Life, Liberty, but Not Healthcare: Being Sick in Trump’s America
I remember the moment that I found out that Donald Trump had won the 2016 election. I sat, staring at the television, as a feeling of unreality overwhelmed me, as if someone had pushed me off of the roof of a three-story building and I was stuck in free fall. I never thought it would happen — that someone who was so clearly unsuited for the presidency would win. I also had the overwhelming certainty, that as a mentally ill woman, I was not wholly safe. Usually, these feelings of mine are proven wrong. In March of 2017, this feeling was justified when the Republicans unveiled their plan to have Obamacare repealed and replaced. The Republicans’ plan came with a list of preexisting conditions which would no longer be covered by health insurance. I read the list, finding both of my illnesses on it. For me, this caused severe panic, which lasted until the day that Paul Ryan withdrew the plan from being voted on. I had recently begun experiencing migraine headaches in the Fall of 2016. At the same time, I had also begun a psychiatric medication which felt like it was working on my bipolar disorder. After nine years of struggling to find the best and most effective combination of medications to treat my bipolar disorder, I had finally been put on the right combination. For the first time in fifteen years, my mind was clear. I wasn’t experiencing mood swings or severe spikes. It’s only through health insurance that I can afford all of my medications — otherwise, it’s nearly two thousand dollars a month for everything. That’s not including my regular psychiatric appointments that are required to have access to that medication.
While the 2017 bill was withdrawn not long after its announcement, another version was passed in May of that same year and sent to the Senate. If you’ve been paying attention, like I have, it’s been a battle, with Republicans fighting tooth and nail, coming back again and again with new versions of the same bill. Every time they come back with something new, I feel waves of panic — enough to induce migraines. I just want to know — why? I mean, here is a group that is predominantly men, who appear to have their health, and if they do not, then they have the money to cover their medical costs, should they not have access to health insurance. They are attempting to rip away that which keeps me not only well, but functional.
Within the past week, Donald Trump announced that his 2020 campaign includes plans to deprive me and many other Americans of our health insurance. Nothing frightens me more than the thought of not having health insurance. I feel like I’m being attacked for being both sick and short on cash. Both of my illnesses — bipolar I and migraines — are genetic. Also, neither one has a cure. Both of my diagnoses are for life — I will never be well again, and daily access to medical care is necessary for me. Every day is a struggle to maintain stability. I have alarms set to remind me to take my bipolar meds. I have to often push through a migraine just to meet deadlines because I need to work to afford my medical costs. As a freelance writer, I need every dollar that I can get. Even on a good day, I’m still nauseous and in pain. A normal day for me involves Excedrin, Imitrex, Carbamazepine, and Quetiapine. Without this combination of painkillers, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants, I would not be able to get out of bed. The headache pain would be too severe. I would be experiencing extreme and frequent mood swings, and not even be able to tell whether I was immensely happy or violently sad. When I get like this, I wander the house, sobbing uncontrollably. I can’t focus, or eat. I lash out at myself, cutting and binge drinking. When I think back on my past, now, when I’m on proper medication, it terrifies me.
That is, ultimately, the dark reality of my situation if I lose health insurance. I would not be able to afford my medications or my doctor visits. The costs for medications that I need daily would be astronomical. Within a week of not having medication, I would have to be hospitalized, or else I’d be a danger to myself. This is the reality for many other people who would lose coverage — we face the loss of the ability to function, living in extreme pain, and even, in many cases, death — all the while, not being able to afford to do anything about it. Think about what will happen — diabetics, not being able to afford insulin; people experiencing kidney failure, unable to afford dialysis; cancer patients, unable to afford chemotherapy, to name a few. Think about it — most people who require medical assistance will not be able to pay for it. This is the reality that the Republican party and Donald Trump want to create — millions of sick Americans, who will not have access to medical care.
While Obamacare wasn’t one hundred percent perfect, what it needs are fixes, but not a full repeal. The idea that everyone should be able to have affordable healthcare is pretty reasonable, and it’s one that most First-World Countries have. Not to mention that in most First-World Countries, pharmaceuticals are only a fraction of the cost here in the United States. I mean, if the Republicans are not going to seek to make pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and services affordable, then they should not take away affordable health insurance. It is a death sentence for people who are sick and have low to middling incomes. It’s as good as saying that we do not deserve to live.
This is a gross misuse of power, not to mention, a clear disregard for the needs of others, and they should not be allowed to continue. I would love to be able to trust in the system, that Democrats will be able to oppose and put a permanent stop to it. Currently, there is no way for this legislation to pass, since the House is controlled by the Democrats, and that’s really the only relief. To be honest, I’m hesitant to trust a system that allows people like Donald Trump, Lindsay Graham, and Bill Cassidy, who are at the forefront of the proposed repeal, to come into power at all. As of November of 2017, the House had voted on measures over seventy times since 2010 (Riotta). This shows a dogged dedication on the part of Republicans to take away affordable health insurance, which is concerning. It is a statement which speaks volumes. Why is it that they believe that the average American does not deserve to have affordable access to healthcare? What makes us less deserving to be treated for illnesses than people who have money? No matter what their reasoning is, they need to stop. We cannot have a system which allows for only the rich to have access to healthcare.
While access to healthcare is not in the Constitution, it’s inherent in the ideals that the United States was supposedly founded upon. As per the Declaration of Independence: “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that are among these are Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Isn’t the right to be healthy inherent in that? Aren’t healthy people happy? Isn’t it necessary to have health to maintain life? Don’t healthy people have the liberty to live a life that they find to be worth living? Take away my access to healthcare, and I won’t have any of these things. I’m sick, and I just want to be well. I enjoy having mental stability — it’s like being a whole person, and I like this person — she’s creative, productive. When I think of who I become without my medication — a sobbing, angry ghost, who tries to self-destruct — I’m scared. Take away my access to healthcare, and I will lose myself.
Works Referenced:
Brownstein, Ronald. “President Trump Still Wants to Repeal Obamacare.” The Atlantic. 21 Mar. 2019. Online. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/03/trumps-health-care-plan-will-influence-2020-debate/585442/?utm_term=2019-03-26T14%3A32%3A07&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&fbclid=IwAR0EGKNeaMN5rTAuyLTodl6UFbVo7r1ljGB5Q-bF3HFFve9zA1BYjQ1S3CU.
Levey, Noam M. and Colleen Shalby. “These Preexisting Conditions Covered Under Obamacare May Not Be Protected By the GOP’s Replacement Plan.” Los Angeles Times. 4 May 2017. Online. Accessed: 27 Mar 2019. https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-the-preexisting-conditions-that-1493921633-htmlstory.html.
Riotta, Chris. “GOP Aims to Kill Obamacare Yet Again After Failing 70 Times.” Newsweek. 29 Jul. 2017. Online. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019. https://www.newsweek.com/gop-health-care-bill-repeal-and-replace-70-failed-attempts-643832.
Life, Liberty, but Not Healthcare: Being Sick in Trump’s America
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