Fighting for our Lives

              "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly". (John 10:10).

Did you ever hear a funny joke that reminded you of something serious? "No Trespassing! We're tired of hiding the bodies". I saw that sign on my way to church yesterday and I thought it was hilarious. I stopped on the way home to take a picture of it. I laughed even harder when I realized that the sign was sitting outside a health insurance office! Then I thought about the health insurance crisis we have going on in this country - with millions of people about to lose their insurance or have their premiums increased to outrageous rates. The joke then didn't seem so far off base. 

                                                                What Does it Mean to be Pro-life?  

Pope Leo said that being "Pro-life" means a lot more than being "anti-abortion". He said that it also means things like being against the death penalty and treating undocumented immigrants with dignity. I would like to take it a step further. To me, being "Pro-life" means supporting all things that are necessary to sustain life. It means supporting affordable food, shelter, and clothing. It means supporting clean air and water. It means advocating to fix the ozone layer and keep the planet healthy. It means fighting the extinction of God's creatures and the destruction of the rainforests. It means supporting farmers. It means not just supporting the unborn but those who are already here. It means not just abstaining from killing but actively nurturing, healing and enhancing the lives of those around us. Being "Pro-life" means being pro-active. We cannot think only about the effects of our actions today. We have to think about how they are going to affect us twenty years from now. There is no way that anyone who cuts funding for cancer research can call themselves "Pro-life". You also cannot be "Pro-life" if you are not an advocate for affordable, quality healthcare for everyone! 

                                                                         Hiding the Bodies

The healthcare system, as it is, leaves a lot to be desired. In 2016, the agency that I was working for had a financial crisis and had to stop providing healthcare to its employees for several years. My twenty-something co-workers were able to pick up a plan through the Affordable Care Act that was about $100 dollars a month. I was in my fifties, which meant that my premium would be about $600 a month, and I could not afford that amount based on what I was making. I had a sleep disorder that I couldn't get the proper treatment for, and it was affecting my work. Now I have health insurance but the minimum deductible that I can choose is $2000 a year with a $5,500 out of pocket maximum. I am still making monthly payments to a hospital for a surgery that I had two years ago.

I agree that the system is broken, but if we get rid of what little protection we have without replacing it with something better, there is going to be a dramatic increase in unnecessary and untimely deaths. People are going to be declining care until it is an emergency. It is also predicted that the cut to Medicaid funding is going to close a lot of hospitals. My clients tell me that the closure of just one hospital in Philadelphia has wreaked havoc for them. Now they have to be taken to hospitals that are further away and are so crowded and understaffed that the care provided is substandard. The government will then be scrambling to find a way to cover up why so many people are dying. When we fight for healthcare, we are truly fighting for our lives! 

                                                                        Pay Now or Pay Later

As taxpayers, we can either foot the bill for healthcare now or pay for the effects of not having healthcare later. When people cannot afford to seek treatment, their problems are more expensive and difficult to fix when they finally do end up in our emergency rooms. Those without insurance will still need to be treated in cases of emergency and that is going to take a toll on the system. People not having adequate healthcare is going to result in the population being sicker and less productive. So we can pay now or pay later and if we pay later we are going to have to shell out more. However, it is sad that we have to talk about the effects of not having healthcare in terms of dollars and cents to motivate our leaders to care about human life. 

              "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will                                                                           abound in every good work".  (2 Corinthians 9:8).