Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Health Insurance: Chronic Illness and Disability

On July 10, 2008 I have the privilege of speaking at a National Health Council public forum in Orlando. The opening and closing paragraphs are today’s post.

A society is judged by how it treats those who are most vulnerable. There are those who pride themselves on being the voice of people like Terri Schiavo, unable to make decisions about their own care. There are those who pride themselves on being the voice of the unborn, defending their right to life. But where are the voices of the concerned citizens of this country and where are the voices of our political leaders when it comes to defending chronically ill or disabled people who cannot access even the most basic medical care because they are denied or can’t afford health insurance?

I am here speaking today, crying out on behalf of over 100 million of my brothers and sisters, who like me, have a chronic disease or disability. When you deny us health care, you are removing our feeding tubes. When you deny us health care, you are aborting our lives. Our founding fathers said it much more eloquently in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Health care is a right, not a privilege for the healthy and wealthy. The right to life belongs to all people, not just those on life support or those still in the womb. Health care is the key to life. Today, we ask our leaders in government to guarantee the right to life to all our citizens by fixing the system. Our hope, indeed our very lives rest in what you do. Thank you.

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