Health care is a right. The United States Constitution provides freedom of speech, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, right to a jury trial, and many more valuable rights. None of these rights, however, carry the same value if you don’t have health and you’re dying because you can’t access treatment. It’s time for MEDICARE for all.
I have witnessed the ramifications of poor health care in my career. Perhaps the greatest barrier to obtaining Disability benefits is access to healthcare. The decision as to Whether someone is disabled is almost solely based on prior medical treatment and medical records. The necessary medical treatment can include weekly doctor’s visits, MRI’s, blood tests, Cat Scans, and other expensive treatments which are almost never available to people on MediCAL or without health insurance. Even if the treatments are available, they have year long waiting lists. Many die waiting. I have seen people who can barely walk wait over a year for an MRI and necessary surgery. I have seen paranoid schizophrenics told they have to wait another month to get a refill on necessary medication. I have seen patients die waiting for what is readily available to those with insurance or medicare. I have seen these tragedies too many times and now it’s time for the tragedies to stop. The solution is MEDICARE-FOR-ALL and the time is now.