My Thank You To Obama’s Supporters

My family and I would like to extend a big “THANK YOU!” to the American people that elected Obama in office. Yes I’m really saying this, and no I’m not being sarcastic. As a cancer survivor, and subsequently as someone who has spent more time in a doctor’s office the past 5 years that some people will in their entire lives, I’ve been following the proposed health care bill very closely. As phrases like, “Cadillac health plan” and “death panels” began to surface, I don’t mind telling you that I was starting to get a little nervous. But not anymore… and this is thanks to President Obama.

You see, State and Federal Unions across the country have also been paying close attention… and they didn’t like what they saw either. So they took action and sent to their lobbyist lap dogs to Washington and began to huff and puff and blow Obama’s straw house down. And our chief community organizer let them. What does this mean? For the union member, such as me, I get spared from much of the negativity this health care reform will bring. For the non union member, (maybe that’s you?) it means you’re most likely going to be asked to pay a little more than they’re saying you’ll have too.

To illustrate my point, here are a couple examples of some of benefits I (and other federal and state union members) will be receiving in the bill:

I will still receive my current “Cadillac” insurance coverage (yes, as a state employee, my insurance is awesome)… but without the 40% federal tax that all non-state or federal employees are going to be forced to pay. If you’re employer is currently offering you a plan that the government feels has too much coverage (a “Cadillac” plan), you’re either going to have to pay a 40% tax on the health coverage cost, or your employer is going to have to cut your coverage. This will even apply to non-federal or state employees who sign up the government’s coverage. And don’t forget: if you’re employer doesn’t offer insurance and you don’t sign up for the governments coverage, you have to pay a fine.

My sons will be fully covered under my health care plan until they are 29. These extra years of coverage are added without any addition cost to me. As I understand it, this will not be the case for the private employer, or even non-federal people who sign up for the government’s coverage.

I’m going to get to stay with my current doctor… assuming that he’s still around with the slew of new regulations put in place. I will not have to wait to be “assigned” a doctor, as some are predicting will happen as a result of the massive influx of new patients eligible for coverage with the government’s plan, but no subsequent increase in health care providers. (What did you expect to happen when there is a huge increase in demand, with no paralleled increase in supply? It’s basic economics… and because you didn’t understand this, you’re going to have to wait your turn.)

I’m hearing that many small businesses are going to be dropper their health insurance if this bill passes. After all, why would an employer keep paying out of pocket for your insurance when you’d be forced to buy your own if he just dropped you? Well… I will not be dropped from my health insurance and forced to sign on for government coverage. Though I do appreciate the irony that a benefit of being a state employee is the ability to keep my private insurance.

And this is just scratching the surface.

An After Thought

Many of you might think that this isn’t fair. After all, why should I be exempt from the bad in the bill at the expense of Joe Taxpayer, who is going to be footing the cost for me, just because I’m in a government run union? Well it isn’t fair. But this is the plan that the Democrats and Obama administration came up with.

Just because I’m going to be benefiting (using that word loosely) from this monstrous bill doesn’t mean I think it’s good. Truth be told, I believe it’s horribly bad for America. I know a lot of people personally that are going to feel the sting if this thing ever sees the light of day — some of them don’t even know it yet.

I am in no way trying to make light of a situation where my fellow Americans are going to have to face some hard times. I feel sorry for them. I’m still praying this beast never passes. However, those of you who voted for Obama — especially if you’re one of the scant 35% of Americans that actually support this bill and don’t have union favoritism of any sort — feel free to take this personally if you want to.