
can pull together and acknowledge that every human ought to get basic
medical care. A few years ago, my husband got sick in France. He was
hospitalized for two days. No one asked whether he was insured - instead
they asked where he hurt.

The polite young woman on the phone listened as I explained that the
uninsured are flooding the emergency rooms and adding to cost; that
insurance company marketing and advertising are not improving health of
Americans, but are adding to the cost.

Unfortunately, I don't think my call made any difference at all. But let's
make the calls anyway. Your Congressman may be more receptive than mine
was. And besides, it feels good being on the right side of history.

Janice L. Mathis

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