While Congress Dallies, Desperate Americans Seek Free Health Care

Yesterday, a group of six centrist and conservative Senators signed a letter to the Democratic and Republican leaders urging delay in consideration of health care reform. These moderates include Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Independent Joe Lieberman (D-CT), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Susan Collins (R-ME).

The day before these Senators signed a letter to effectively halt health care reform, citizens were just beginning to line up at Cocke County High School in East Tennessee for free health care provided by Remote Area Medical (RAM), a non-profit, volunteer relief corps dedicated to providing free health care, dental care, eye care, veterinary services, and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world.

Though registration would not officially start until Friday, and the doors would not open until Saturday, pre-registration had already filled up by Thursday, and the sessions were full (with a waiting list) before the clinic was ready to see patients.

This kind of turn-out isn't unusual, Stan Brock, the founder of RAM told me by phone on his way to the high school.

We're probably going to see people in the 700-800 range, which for us is a small turnout. At our larger clinics, we'll give out 1500 numbers to patients during the course of the night because they come and they wait all night for these services. At the end of a weekend, we will have seen several thousand people. We've got one coming up in Los Angeles in eight days, and my guess if that there we'll probably see many thousands of people by the time we're finished there.

Rose Centers was already in line by noon on Friday. "The last time I tried to go to the dentist, it cost me $300, and all they done is a cleaning and X-rays," she told WBIR.com. In America, where 62 percent of personal bankruptcies are linked to medical bills or illness, this kind of early turnout at Cocke County High School shouldn't surprise anyone. Many Americans are poor, desperate, sick, and in need of some human compassion. Brock's team doesn't think their need should be exploited for financial gain.

As the engine of their medical van rumbles in the background, Brock shares some statistics with me. "You know, the World Health Organization rates the United States on the scale of 190 nations in their delivery of health care to the citizenry as number thirty-seven." He then explains the history of the Great Britain (his native country) universal health care system. At the height of World War II, the population in Great Britain was around 49 million when Winston Churchill mandated universal health care coverage. "So when you think that 49 million people is about the number of people in [America] that don't have access to health care, it's roughly equivalent to the population of Great Britain at the end of World War II," says Brock.

He means it's a problem that has a solution. If Great Britain, which had been practically obliterated by German bombing (including 57 consecutive nights of air assault during The Blitz,) provided health care to every man, woman, and child, then surely America, a comparatively prosperous nation, could improve its own system.

Those politicians toying with the idea of a public-private hybrid model for health care reform should understand that the private sector's prices inflation have made doctor visits unaffordable even to some people who have insurance. Brock told WBIR, "Now we are getting people who do have insurance and do have jobs but simply the co-pay perhaps prevents them from getting the services that they need, but they find they can't afford it."

But RAM doesn't have the widespread reach of a universal health care program. They can only do so much. "The sad part is," Brock tells WBIR, "that we can't see everybody, so on Sunday evening it's going to be our sad problem to tell people 'I'm sorry, but we can't see any more.'"

Remote Area Medical is in constant need of volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, visit their webpage here.

Cross-posted from Allison Kilkenny's blog. Also available on Facebook and Twitter.

Follow Allison Kilkenny on Twitter: www.twitter.com/allisonkilkenny

Comments

[worldlyhick]

Health care reform is The National Security Issue. If the so called "centrist Democrats" and Republicans can't get that they need to be put out of office as quickly as possible.

[IntellectuallyHonest]

Plenty of money for wars in the Middle East but not one penny for the uninsured.­.. Vietnam affected our standard of living, too. I've heard that the powers that be plan to pay for all this war crap with inflation, just like the '70's. God help us if the debt bubble explodes; the Iraqis, the Palestinians, the Iranians, the Afghans, the Vietnamese Communists, the North Koreans, the Pakistanis, the Libyans, the Lebanese, the Serbians, the Mexicans, the Cubans, the Filipinos and just about everyone else will laugh in our face because we are economically destroyed as a result of our expensive bullying.

[expired]

Health Care: The Public Plan Option

These Democratic Senators have NOT agreed to support it:
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)

Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)

Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE)

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)

Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN)

Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA)

These names are reported by The Hill here and here

Update: Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) says she supports a public option.
Update: Senator Jeff Binghaman (D-NM) says he supports a public option.

You can also contact the White House and voice your opinion
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414

[SeriousBlack]

Is it really that many? (14 DEMOCRATS?!!)

Man... It's really hard not to just write all this off and give up.

[JoeSchmuk]

NOT FOR PROFIT HEALTH CARE (NFPHC - does not mean cheap health care. It means the bottom line is your health, not someone middle man's wallet).

NFPHC is the ONLY health care option where YOU AND YOUR DOCTOR alone make decisions regarding your health care.

Single payer, government operated, socialized medicine, public option, whatever. As long as profits are bottom line, health never will be.

This should not be a compromise issue. Public health and welfare is what society is all about. Unless you are a piranha, and even they don't feed off of themselves.

[BBackSoon]

Well said!

[Maury inSD]

I've been reading comments from a lot of different boards, a few ideas that have been presented by others that I find meritorious ( as a starting place anyway) are:

1. Whatever healthcare reform is created, ALL members of Congress, the Senate and federal government MUST participat­e...if they think it's good enough for the American people then it should be good enough for them.

2. Their health insurance policies are VOID until real healthcare reform is implemented. Not just passed...b­ut in full operation.

It can be done, other countries have gotten their programs up and running quickly.

Maybe this would give them the incentive to do what's right.

I realize it's wishful thinking but....

[dawnec1957]

I like how you think.

Now my thought is...if Bush could have signing statements and Executive Orders, it is about time Obama does too.
I know that and Executive Order can be changed by a different President but he wouldn't need it that long. Have him do just the VERY 2 things you stated and HealthCare would get passed quickly!

[skyeapril]

Congress needs to go on a TRUE listening tour and hear these stories from real people. It is much more difficult to turn a blind eye to the realities of inaction on healthcare reform when you are face to face with desperate people telling their personal stories. Not hand-picked audiences, but honest to goodness regular people audiences. I am talking to you Max Baucus, Dianne Feinstein, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, Ron Wyden and the rest of your ilk. I won't bother trying to get through to Joe Lieberman because he has no soul, I doubt he is even human based on his past record, so doubtful he would be moved by anything.

Actually having members of Congress show up at a few RAM events would probably speed up healthcare reform. When they state that there is no rush that's because THEY have a job AND health insurance. They need to hear from people without either and see what the dithering produces. I equate "what's the rush?" with "let them eat cake" in the historical sense of cluelessness, although there are many in Congress who just want to delay, delay, delay until the country moves on to other issues. This cannot happen! We must keep this issue in the forefront.

[FogBelter]

Allison, I don't know what Washington's priorities are but they obviously have nothing to do with benefiting the American People. This story is as tragic as it is pathetic. We should be better than this as a Nation.

[TheJibreelaMonsters]

Should I pay for your heath care: NO
Should you pay for my heath care: NO
Do we need heath care reform: YES

***BUT***
This an't the way to do the damm thing. The new system they want to set up is a lifetime guarantee to get Democrats elected and reelected (becuase the "R" will run to either rip the thing away or water it down). Many of the "poor" and "middle class" (that is to be around the 250K area) should have something like the Amish where they set up a catastrophic pool, when you get things like Cancer our "for-profit" system should have the best of the best Hospitals in this nation to trip over themselves to fix you up so they can say "we got the best med care," you walk away healthy and we all maybe learn something new so we can learn more about catastrophic heath care then just waiting on a list to more likely die

[FogBelter]

What an insipid pile of talking points. We pay for each others roads. We pay for each others Police and Fire Coverage. We pay for each others Libraries. We pay for each others Armed Forces. We pay for each others National Parks If you don't recognize this you must be from outer space or something and it might be time for ET to Phone Home.

What we need is what works successfully in other civilized nations ... Comprehensive Universal Single Payer Health Care. I don't care if the Democrats or the Republicans get the credit for implementing it but for the good of the United States it must be implemented. It's not rocket science, ET.

[SeriousBlack]

You got it Fog.

[skyeapril]

Earth to Jibreela . . . you obviously have not had a catastrophic illness in your immediate family and should get out more to see what is really happening in this country. Healthcare reform is not a political ploy to make the Democrats look good. If the Republicans cared more for their constituents than the lobbyists big checks then they would be seriously trying to help craft a bill that fixes the ills rather than just saying NO to everything.

When we do get reform forced through and decades from now when history shows that reform had as important an impact as Social Security has had on peoples lives, there will be lots of naysayers like you pretending that you supported it back at its inception. Everyone loves a winner, so get on board now.

[JDM73]

Sadly, people who sulk and insist that "I shouldn't have to pay for your health care" are a big part of the problem. There's always going to be a roadblock as long as people lack compassion.

[BBackSoon]

Hell, I don’t want to pay for my own health insurance.

Let me explain, I pay $170 a week for family health insurance. It sill costs me a $30 co-pay to see my doctor. It is too expensive, and it covers less and less every year. The profit driven portions of health care such as Big Insurance, Big Pharma and Big Medical are the problems. We have groups that provide little real benefit yet demand and get a large share of the health care dollar.

Do you have insurance? Does it cost you? If not where do you get your insurance?

[cigi]

Only in America...­.we all pay for health insurance twice,not once. If you have insurance today, you pay your premiums and then the Government pays the whole healthcare system back with hummongous tax breaks for the same industry..­..your tax dollars at work, supporting the upper 1% again. Meanwhile, the ordinary working Joe and Mary are treated like "chumps" by the entire system, including Congress.

[JDM73]

Yes, I have insurance. It's costly and largely ineffective. I'm not saying that there aren't huge problems within the system as it currently exists--obviously there are. I'm saying that the reason so many people don't want anything to change is simple meanness; the very idea that some of their tax dollars might go toward helping some other person sends them into spasms of indignation. And they confuse this nasty, uncharitable mindset (which Arthur Schopenhauer described in painfully accurate detail in "The World As Will and Representation") with virtue.
It isn't just the technical aspects of the healthcare system that we have to worry about repairing--it's the "I've got mine, so screw everybody else" attitude.

[Maury inSD]

I watched a program on PBS about this organization, Remote Area Medical. They were initially formed to provide medical services to remote areas where there was no access to medical care....

In South America!!!

Areas of our country have become so impoverished that a group of medical personnel realized they must help those people that can't afford or don't have health care? In this country? What has/is happening to this country? Those, who keep extolling that we're the greatest nation, would allow a situation like this to exist?

It is beyond shameful!

The United States of America...­.becoming a third world nation?

No, because we will always have funds for wars. I guess you couldn't be considered a third world nation if you have the best fire power.

What are our priorities?

[FlyingDutchman]

When I watched a segment on RAM on "60 Minutes" some time back I teared up in anger and frustration that citizens of this country have to resort to driving for hours to receive basic medical care that they cannot otherwise afford, and that there are sometimes of many that some are turned away. I am ashamed for this country, I am ashamed that there should even be a debate about providing universal health care.

[Maury inSD]

Flying Dutchman,

Me Too!!

[BBackSoon]

Yet another straw that sooner or later will break the camels back. One of these days we the faceless masses will rise up against our corporate masters. I would like to think our masters will just decide to give back a little but the rich have not been properly motivated to share the milk of human kindness since the 60’s and even then it was because people were out in the streets!

[Samalabear]

Your article just screams out loud why we need to get insurance companies out of the way. The public option needs to be Medicare for All single payer -- no mandates, no slashing of Medicare for senior and and Medicaid. You're talking about in your blog is what Wendell Potter witnessed.

This reform bill is a big, complicated health insurance bill, pure and simple. We need real reform and we need it before 2013. That is way too late.

I loved your paragraph about how the NHS got started. It seems that a lot of countries got their universal health systems because economic circumstances were not so good -- out of necessity. I guess they realized that a healthy population is a productive population.

[forrestbrown]

The only way to stop congressional delays is to pressure Democrats who are weak on the public option.

Chose which Democrats DFA and the PCCC should target by voting here: http://vote.wewantthepublicoption.com/p-fb-hp

We will run TV ads in their home states with the names of local residents.

[GiGiOne]

Right, just what this country needs, "do-it-yourself" health care. For shame (that we have to resort to volunteer health givers)!

[sixyfivepercentwater]

No health care is free, and RAM's services aren't without cost. RAM is supported by volunteers and by donations from private individuals and companies. The money has to come from somewhere, and the fact that the end-user pays nothing does not in any way make the service "free."

[tompoe]

It's not free medical care. It's affordable medical care, delivered to citizens who have a right to healthcare. Let's frame the debate with a bit of truthfulness, please.