Do We Need Government Universal Healthcare?

I am a 45 yo SAHM of three. We have sacrificed many things such as a fancy home, new cars, countless vacations, new clothes, hair stylings, etc. so that I could stay at home with our children. We all have to make decisions, and in the 25 years that I have been married, we have always had healthcare.

To begin with we seek employment with companies that offer healthcare. During our first 10 years of marriage we put each other through college. One worked and the other went to school. We didn’t even question whether we could afford the insurance premium taken out of our paycheck, and many year it was a hard hit to our income. But we knew that we were responsible to have insure in case one of us needed medical care. You buy home insurance, auto insurance, etc. This is part of living, and being responsible with your finances.

Every year my husband got a cost of living raise the insurance premium would raise and take away the little bit of increase we could have used to help with daily life.

We have over the years had a lot of friends that have had the choice at work to select insurance, but they choose not to do so because they live for the moment. They want the most cash possible in each paycheck. They don’t see paying monthly for insurance as must, to insure that their family doesn’t go into bankruptcy if someone gets really ill. I have seen so many family needing financial help and we have helped. I must say I do get aggravated that we end up financially helping people who don’t see it as their responsibility, a duty to take care of their family’s financial needs, in making sure they have medical insurance.

I also know a lot of people who sacrifice greatly to keep insurance especially if someone has a illness like cancer, diabetes, MS, etc. My brother-in-law was let go a few months after he successfully survived a bout with colon cancer. He has worked with the company for about 10 years. A few months after letting him go, the same company calls him back to do the same job without benefits. It doesn’t take a genius to see that he was dumped off the companies insurance policy. Their family has paid over $1,500 a month to keep the same insurance he had, since now he has a pre-existing condition. But hear this point, never once did this family consider not paying for the insurance even though it meant a huge sacrifice to their income. They understand that they have three children and each other that will only get the best medical care in an illness or accident and not be driven to bankruptcy or also bring loved ones, extended family into financial disaster if something devastating happens and the need urgent medical care.

Many responsible people get a second job or the spouse works at a job that has insurance to make sure their family is covered. One friend of mine own their own business. In the build up years he could not afford to offer his small group of employees medical insurance. So during this time, until the business built up enough, his wife took a job with insurance. Just a few months ago, he was able to provide insurance through the small business for his employees to opt to be part of and for his family to be covered. Now his wife has the option of quitting her employment or moving to another job whether it has insurance or not.

Americans are known for independence, hard-workers, innovation and being generous, especially in times of crisis or need. We are people built and led. Americans that rely on government for all their needs instead of seeing the freedom in being independent, hard working and self-sufficient have not experienced or understood the blessing of living the American way of life.

Everyone jokes and complains about the super inefficiency of government, the paperwork, the bureaucracy, the red tape, and waste! Do we really want government taking over any other sector of our life and bringing their brand of inefficiency to it? Our government was suppose to govern for the protection and welfare of our State and in Federal terms our Nation. It was not designed to support, parent, or provide for the living expenses of individuals – no matter what their situation is. Let us face it – we all have terrible stories of crisis and suffering we have had to endure. Government will never be the answer to our needs. We must find within each of us the ability to preserve, even survive, without a handout. This kind of grit makes a person stronger, wiser and more compassionate. Something government programs, handouts, bailout, etc. could never provide!

The day of personal responsibility is dying. To me this is the real crisis of Universal Healthcare, not whether or not insurance should be provided by the government to everyone. I hope we, Americans, wake up to our laziness, greed, and irresponsibility before it is too late.