Foxx on Health Care
It is late, I should be sleeping and I was about to do so but we had a large donations push today to round out the end of the quarter on Monday and I wanted to check Act Blue and see how many donations we’d received since my last check-in earlier this evening. My outlook popped up and there was a Google News Alert with Virginia Foxx’s name on it, so I clicked and read and now I have to write.
The alert was from Statesville.com, where an article has been published about Virginia Foxx dropping in on a government class at Garner-Webb University’s Statesville satellite campus. It focuses on her ‘return’ to the halls of academia, her rise through politics, and some very interesting views on some very crucial issues that are facing our nation.
A nursing student posed a question to Foxx asking to clarify her stance on national healthcare saying, “If you’re not in favor of universal heath insurance then what are you in favor of?”
Foxx replied as she often does, throwing numbers into an equation attempting to validate her stances and to justify her voting record.
She stated that the number given when discussing uninsured Americans is usually 47 million. She went on to break down that number: 1/3 of that number being illegal immigrants, 1/3 being people who were insured for part of the year but not all of it, and the last 1/3 being people who have access to insurance “but choose not too take it”.
“Choose or can’t afford?” another student asked.
Foxx replied, “…health insurance was initially designed for catastrophic events and not for maintenance. A huge portion of health insurance funds go into the last 18 months of a person’s life.”
Congresswoman Foxx, seriously? Seriously that’s your argument? You’ve got to be kidding. Are you so far removed from the people in your district that you’re going to stand up and publicly say that people are just not electing to accept health insurance? That health insurance shouldn’t be preventative but instead only for catastrophes? That 1/3 of people had insurance for part of the year so they don’t really count as uninsured? Where is the statistic that says 1/3 of those 47 million uninsured are illegal immigrants from?
Let’s see. Definitely walking the party line pushing illegal immigration as the greatest ill of our society, we wouldn’t want a devout member of the GOP to forget to use a scare tactic when there’s an opportunity to do so. That mentality is certainly a justification for your vote on SCHIP. Although, I am curious, if it is only in the last 18 months of a person’s life that the bulk of health insurance is needed then why was it necessary to deny all of those millions of children insurance? I hardly think we can call that wasteful spending, I mean if they’re not really going to use it anyway. Oh wait, right, we shouldn’t have insurance for preventative care. We should wait for juvenile diabetes to become catastrophic before we take our children to see a doctor.
Truly, I am sickened by the comments that were made.
On a personal note: April 21st 2007 at the ripe old age of 32 I had a heart attack. It’s a long story and involves a homeless man, a pitchfork and a Rottweiler, (ask me sometime it was really quite odd). A stint in my artery and three days in the hospital later, insurance became a huge issue in my life. Every decision I make now has to do with my health insurance, because with it my prescriptions cost about $100.00 a month, without it about $600.00.
When I was invited to come and join Roy Carter’s team the deal sealer was a call from Roy personally letting me know that he was aware that I had had a heart attack, that he was aware that being able to have access to medical attention and my medicine was extremely important to me and not too worry he would personally make sure that I would be taken care of. Our campaign manager has also let me know that this is the case. I was profoundly moved by his taking the time to acknowledge my concerns and abating them.
Since then, hearing Roy speak about SCHIP and the need for all Americans to be given the opportunity to seek medical attention, and his own resolve not too accept the congressional health care plan until all Americans are given the opportunity to be covered, has affirmed for me that I am in the right place at the right time working for the right candidate.
Supporting Roy Carter’s candidacy is the insurance needed for the preventative care the country is crying out for.
Now I can sleep.
- J.Levi.Knapp's blog
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I am up too (sigh)
I was working on a post too, but it was much more hateful than yours. I don't want to be a hater, so I'll follow your lead... and try to be tactful.
My son, Alex had open heart surgery when he was 10 months old. Without my husband's insurance (thanks to his union, gasp) we never could have afforded the operation let alone the gazillion appointments, medication, and breathing treatments that led up to the actual surgery and 4 day stay nor the follow ups that we still have 5 years later.
Needless to say having a sick child is extremely stressful for the entire family, but we didn't have to worry about the financial implications. I was able to quit my job, and take care of the baby. We could focus on what was important- the health of our child and the needs of our family without the added stress of worrying about medical bills.
Foxx comparing health insurance to car insurance is insulting, at best. It's not the same, mostly because people are not cars. Insurance is not a luxury or something that you just keep in your wallet like a AAA card in case shit happens.
I want to know, what exactly does Foxx think we should do about the 16% of North Carolinians that are uninsured? NC ranks 34th in the nation; 16 other states have worse rates. Nationally, what does she think about the 22 million full time workers that are uninsured, almost half of the 47 million that she admits are without coverage? And, what about the 8.7 million children that are uninsured? stats link
Health care shouldn't only be for rich people and out of touch politicians. People shouldn't have to choose between a house payment or care for their child. A sickness, that is preventable and treatable shouldn't financially ruin families. Seniors shouldn't have to choose between heat or medicine.
That is why I work for Roy Carter, because he gets it. Roy Carter understands that elected officials are stewards of the community. Roy takes to heart the problems that are facing our families, communities and nation.
I know exactly what Roy Carter would say about the 47 million people that are uninsured-- that it is an injustice that in the greatest nation in the world that we can't find a way to provide every American with access to excellent, affordable health care.
Thanks for your post Levi, and for reminding me why we are in this fight...
It is not enough to understand, or to see clearly. The future will be shaped in the arena of human activity, by those willing to commit their minds and their bodies to the task. RFK
This is a night for not sleeping.
Thank you both for giving me something worthwhile to read while browsing the internet at the end of a relatively sleepless night. I'm not in Carter's future district, but I'm in the same fight - the fight that all of us share.
Today we convinced our primary care physician notto send us for a 2nd opinion on the pain my spouse is having from a (probably) entrapped ulna nerve. Why? Money. We have insurance. But our deductible is so high, we can afford the pain pills and office visits, but not tests or surgery. It's unbelievable to me sometimes, having worked so long without insurance, to now have it, and not be able to use it. I know - it's better than nothing, and I'm grateful for what we have. I can't imagine dealing with a chronic condition that I have, and the normal ills and spills that the rest of the family deals with without it, even though we did for years. (No one told me about S-CHIP until I actually found a job telling people about S-CHIP. Go figure.)
It's really time to get these yahoos like Foxx, Hayes and Coble out of office. We need Democrats - strong Democrats like Carter, Kissell, and Ovitorre - in office to see to it that health care is a top priority.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Oh, yeah....
I meant to add - J.Levi, I'm glad you're okay - 32 seems way too young to have a heart attack. I bet that's one heck of a story you've got to tell.
And Boilergirl, mom to mom, my heart is with you. I think it's true that there's a part of every mother that still wants to check on their child in the middle of the night just to be sure they're breathing, even when they're almost grown. (My boy is 18, and I have to fight the urge, because he'd tell me it was creepy, and I suppose it would be.) I hope your son is healthy now, and continues to stay that way.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
you are right
we are in this fight together. there are too many people who are suffering as a result of a broken system and it's not right. my brother and his family are in a similar situation as you are.
thank you for asking about my son. he is fine now, but without the awesome medical care that he had he might not have been. we know that he- and we- were lucky to have really good insurance. we also respect the value of unions; without the union, my husband's insurance would not be what it is. in fact they went on strike for several weeks last year in order to protect their health care benefits. otherwise we would be where you are- with insurance coverage, but with ridiculous premiums which isn't helpful.
It is not enough to understand, or to see clearly. The future will be shaped in the arena of human activity, by those willing to commit their minds and their bodies to the task. RFK
Universal Healthcare
When will our government really take care of our basic needs? I'm afraid of living in a society where we are unable to gaurantee our children a basic quality of life. Right now, I feel that we have a classist healthcare system. Where only the wealthy are entitled to good jobs that have quality benefit packages. It is irresponsbile of our government to assume that employers will fill their gap in providing healthcare. I am hopeful that our new elected officials will lead the way in our battle for just healthcare.
Join me on the crew!