On Health Care Reform

I have Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). It's a very serious genetic disease for which there is no cure -- only transplants and dialysis. I have been fortunate so far, but some day my kidneys will shut down. It's likely I will not live my full normal lifespan that I could otherwise expect to live. There are several medications I am supposed to take, including blood pressure medicine (my high blood pressure very seriously exacerbates my kidney disease), as well as some very effective medications for my chronic depression and my ADD. I have not had any of those medications in over two years because in the fall of 2007 I lost my job and my health insurance. My current employer is a small business which can't afford to give me coverage. The health insurance reform bill will change that; I will finally be covered again and will get the medicines I VERY much need to be taking. I am completely fed up with the completely psychotic LIES that right-wingers tell about the health care reform bill. The bill is in NO WAY a "government takeover." There IS NO government health plan; the "public option" is not in this bill. Nobody is having their choice restricted; you still get to choose your insurance and choose your doctors EXACTLY as you get to now. Small business will not be "burdened" by being forced to provide health care; the bill subsidizes insurance for small business which can't afford it. It is a VERY pro-small-business bill, and will help small businesses, no burden or harm them in any way. There are certainly no "death panels" in the health reform bill. Government agents will not be visiting anybody's home at all, and the government will not be telling ANYBODY that they can't have the operation they need or the medicine they've been prescribed. In fact, the CURRENT system has insurance companies telling people that they can't have the operation they need or the medicine they've been prescribed. Death panels are currently in existence: they are the for-profit insurance companies which, unregulated, are denying people life-saving procedures because it's cheaper to let them die. The current health care system is just that: private companies making huge profits from illness, and then telling you when it's time for you to die because the next step would not be profitable for them. The health reform would END these death panels, not send in any government agents or take away any of your choices. The bill will, however, reimburse you when you want to discuss end-of-life care with your own physician. That's right, you won't have to pay for that out-of-pocket. So why are Republicans so radically against the health reform bill? For one, it's because it will regulate the insurance companies which make massive donations to Republicans' re-election campaigns. Secondly, it's because they are in a stunningly child-like mindset of being against anything that President Obama is for. (Those of you following the news closely will already be aware of the many times a Republican proposed an amendment to the health care bill, but then suddenly decided to vote against his own amendment after Obama said he thought it was a good idea.) In my situation, having gone over two years without the medical coverage and the medicines I need to manage my incurable illness, I NEED this bill. My employer will finally be able to give me proper health insurance coverage, and without harming the business. The opposition to this bill is just the product of fear, misinformation, and payoffs from the huge companies that profit from illness. Just think about it. And think about it HONESTLY.