Nearly everyday when I watch television news media reports on the public reaction to President Barack Obama's call for healthcare reform, I see Americans protesting the idea.
In my view from the street, I must admit that I just don't understand why there appears to be so many people — including Republicans, Democrats and independents — protesting against healthcare reform.
Unfortunately, the reality is that there are countless Americans continuing to suffer and many have died from illnesses that may have been prevented or cured if they had healthcare coverage. Many Americans have no other choice but to go to emergency care hospitals when they are sick. Every morning as I walk my dog at a city park in San Bernardino, I observe too many people who are homeless, living on the street and sleeping in public parks. I view these citizens as proud and heroic Americans who are determined to survive by utilizing available public resources.
Prior to receiving healthcare coverage, I remember a time when I was suffering from severe pain in my hip. I was forced to drive to St. Bernadine Medical Center's emergency room to get treatment. The waiting room for emergency care was full of people ranging in age from young children to adults. I spent more than an hour waiting for treatment — which proved to be much longer than the short amount of time spent on treating me.
This month, as I reviewed my bills, I found a two-year-old St. Bernadine Medical Center statement for more than $1,000 for emergency room service for my hip pain. The bill got lost in a stack of unpaid statements. At the time I received the emergency care, I did not have healthcare coverage, was out of work, and could not pay the $1,000 bill that came a few weeks later.
Although I have the greatest respect for the outstanding emergency services provided by physicians, nurses and other medical professionals working at hospitals in communities throughout this country, I strongly believe that there is a desperate need for healthcare reform in America. If I had had healthcare coverage when my hip was in pain, I could have gone to a private doctor's office for the same examination that I received at the hospital — without experiencing days of taking aspirin in hopes that it would resolve my health problem. When that drug store counter medicine didn't reduce the pain, I did what many "street folks" do, relying on home remedies and even more so on neighborhood pharmacists who provide medicine for treatment without prescriptions. Although these pharmacists break the law, they provide healthcare for many who live on the street in America.
After more than 60 years suffering from Chronic Bronchitis, also known as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), I finally received approval for Medi-Cal healthcare coverage in 2008. Now when I go to a doctor, I can show my Medi-Cal card and receive healthcare from medical professionals at their office or at the hospital. And there is another thing I can do now: I can pay that $1,000 statement for medical care simply by placing a copy of the Medi-Cal card in the return statement for payment.
No American should have to do otherwise to receive health care!
Ronald Ellerbe is editor of Hub City News and columnist for LA Beez.
Official Whitehouse photo by Pete Souza from www.whitehouse.gov
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