Yes, real reform is worth the price

Almost 10 years ago my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer; less than a year later she had to have heart surgery. She had the audacity to get sick (twice!) in the USA without having health insurance. A bit of background here: my mom raised me and my two sisters on her own, often working two or more jobs with scarcely, if any, help from the government. She worked her ass off. We used to sit up and help her roll all her coins from her tips when her shift ended. She saved her money, worked and saved, saved and worked. She attained a perfect credit rating and managed to get an FHA loan. She was able to buy a house! A waitress was able to buy a house. Things were great for a time. Then she got sick. Then she got sick again. She lost her perfect credit rating. She lost her home that she had worked so hard to get. She lost everything.

Because she got sick.

I’m not exactly sure how the new health care law is going to pan out, I’m sure there will be fits and starts and growing pangs. Changes and tweaks will come for sure. I will probably end up paying more than I do now. If some kid that I’ll never meet in some state I’ll never visit is able to get help they wouldn’t otherwise get, I’ll pay a little more. If me paying a little more means that someone else’s mom doesn’t have to go through what my mom did, you’re damn right I’ll pay a little more.

I’m hoping I’m not in the minority on this one.

Gavin Haugen

Lynnwood