One "compelling story" about health care Obama doesn't want you to hear

In what could be a repeat of the early 1990’s, America is abuzz about healthcare again. This time it's called Obamacare instead of Hillarycare. The plan's essence--to have the federal government control the nation's health care system--remains the same. But this is 2009, not 1993. The debate is taking place in a vastly different America. American taxpayers have watched the financial crisis unfold, the national debt skyrocket and federal government takeover of the domestic auto industry and major financial institutions. Thus, they are eying the latest national healthcare reform plan warily.

President Obama has used “compelling stories” to sell his plan to the American people. Stories of people who died because of lack of insurance or people living with horrible illnesses. These “compelling stories” are meant to invoke guilt in the hearts of those who are covered and make others feel that universal coverage is their right as an American. After all of the debates and town hall meetings, I present a “compelling story” that Obama does not want to hear. I am poor, a parent and a minority, and I do not think that a government takeover of healthcare will improve the lives of people like me.

As someone who grew up really poor (or low-income) I could not wait to get a job. I got my first one at 15 working at a local burger joint. As I got older, I realized that having a paycheck was good, but having a job with benefits was better. At 19, I was attending college while working at BellSouth in Alabama, and I had great health insurance.

I never expected or wanted the government to take care of my needs. I remember going to bed hungry as a child and I knew that it was up to me to take care of myself. Later, I was a young person without a family doing well for myself in 2005. I was making close to $30,000 a year and I had just gotten a promotion to move to Maryland with a company that has offices worldwide. Instead, I accepted an offer from ACORN's Nathan Henderson-James to move to DC to work in ACORN's national office. Though the cost of living was higher and the pay lower, I felt ideologically connected to ACORN's mission. At the time, becoming a mother was the furthest thought from my mind and I had visions of helping ACORN end poverty.

People have always told me “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans,” as a conservative I know now that becoming a mother was the first step on my current path.

In 2006, for the first time in my life, I found myself on Medicaid. I had always associated it with the unemployed, but there I was: under insured through ACORN, pregnant, working a full time job and qualified for Medicaid. My income met the requirements. The insurance I had barely covered doctor’s visits and had high co-pays for some of the specialized treatment that I needed for a “high risk” pregnancy. An interesting side note to this story is that ACORN is now one of the more vocal members of Health Care for American Now (HCAN) and have actively been promoting Obama's agenda alongside the Service Employee's International Union (SEIU).

I received my red and white government card and had little problems, except for the selection of specialists and filling prescriptions. Often Medicaid would only pay for generic medicine, which did not control my blood pressure. Throughout my pregnancy, I would end up in the hospital where they would give me name brand drugs, get my pressure down and release me. At home, I would take the generics until I ended back in the hospital. This merry-go-round ended when my daughter was born at 28 weeks and I found out the really dark side of Medicaid.

At 2 pounds and 2 ounces my daughter remained in the hospital fighting jaundice and other ailments. After the first month, Medicaid started to make inquiries and suggestions about her treatment. This was indicated to me by the doctors. I asked many questions regarding my baby's health and preemies in general and realized that the government run insurance was trying to force my little baby home early. I immediately let the doctors know that I was not one to be intimidated by those "footing the bill." I began calling the State of Maryland and joining preemie forums for advice. I must note that while the doctors provided excellent care, they also indicated a possible willingness, in my opinion, to send my daughter home before she was ready.

I spoke with hospital billing representatives and made sure that they had the information on both of my insurance plans, and threatened to go public at one point. My daughter stayed in the hospital two and a half months and came home at 4 pounds, but I still have medical bills that neither Medicaid nor my private insurance would pay. They bounced the bills back and forth between each other.

Government sponsored healthcare seems ideal, but in reality there are more horror stories associated with Medicare and Medicaid. Increasingly, life and death decisions are being made based on cost. My daughter was a statistic and I was told of all the worst case things that could happen to someone so small. I never looked at the pounds, or the number of weeks early she was, all I saw was my little fighter, who kept defying doctor’s expectations. When you take the individual out of the medical equation, everyone suffers, and many believe that national healthcare is clearly not the answer.

Social programs are needed to some extent, but I was relieved to have a private plan as a backup. My experience with Medicaid taught me that competition is crucial to quality healthcare and that it is hard to complain when the government provides the ultimate decision on your healthcare.

Update: Please note that the employer who provided my sham of an insurance plan is ACORN and some state that they may be eligible for tax payer subsidized health care plans under Obamacare.