MattMunnell.com

I’ve been thinking about healthcare a lot over the years, and with the government shutdown continuing, this time because of expiring subsidies of the Affordable Health Care Act (or at least that’s the excuse being used), I figured it’s time to finally write about it.

Before that…some comments on the shutdown.

I cannot believe that our senators and representatives cannot figure out how to sit in a room and work together to solve this. How did we get so polarized that we can’t even sit and discuss and compromise in order to best serve the citizens of the United States? Shoot, the House hasn’t even been in session for weeks. according to Jamie Dupree’s X account, the house has worked 20 days in the last 19 weeks – talk about getting benefits without working!

Oh sure, they say, “We did our job.” But no, you didn’t. If the government is shut down, you did not do your job.

We can blame whichever side we want – there’s enough to go around – but the blame for the continuation of the shutdown goes to all parties, including the President. The Republicans say they just want to continue the funding at current levels. The Democrats say, beyond the ACA subsidies, that they can’t fund a government that’s terrorizing its citizens, cutting funding to critical areas, and drifting toward authoritarianism.

So here’s an idea: get into a room – heck, rent a conference room at the Holiday Inn Express – and keep everyone locked in there until the shutdown ends. A shut-in to end the shutdown.

It’s just danged silly that folks at the highest level of government think these games are okay to play.

Now, on to my rant on Healthcare…

Side note: one of my favorite classes I took when I went back to school in 2020 was a study of healthcare systems around the world. It was fascinating, seeing the history of healthcare, the different systems countries use, and how they evolved. The takeaway? We can absolutely do better in the United States. (I guess I was influenced by those liberal professors at Columbus State University!)

For the life of me – and it may literally be my life one day if we can’t figure this out – I cannot understand why we as a citizenry don’t demand healthcare for all. Why can’t we all get behind something that’s so obviously beneficial to everyone?

Some say the government couldn’t run it well. Okay, fine, but national healthcare works in so many other countries. Others argue that the service would be worse and the wait times longer. I don’t know about you, but have you tried to get an MRI lately? Or an OB/GYN appointment? We waited weeks to see an endocrinologist and ended up traveling to Children’s Healthcare Of Atlanta (CHOA), an hour and a half away, just to get an appointment quicker. Wait times are already a mess.

And even if that argument holds some truth, so what? We can work to make the service better. We can demand a standard of care that we all agree on and keep pushing to reach it. Sometimes we get lazy and accept things as they are instead of getting them where we need them to be.

Then there’s the tax argument. “Our taxes will go up!” Maybe. Or maybe we make decisions that pay for this while keeping the overall budget the same – hard decisions will have to be made. But do you even know how much you pay in taxes right now? Most people don’t. And even if they did, wouldn’t you be willing to pay a little more to make sure no one has to choose between going bankrupt or living? Because that’s the choice people are making. Every single day.

Sure, if we suddenly had universal healthcare, the system would be flooded at first. That’s a problem, but not an unsolvable one. (Although, judging from this shutdown, we may be proving that we’re not as smart as we think.)

That CHOA appointment? They don’t take our insurance, so we’ll be self-pay. I’m fortunate enough to be able to do that, at least, I think I am. Haven’t seen the bill yet. Yikes!

We also have to separate healthcare from employment. Why should losing your job mean losing your healthcare? It’s not okay. Bob’s Technology shouldn’t have to pay for your insurance if you stop working for him. But Bob shouldn’t have to pay for any of his employees’s healthcare. It’s nice that he does but this employer system our country has adopted ain’t good. Healthcare for all would allow people to move jobs freely, without fear of losing coverage.

So why are we against universal healthcare? What are your specific reasons?

My limited knowledge tells me we can build a system that becomes the gold standard for the world – if we just decide it’s something we actually want to do.

Because honestly, how do you look someone in the eye who’s suffering, who can’t afford to feel better, and tell them they don’t deserve care? It’s heartbreaking. And it’s frustrating.

We can do better. We should do better. Let’s create an environment that allows success to happen – for everyone, not just those who can afford the copay.

As for me, I’m going to go check the mail, half-expecting that CHOA bill to be waiting for me. Wish me luck.