H.R. 3200 and the Real Health Care Problem

Where is "Schoolhouse Rock" when you need it? Remember those cute little animated music shorts? I wish I could remember the tune to the one about the cute little piece of paper named "Bill" who sat on Capital Hill. It all seemed so simple then.

I just spent 90 minutes perusing H.R. 3200 a.k.a. America's Affordable Health Choices Act. After looking through all 1,018 pages, my head is about to explode. (I also took a nasty headbutt a few days back, but I'm pretty sure it's the proposed bill and not my 3-year old's killer skull.) I applauded our elected officials for attempting to take this plan to the American people and explain it to the masses. With people like Sara"I'm hotter than you and I was almost Vice President-NOT!" Palin and Glenn "I was a drug addict who found Jesus, but I love to hate" Beck fanning the flames of discontent and trust among those who would call themselves newly disenfranchised, getting the facts straight from the horse's mouth is the best offense.

Have you heard these town hall meetings? Everything but the issue at hand was thrown out. Guantanamo Bay? Illegal immigrants? Abandoning the country of our founding fathers? (Lord, give me strength. If one more woman stands up and starts talking about what "our" founding fathers designed, I am going to revoke her right to vote, own property, and make decisions over her own body. Puh-lease!!) I giggled when saw this older gentleman stand up and try to "set it off" and get rowdy. Before we start spouting someone else's rhetoric, it is vital to understand what the issues are.

Issue#1:This country needs a comprehensive health care system that respects a person's fundamental right to live with dignity. (I'm going to pitch Michael Moore's "Sicko" as a must-see. Moore is a our national town cryer. You may not agree with everything he says, but his presence forces you out of your comfort zone.) However I, like many other hard-working people, would prefer to keep our hard-earned post-tax dollars in our pockets. There is a fear that those who will gain the greatest benefit from a universal health care program will invariably contribute the least. (Yes, my disdain for generational welfare is creeping in here.) But something has to be done.

For all its benefits, capitalism requires an underclass, else it cannot thrive. It is this forgotten underclass that is most vulnerable due to poor living conditions and little to no access to healthier lifestyle choices. Trust me. If you're feeling bold one day, go to Camden, New Jersey and count the number of liquor stores, tobacco stores, and late night fried chicken restaurant within a two-block radius. Then count the number of grocery stores within a the same radius. People within these areas are less likely to to complete high school and therefore less likely to attain high earning jobs with real benefits. This ignored underclass, has the greatest potential to put the greatest strain upon the healthcare system. Lack of healthy eating choices, the promotion of unhealthy lifestyles, and lack of community outreach are all contributing factors. Whatever the reason people find themselves without health insurance, their quality of life still matters.

The 1,018 page bill that I read does not address that. Thankfully, it also does not mention any of the things that the Palin-Becks have been hammering in these town hall meetings. No socialism anywhere. No mention of funding abortions. No mention of "end of life" counseling. Just 1,018 pages of definitions, time lines, staffing requirements, Medicaid and Medicare and all that jazz. Nothing about me, the well-educated taxpayer who may one day find herself in need of health insurance. No wonder fear and chaos abound. Beyond the title, no one knows exactly who and what this bill will actually impact.

My question is how can a bill be 1,018 pages long, and no one knows exactly what it will do? People got paid to write this thing? Couldn't they have just "Schoolhouse Rock"ed it? Make it simple so the fear-mongers lost the ability spread fear and chaos? Just something simple..."I'm a bill on Capital Hill..."