"We Need Help!": The Health Care Clip Every American Should Watch

As the battle heats up to pass meaningful health care reform with a robust public option, a video has emerged that captures the raw emotions of Americans suffering under the cruelty of the current system. More than any video I have seen, this short clip amplifies the moral imperative for reform capable of freeing us all from the health insurance nightmare where nameless, faceless bureaucrats routinely tosses our loved ones in the trash heap at the precise moment we need the most care--a system that has come to symbolize the banality of evil in our time. 

On August 25, CNN's Rick Sanchez introduced a video recorded at a town hall meeting in Oklahoma hosted by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK).  In the clip, a constituent begins her question with a desperate plea, "Senator Coburn, we need help!"  Her voice is then overwhelmed by the kind of choking tears that reveal a person reduced whose frustration and suffering  has brought them to the last possible chance to save the life of the person they love more than anyone else in the world. She then explains her situation:

My husband has traumatic brain injury.  His health insurance will not cover him to eat and drink. What I need to know is, are you going to help him so he can eat and drink?

As the questioner's courageous voice fades into heaving sobs, Senator Coburn calmly responds,"Yeah, we'll help. The first thing we'll do is see what we can do individually to help you through our office."  Initially, Coburn seems headed towards a reassuring resolution: a woman asks a representative of government for help and he responds that his office will act.  But then he concludes with the following:

But the other thing that's missing in this debate is us as neighbors helping people who need are help. We tend to--the idea that government is the solution to all our problems is an inaccurate, a very inaccurate statement.

Coburn answers an American's desperate plea for help to care for her husband, in other words, by repeating the anti-government mantra of the Republican Party.  The political calculus in Coburn's words hang in the room room like an icy cloud.  

In an unfortunate quirk of timing, the tragic passing of Senator Edward Kennedy created a tidal wave of media coverage that has all but buried this powerful video clip from gaining the kind of viewership it truly deserves.  

But in an age where YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and good old fashioned email can often broadcast a video faster than traditional media, it really is possible for every American to see this clip.

Since watching the video of the Oklahoma town hall I have forwarded it to thousands of people.  Spreading the call for reform has never been simpler.

But by showing the video, we do much more than shine a light on the banality of health insurance evil, we also do our part to tip the narrative towards a more American set of values. 

Until now, the health care debate has been pushed as a larger story about "government run insurance will take away our freedom."  The opponents of reform insist that a public option will lead to tyranny and the end of America.  The tears in this video bring us to a new big picture:  "Americans are not free so long as they can be deprived of care by a cruel industry."  Those who advocate passionately for a public option can now insist with clear evidence that an America without health care reform is an America broken by fear.

One woman's tears and the courage to stand up and tell her story could give an opportunity to us all to push the kind of change this country so desperately needs.  And all we need to do is show this video to everyone we know.

Follow Jeffrey Feldman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JeffreyFeldman

Comments

[katbur2]

The pathetic thing about this story is that it is happening all over this country and no one is paying attention to it. Sure friends and neighbors can help but how much? And what are they really equipped to help with? Sure they can mow the lawn and bring a dish but who is going to sit with him all day so that his wofe can go to work? Who will sit up with him all night when he is agitated and she needs some sleep? Who is going to help him with his toileting and feed him?

I'd help sure, but I have a job and small kids and my time, like most Americans is limited. That doesn't even address the fact that if he has a TBI this is not a temporary condition and he will need assistance for a very long time.

We desperately need reform, real reform in this country and if you are living these stories you need to stand up and speak out! Kate @ http://www.aftercancernowwhat.com

[it is me]

Certainly this is a video that everyone should watch. But even better yet would be for people to see the movie "Sicko" (even if you dislike Michael Moore as much as I do).

Government isn't the solution, but it is how this man has made his money and where he gets his health insurance.

[SethBLiNK]

What this poor lady's question shows is that we have death counsel's now. Insurance companies decide who gets to live (people with money) and who doesn't (everybody else). And that should change.

That said, I don't have a problem with Coburn's answer. He is as advertised, a small-gove­rnment-adv­ocating Republican. This is a legitimate political philosophy, though not one I ascribe to.

He at least has the courage to face this woman's question and to answer honestly. Contrary to what Sanchez is implying, there is no conflict between saying that a national governing body isn't going to step in and solve all your medical needs, and saying that he as the elected advocate, can have his office do whatever is in their power to help a constituent in need.

And there is nothing wrong with calling on friends and neighbors to pull together for their own. This is the Republican way, and while I don't agree with it entirely, it is a legitimate approach. I think it is a debate worth having as to whether the best way to help the neediest among us is through a big government that levies high taxes and takes care of everything, or a small central government, backed up by strong communities, strong churches, caring friends and neighbors. In which system to do more people get helped and in which do more fall between the cracks?

It would be so nice to debate that rather than bs stories about death panels and such.

[Ohioan4truth]

I felt compelled to post my comment again since it was buried the first time. Excuse-moi.

These links will clear up why we have so many bases around the world:

http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm

http://rationalrevolution.net/war/major_general_smedley_butler_usm.htm

Straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak!

[Ohioan4truth]

Oh hecky darn......­I posted this as an answer to another's comment here as to how we could pay for health care. If we weren't "policing" the rest of the world we could solve many of our own problems we face here at home. Sorry for the confusion, folks.

[08skeptic]

Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh's wife Susan is on the Board of Directors of Wellpoint (owns Anthem BCBS) and she gets paid $ 325,000 a year from Wellpoint, about twice what he makes as a US Senator. He says his wife doesn't attempt to lobby/discuss Wellpoint's perspective with him. She also serves on the Boards of at least 5 other health care companies (with even more wages - about $ 2 million over the last 2 1/2 years).

Wellpoint has found that if you hire a US Senator's spouse or close relative..­.......

[gtt]

Very moving piece. Well done Rick Sanchez for airing this exchange.

We now need a follow up. Interview this dear lady and film her husband now. Find out just what assistance that her neighbor Senator Coburn provided. Was it private assistance or did his staff find her government programs? Or did he do nothing ? What assistance did those fine people in the audience give that applauded so loudly ?

Next, film a dozen or so others from Coburn's state of Oklahoma that have been abused by the insurance and health care system. Show those film clips to a invited group of Oklahoma voters and see if they will still endorse the current broken system.

Educate the public. Shame the uneducated and callous.

[davidray]

Ya know folks... as a furriner following this strange episode in your history re health care, I'm really left scratching my head. Ten years ago my mother who was 81 at the time had both eyes operated on for cataracts with lenses subsequently put in so that she had great eyesight for the remaining ten years of her life. As i took her to the hospital 3 or 4 times to prep and be checked etc I was blown away by the care she received. The surgeons were awesome as were all others involved.
Oh the final cost. 66 dollars for tv rental and one cab fare for the one time I could not pick her up. This was after the surgery.
What are you people so afraid of ?

[BBackSoon]

10 years ago we had a Democratic president.

10 years ago the Big Health Care industry was still trying to provide a reasonable service, now they are out to fleece the public.

10 years ago it cost me $20 a week to insure my family, this year it goes up to $200 a week, with less coverage.

You are talking about ancient history.

[violettefemme]

You don't get the post friend, he said he was not from here, he's sharing his story about his mother, in a country that actually does thing for it's citizens..­..like provide single payer health care!

What a concept.

[StacyM]

This is truly heartbreaking, I have passed this along to everyone I know. Sign me up for a tax increase to help these people, we can't let this stand!

[JuniperSunshine]

I, for one, would be happy to be a good neighbor to her. We pay $1600 a month, with large deductibles and co-pays, to cover our family of married couple and kids. I would happily turn it over as taxes so that she can get some nursing care for her husband. Just cover our family, too!.
Oh,and that amount is more than our rent, electric, phone, cable, and internet costs COMBINED. Yeah, that's TOTALLY reasonable for crappy coverage, right?

[Siebenstein]

ALERT ! ALERT !

New Health Care Proposal as of 08/27/2009:

Beginning in January of 2010 every person covered under a current healthcare plan, who opposes reform for the good of others will be suspended from their insurer until a written request of reinstatement will be granted.

The money saved from those 'willing' participants will be redistributed (remember that word?) to the ones who desperately need help, so that this society can become humane, and economically sound.

Proposals for reinstatement can be forwarded to the Health-and Human Service Division in your district, once you have exceeded a time frame of at least 4 years without coverage, and had at least one significant health problem. Otherwise healthcare will be withheld indefinitely.

Signed....­.......

[plumnelly]

Are the neighbors doctors? The woman's husband needs medical attention and treatment. With the unsustainable insurance companies premiums and the out of pocket costs for serious diseases people are going bankrupt and can't even afford the basic necessities of live, food and drink. Jeez......­.........C­oburn is an indifferent clown who has taxpayer health insurance paid for by this woman and her husband. Oh, by the way, most of my neighbors are H1B Visa's hired by Microsoft and barely speak English. Maybe we should call Bill Gates.

[hollyhund]

I do not know how to help this lady's husband with feeding tubes, but I would not see a thing wrong by helping my American "neighbors" in need of insurance by an increase of my taxes for robust health reform instead of fighting wars or buying F-22 that no longer are needed!!
This clip made me want to weep with this lady but it also made me want to spit in Coburn's face!!

[TotallyAmazed]

I totally agree, hollyhund.

When I heard Coburn start in on the 'neighborly help' thing, I thought 'this guy sure could use some PR help because answering this question with the 'neighbor' thing was dumber than dumb. And forget all about compassion.

Do you remember the Obama event when he was campaigning, and the elderly lady started crying because she had lost her home and she'd been sleeping in her car? He came down off the stage and held the woman in his arms. Later, we found out his people had been in touch with her. I don't know what happened, but just the act of giving her physical comfort for those few moments when all the cameras were on her - it showed me someone who could step out of his elevated stature at a moment's notice and be kind. That's all it takes - a moment of kindness.

Nothing like that from Coburn or any of his cronies, though. They don't get the concept of compassion, thus they have no idea how to display it.

[mom792]

He was campaigning. All the cameras were on him.

[edgarcaycedoc]

Oh Yeah! We'll help. We will build a fence to shut you out, and congratulate ourselves on our "compassion" through which we won't have to see you anymore.

[PSTEN]

The fact is the our country does not take care of people, it takes care of the bottom line and the all might buck. These politicians do not care about people, the insurance companies do not care about people, big pharma does not care about people. I'm sick of people saying will, give more tax breaks to the companies so they can give more benefits to their employees. Screw that! I'm sick of our politicians catering to companies, they are supposed to take care of people and the most vulnerable. The rest of the world is just watching this and thinking what the hell is wrong with the Americans, they are just letting their selves get screwed.

[JEP57]

Out of the 50 million uninsured in this country, several million are illegal aliens, and several million are people who choose not to have insurance. That leaves around 12 million who want insurance but can't afford it or have no access to it. Why can't a big part of the solution to help the 12 million be to give American businesses large tax breaks so they can grow their business and have more jobs and positions available for these people to take and have health insurance as a benefit. Quite a few Americans have private insurance and are pretty much happy with it. The free enterprise capitalist system has always worked for this country and shouldn't be tampered with.

[plumnelly]

It hasn't been a free enterprise for sometime, you are so full of it, just because you have insurance doesn't mean other people who have paid their preiums aren't denied cancer treatment. Get out of your armchair and put the remote down and start getting out and see what's happening to American citizens. They are losing jobs and with it their insurance coverage. Right now, jobs are flooding out of Amrerica and nothing to replace them. New graduates of college are loaded with debt and competing with too many experienced workers. I haven't even brought up the immoral H1B Visa program that is bringing low-cost people from India and Asia to replace our workers with the same work skills and more experience. Our so called free enterprise capitalistic system socializes losses and capitalizes profits. Our system is BROKE, the corporations and wall street sold its citizens out for their scio-pathic greed.Ceo'­s get 400 times more than their workers. No other country is that out of balance with their ceo's pay. They also don't let their citizens die because of a lack of healthcare. We do! We've become a very immoral country and let the liars and corrupt insurance companies sell us out. And YOU, think it's alright, WAKE UP, it's not 1950. It's 2001 and we now have corporate government not a democracy like in your fantasy world.

[JEP57]

How is this new healthcare program going to be paid for if 300 million people are all covered and NO proceedure or treatment will be refused for anyone (no rationing), especially if the country is losing jobs and going broke as you say. It's just not going to happen.

[helmut]

I don't know even where to begin with your post. The "free enterprise capitalist system" that you so scriptly refer to created the SEC, the FDIC, Medicare, Social Security, and recently the rescue of the financial markets. Obviously those of us who pay attention know this list will go on and on.

[20yearnavyvet]

Please give some information that can back up your claims.

You throw out the "illegal alien" bit in the hopes that that will strike a nerve. It's an old play and not really worth the time of day to address. The public option has nothing to do with illegal aliens.

There may be several million people who "choose not to have insurance". The question is, why do they make that choice. Is it because they would rather use their money to keep a roof over their heads, food in their stomachs and pay for the other immediate necessities in life? Why should one have to make that choice?

Tax breaks to big businesses are not going to make things different. All it will do is funnel more money to the top of the food chain leaving less for the rest. Trickle down economics didn't work when Reagan was President, didn't work with the last President, and isn't going to work now. You see, that's what this debate is really all about. Money. Sad but true.

Aside from that, please post where you get your information regarding the illegals and the people who just don't care to have insurance.

[geejai54]

These are Republican sound bites. You have no facts to back this up. Thus no links. How much do you get paid for each of your post? The so called free capitalist system was built on the backs of slaves and immigrants. You are happy with your healthcare as long as the health insurance card remains in your pocket. Try getting a terminal illness or a rare condition and see how you like your insurance. The majority of insurance policies have lifetime benfit maximums. Many are as low as $250.000. Get cancer and see how quickly you reach this limit.

[ladybug7]

That was the answer from Regan and Bush 1+2. We saw how well that worked. Trickle down doesn't! The greedy corporations took teir tax breaks and created more jobs....in China and India!

You don't cite the source of your health insurance, but if it is provided by your employer I hope for your sake they don't decide it's too expensive to continue. A lot of that is going around. If you have non-group insurance, better ask for a raise to cover ever increasing premiums. You will be captive to the provider because changing wil deny pre-existing conditions.

P.S. Don't get laid off.