MOMocrats

The cost of caring for aging parents: another issue to consider for same sex unions

Caleb* and Barry* have been in a committed, monogamous relationship longer than me and my husband. They're educated professionals with a mortgage. Barry---now retired---donates time to animal rescue, and Caleb is a teacher. They also both have aging parents who need assistance. About ten years ago, they decided to move from Massachusetts---the only state that recognizes same sex marriage---to Florida to care for their parents.

If they'd had any other choice, they might still have moved to Florida, because they love the warm and sunny state. They like growing orange trees in the backyard, and being near the coast.

They got married nearly four years ago in Canada. Caleb said, "My mother wanted us to be legit. Actually there are lots of legal reasons to sign those papers, mom wanted a ceremony and dinner, so we did it."

Unfortunately, Florida---which has a same sex marriage ban on the ballot this year---may not be as fond of them because they are a same sex couple.

But it's their home, and their options outside of Massachusetts and Canada are fairly limited.

"As we drive across the country, we are recognized as married, in a civil union, no recognized relationship, and unknown - not tested in the courts.  I can recall having four different legal statuses in one day as we drove across borders," Caleb said, recounting their trip across the US.

Currently, only four states allow civil unions and five states allow domestic partnerships. That creates challenges and trouble for same sex partners, but it also creates problems for caretakers of aging parents and can cost the state and taxpayers. 

Dreams of Health Care for All....

I've spent an awful lot of my time on MOMocrats flogging people for the U.S. health care situation.  As a result, I've been accused of "sneering at Republicans", told that I'm insulting, disrespectful and a bitch, among a host of other things. I agree.

Sometimes my message comes across as harsh. As a Southerner, I've always known that you get more flies with honey than vinegar. But honey isn't working.

Here's the reality.  There are 47,000,000 Americans without health insurance.   About 10,000,000 of those uninsured are children.  Children who have no say, no vote, no voice.  It's unconscionable. 

As the wealthiest nation on earth, we have the means to change the situation. So my dream is one of healthcare for all.  Without partisan bickering or allegations of "freeloading" or a lack of "personal responsibility." I dream of a country where the care of those less fortunate isn't seen as a burden, but as the mark of an advanced society. I dream of a country where health care is not a privilege, but a right.

Stephanie promises to shut up about health care for at least 2 or 3 days, unless you visit her at Lawyer Mama.  There, she makes no such assurances.

Elizabeth Edwards testifies before US Senate on Funding The Cancer Fight, Healthcare reform

Elizabeth Edwards and Lance Armstrong are backing legislation sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, that would create a more comprehensive approach to fighting cancer. Both testified before the U.S. Senate today on the importance of cancer research, prevention and treatment funding.

Christine-Modern English

Genetic Nondiscrimination Bill Almost Law

On May 1, the House approved HR 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The bill would prohibit individual insurer from using genetic information to make enrollment or premium/co-insurance decisions. It also would prohibit employers from using genetic information in making hiring, promotion, or termination decisions.

The bill, Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter's (D-NY) baby -- or really, adolescent, since it has been 13 years since she first introduced the legislation -- passed the House, 420-3 on April 25.

Reps. Jeff Flake (R-AZ-6th), Ed Royce (R-CA-40th), and Ron Paul (R-TX-14th) were the three holdouts.  It passed the Senate 95-0.

Why is this bill so important?

Classism: Is Republican Rejection of Universal Health Care a Form of Discrimination?

After MOMocrats nabbed an exclusive Q&A with Barack Obama*, we were asked by Geoff Livingston if we would welcome McCain's response to our questions in the same manner.  My initial gut reaction was, "Well, of course."  I like to think that I'm always ready to listen to rationale, reasonable people and their ideas.

But then I started to think about it a little more.

I'm impressed that John McCain's campaign reached out to bloggers, even non-political bloggers, to explain his plan for health insurance.  This is a great time to discuss health care because it's Uninsured Children's Week. 

MOMocrat Donna wrote about McCain's plan today, including all the problems she sees with his ideas. But there is a fundamental difference between the way John McCain sees health care benefit for people driven by market forces - and the way I see health care - something that should be a Right, regardless of socioeconomic status.

A $5000 tax credit sounds like a nice deal, right?  Except that families on the edge who don't currently have health insurance, usually don't have it because they don't have money left over at the end of the month after paying for basics like food, clothing and shelter.  Are they supposed to take out a $5000 loan until tax season comes around?

Oh & $5000?  For health care?  Are you kidding me?  Have you ever priced an individual policy for a family of 4?  Donna did.  Go read her post.  I can tell you right now that the quotes you'll get back won't account for the fact that your son has asthma and allergies and needs medication every month.  The insurance company will exclude that from coverage. Oh and that high blood pressure your husband has?  That, and any complication even remotely related to high blood pressure will be excluded too.  Is your wife still of child bearing age?  Routine pregnancy will be excluded.

Better start saving up for those prenatal and hospital bills now. You can bet your patootie it will come to more than $5,000.

I worked for a health insurance company before I went law school.  I analyzed claims for individual policies.  I know what they cost 10 years ago and I know they're a lot higher now.

"And Now For Something COMPLETELY Different": John McCain Unveils His Plan for Healthcare

Q: What is John McCain doing on the MOMocrats?

A: Senator McCain gave a major speech on health care this week; a subject high on the MOMocrats' list of issues we are most concerned about - especially during Uninsured Children's Week.

The fact that the GOP now acknowledges that we HAVE a health care problem is significant, and when the McCain campaign graciously invited the MOMocrats to take part in a conference call discussing the candidate's proposals, we jumped on it.

The current system is broken, and we want to hear creative solutions -- no matter where they come from. Great ideas often come from brainstorming from all directions. So how would a President McCain fix the system?

The Speech

Today Kyla brings her voice to the State Capitol as she continues to advocate for health care for her child and millions more.  Below is a copy of her speech, cross posted from her blog. Wish her well as she kicks some bureaucratic ass on the Hill. We are all rooting for you, sister.  Bring on that health insurance!

Hello, my name is Kyla [LastName] and on March 1st, 2008, my children became part of the 1.5 million uninsured Texas children. My daughter had been covered by the [Previous Insurance] Plan which closed its program at the end of February. When we discovered we would have to find alternate coverage, I optimistically assumed that HIPAA would protect her and we could simply move to another individual insurance plan. When we actually applied for this coverage, I discovered that wasn't the case.

You see, KayTar is not a typical, healthy three year old. She has undiagnosed neurological attacks that are incapacitating and can last for up to 11 hours. She is deaf in one ear and has to have bi-annual hearing tests to be sure her hearing hasn't further deteriorated. In her short life, she has had two MRIs, two CT scans, two lumbar punctures, and three EEGs. Before losing her insurance coverage, she was in developmental, occupational, physical, and speech therapies because of her developmental delays. She sees a geneticist, neurologist, feeding disorders specialist, gastroenterologist, ophthalmologist, audiologist, otolaryngologist, her regular pediatrician, and was due to see an orthopedist prior to losing her insurance coverage. She has been in the ER six times for various issues. She has been hospitalized twice. She is on daily medications for chronic constipation and asthma.

Although she is thriving in spite of it all, she is not the picture of a normal, healthy child, and she is too much of a risk for the insurance companies to accept. We were denied coverage. After being denied, we were referred to the High Risk Pool, which was created for children like KayTar, however, we are not eligible for this program because my husband's employer offers group coverage. Unfortunately for us, the group coverage is not an option either.

Pennsylvania College Students and the Democratic Primary

One of my nieces attends college in Pennsylvania, where she's studying to be a vet, though she is a talented cartoonist, as well (yes, she is the force behind the PunditMom caricature!)

On a whim, I thought I would ask her to poll her friends to get a sense of what the late teen/early 20's set in the Keystone State is thinking about the presidential race, now that they have a chance to vote in their first national election.  No, this is not a scientific sample, but it does give us a glimpse into how some young Pennsylvania voters are feeling as we wait for the results to come in.

In no particular order, here are some of their comments:

"I think I'd like a president I can trust because I know who s/he is and I can feel that they really are a human being trying to do their best inside the road they have to walk. ... [After seeing the candidates in person] I did feel - and found this surprising - that Hillary was very personable and a bit more than just a good actress. It did seem like there really was something there that I hadn't seen before, and that quite intrigued me. Also, the personality I saw inside here at this forum was very different than the one I had in my head to represent her so that intrigued and challenged my schema a bit. Obama was received with such enthusiasm and excitement and also answered well in what must have been a new experience for him. However, he seemed - and this may only be due to legitimate tiredness, Lord knows these candidates are run off their feet - to equivocate more and feel the need to clarify/defend him self. He wasn't quite as open as I would have expected him of all people to be."

Guest Post: Christina of "A Mommy Story" Writes to All Politicians

The MOMocrats are pleased to welcome Christina McMenemy of A Mommy Story, blogger, mom, and Ohio voter to share her story with you and any politician who wants her vote.

Dear Politicians,

Hi there. I'd like to talk to you a little about this election. I'm a mom of two, living in Ohio, with a family income under $50K a year. You could say I'm pretty close to the average American. I want to give you a few of my ideas about how to reach out to the American public, or if not them, at least me.

First off, please drop the mudslinging. I'm sick of it. I have to listen to my daughter argue with me enough, and I don't need to see my presidential candidates bickering like three year olds, too. I don't care who called who what - just tell me what you stand for and believe in, and let me do the comparison.

Second, please stop trying to demonstrate that you're one of us. Seeing you have a beer in a local bar, go bowling (when you're clearly not a fan of bowling), and try to act like you would hang out with me if you lived in my neighborhood doesn't impress me. I don't want to vote for the person I'm most likely to have a beer with, or the person I think is the best looking. This isn't American Idol - this is for the most important job in this country. I don't care if you're good looking or can knock back shots of whiskey with the best of them. I want you to show me you're smarter than me, and smarter than most of the people in this country. I want to know you can handle yourself with class amongst foreign dignitaries and not that you can use urban slang to appeal to me.

I think Ghandi might have been onto something

Momocrats guest poster Kyla is back with an update to her previous health care struggles post. We couldn't be happier to hear that folks are finally starting to pay attention! Politics are personal and our kids lives are in the balance.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."
-Mahatma Ghandi

Would you like to hear something that is equal parts terror and excitement?

I've been asked to speak at a press conference at our State Capitol on the 29th.

And I said YES.

I'm terrified of public speaking, just thinking about it makes my stomach drop outside of my body and starts the room spinning. So why am I doing this?

"You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result"
-Mahatma Ghandi

Because I can. Because I should. Because I want to.

We aren't the only family in this situation. We aren't the only family who has fallen through the cracks, not the only family that sits right above the SCHIP income level with no other options, not the only family who has been denied coverage because of the bottom line. This terrible thing that has happened to our family is, unfortunately, not unique to us. Out of the 1.5 million uninsured children in our state alone, 487,000 of these children are above the SCHIP income guideline.

Do you know how much it costs our state to insure a child?

$40 per month.

Do you know the average cost for private family insurance in our state?

$900 per month. And in many cases, that $900 insurance does not even provide comprehensive coverage.

Is there something wrong with this?

Yes, of course there is.

Sadly, this situation is not unique to us, this specific problem affects 487,000 people in our state; however, the opportunity I have to bring attention to it is unique to us, to me, and it has the ability to affect change not only for our family, but for the 487,000 just like us. I have a story and a voice and an opportunity to use that voice, and I can't pass that up. I won't pass that up.

"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems" -Mahatma Ghandi
It's time to be the change.