Health Insurance.

So today I was going to have some warm fuzzy post about my first day at Kindergarten (which was wonderful, I absolutely love my kindergartners and can't wait to go back), but then I read this article about what exactly will happen if the repeal of Obama's Health Care plan goes through. It's a letter specifically detailing the impact of repealing this act.

I've read several articles about this because it's been in the news a lot lately and the New York Times is my home page. For those of you that live under a rock (or just don't know), the Grand Ol' Party is supporting the repeal of the new health care initiative. It recently just passed in the House and is now going on to the Senate.

More info: House Votes for Repeal of Health Law in Symbolic Act
Senate fight looms after House health care repeal

Or you can just google it and I'm sure you can find a million other articles about it.

Anyway, I like the letter because it says exactly what will happen if the health care plan is repealed, and it's not pretty. Granted it is from the Democrats' House site, but it does a good job spelling everything out. It's got hard numbers backing it up, and you can click on your congressional district to see exactly how it affects you and other people in your area.

It's especially relevant because as a college student, I don't have a full time job. (Read: I don't have my own health insurance). Neither do probably most of you. Under the current plan, I will be able to remain on my parents' health insurance until I turn 26. So will most of you, if you're 25 or younger. If it's repealed, I'm going to be SOL on my own here pretty soon. So will most of you.

There are currently about 32 million uninsured Americans. The current plan provides them with affordable coverage. Repealing the plan would mean that they would continue to be uninsured. I personally do not want to be one of those 32 million Americans without health insurance. Nobody should be without health insurance.

So why do these people need health insurance? Why can't they just buy it themselves? Why do they need the government to provide it?

Well, in a nutshell, heath care is EXPENSIVE. I know that when I need to go to the doctor now, it's a $20 co-pay, and insurance covers the rest. Without insurance, it'd be a hell of a lot more. And then insurance itself is expensive. Honestly, I can't afford to pay for health insurance while I'm working part time and going to school, so until I have a full time job that provides it (which I won't for at least another 3 years or so) I probably won't have it (unless the current plan stays and I can still be on my parents' insurance). And with this whole economic crisis thing, unemployment is high and it's getting harder and harder to find jobs, especially for newbie college grads. So more people are unemployed and don't get job benefits, meaning less people have health insurance...and I think I already alluded to this, but if you're working some minimum wage job just trying to make ends meet, after feeding your family and paying rent you're not gonna have a whole lot left over for things such as, oh I don't know, insurance.

So people who can't afford it don't have health insurance. And they'll probably be fine. But what if their kids get sick? What if they're in a car accident and have to go to the hospital? It's not likely to happen, but if it does, then what? No insurance, you're pretty much screwed.

We're not becoming socialists. The government is stepping up to provide affordable health insurance as an additional option for people who can't afford it. Capitalism is all about competition and the market right? Well by providing government subsidized insurance, it helps keep prices down, and that's better for everyone. There will always be private insurance companies. The government isn't taking over, it's just helping out its citizens.

All three Nebraska representatives voted to repeal the health care plan. Why? Because the United States needs a more "common-sense" approach to health care reform.

What makes more sense than affordable health care for everyone?