How Will President Obama's Health Care Bill Effect the Homeless, Income-less, and Mentally Disabled?

Today, on March 23, 2010, President Obama signed a health care bill. This new health care bill claims it will provide easier access to health insurance for many low income families. The new health care bill also claims that it will now allow people to get health insurance even if they have been disqualified because of a pre-existing condition in the past.

Now on the surface this sounds all well and good, but history has shown us that it's one thing to write an idea on paper, and it's a different deal entirely to put that idea into proper functioning action. Now if this health care plan did what it was supposed to do and works the way our leaders intended it to, than I'm all for it.

There is one thing wrong here. This new health care bill, requires ALL Americans to get health care coverage or else. (Or else what? I have to wonder.) While the bill should in theory allow thousands, possibly millions of people to get health care for the first time, it will also punish those who are still stuck with out an option.

The problem is that people are not being given a choice in the matter. They no longer have the freedom of the free will to refuse to get a health care plan if they for whatever reason decide they do not actually want health insurance. And, I know of several religious organizations that will be effected by this - religions which teach their members NOT to go to doctors, will now be considered criminals for their religious beliefs. This bill will punish freedom of choice.

But what about those who do want health coverage, but are not able to get it? They are being left high and dry and will be punished for something that is not their fault!

Now making health care easier to get, I'm all for that. But forced health care? Well, that's just unconstitutional. I hear people calling it Socialism. That's not Socialism. Socialism is giving every one in the country an even and equal amount of totally 100% free health care - no paying for doctors, hospitals, or insurance at all.

No, forced health care is not Socialism. Forced health care is "Do what I say or else." Forced health care = Communism and Communism is illegal in the US.

Now, moving on to personal experience. I have to ask: How does this affect people like me? Homeless people who are disabled and unable to get regular jobs and due to their disabilities being of a mental nature, they are not allowed to get state assistance either? I see no mention in the bill, of how it will effect people like us.

My income is $1,200 per year and the lowest I can get forced self paid health care for is $600 per month - how am I supposed to pay it? That's my entire year's income used in 2 months! The forced health care bill is therefor going to cost me $6,000 per year over what I make! And before you ask, no, I can't afford housing either - my home is a 8'x6' tarp and has been since the flood of 2006 that destroyed our house and left my dad in a coma and me homeless and without a care taker.

Granted I'd love to have an income big enough so I could afford medical insurance - but try convincing someone to hire an Autistic person! and, no, in Maine you CAN NOT get disability, food stamps, welfare, TANIF, or state medical insurance if you have Autism - as soon as they realize I have Autism the application is automatically denied regardless of anything else.

And here's the clincher - you are hard pressed to find a self-paid health care program that will cover you if you have Autism - as soon as they realize I have Autism the application is automatically denied regardless of anything else. So, tell me - how the hell am I or any one else with Autism, suppose to be able to comply to this new forced health care law?

When it comes to health care coverage, people with Autism are considered a liability, just like people with cancer, who also are ineligible. In other words, if you are healthy, you can get medical coverage, but if you are sick and need medical coverage - to hell with you.

I've been trying to get medical insurance for over 20 years - this law only punishes me for not having something I am not allowed to have. So - if they are going to force every one to buy it - they will have to force the businesses to lower costs and actually start ALLOWING disabled people to buy it as well.

If you have Autism, you are not allowed to have medical insurance - so how can they comply with the law? I know because I have Autism.

If you have cancer, you are not allowed to have medical insurance - so how can they comply with the law? I know because my grandmother died of breast cancer after being denied medical attention, because she was denied medical insurance.

If you are in a wheelchair, you are not allowed to have medical insurance - so how can they comply with the law? I know because I've an uncle in a wheelchair.

If you have schizophrenia, you are not allowed to have medical insurance - so how can they comply with the law? I know because I have two relatives with schizophrenia.

If you have clinical depression, you are not allowed to have medical insurance - so how can they comply with the law? I know because I've more than one relative with it.

If you have PTSD, you are not allowed to have medical insurance - so how can they comply with the law? I know, because I have PTSD.

If you have diabetes, you are not allowed to have medical insurance - so how can they comply with the law? I know because my dad and a cousin both have diabetes. One has type one, the other has type two.

In other words I personally know an awful lot of people who are being denied health care because they were sick BEFORE they applied. People who actually NEED it are denied it if they are ALREADY sick when they apply - so how can they comply with the law?

You can ONLY get medical coverage if you are HEALTHY at the time of your application - so how can every one else comply with the law? It's a proven fact that 90% of the people who do not have it - don't have it because they were DENIED it because they NEEDED it BEFORE they applied! I'm sorry, but I'm reading the Bill here and I'm not reading this and seeing it's going to change much, not for these people who keep being denied anyways.

The only way the government can enforce this law is if they shut down all the independently owned medical insurance agencies and start a government run one (a different government one than the ones already in place at state levels, which don't cover any body) or the government will have to take over the independently owned ones and force them to do what the bill says or else.

(There's that "or else" again - that keeps showing up in conversations about the Health Care Bill - "or else" what? Will the government do a Hitler and imprision and/or execute every one who does not buy health insurance? What are these unspecified dire consequences of not being able to get health coverage?)

Either way it's a government take over of privately owned businesses. And I don't see that happening any time soon - not unless they outlaw free enterprise. I seem to recall a form of forced health care being enforced once before - can any one say Hitler rises again?

I am on the edge with this bill. On the one hand it sounds like it will help a lot of people, but on the other hand it will still be leaving those who need medical care the most of all with out access to it, while at the same time, stripping away the freedom of every US citizen. I think the idea is good, but it still needs work.

The Bill is 2,000 pages long, but if you are interested in reading it for yourself: Here it Is.

And you can find more info about the Bill, including up to date changes, additions, deletions, etc at Americans For Tax Reforms.

What's your take on this? I'd love to hear what you have to say about this post. Leave a comment and share your views!

This article was first published on Associated Content, under the title "How Will President Obama's Health Care Bill Effect the Homeless, Income-less, and Mentally Disabled?" on March 24, 2010 and is copyright to Wendy C. Allen and The Twighlight Manor Press.