Dear Mr. Huckabee,
I must respectfully disagree with you that insuring people with pre-exisiting conditions is even remotely comparable to trying to obtain insurance after a car is wrecked or after a house has burned down.
Insuring people with pre-existing conditions potentially allows for better care of those conditions. Insuring people with pre-existing conditions potentially allows them to be more productive in society. Insuring people with pre-existing conditions potentially allows for economic prosperity instead of despair.
If you do not believe me, please allow me to introduce you to three amazing women who inspire me who happen to fall into the category of pre-existing conditions.
Anne is an amazing athlete who continues to persevere through type 1 diabetes and devastating injuries. Jenni manages several clients in many different genres in her independent writing and editing business, as well as runs a website empowering young women with chronic illness. All of this with multiple chronic illnesses. Laurie teaches writing to young university students and writes about health topics for both online and offline publications – all while managing a significant rare condition that impacts her daily life.
These houses have far from burned. These vehicles have far from crashed beyond repair. These people all have potential to inspire young people, these people all have potential to change lives. I could certainly hand you a list of many more people who live meaningful lives in the presence of chronic illness, if you would like.
If you would like to turn this into “the survival of the fittest”, however, I must remind you of your own publicly disclosed pre-existing condition.
Mr. Huckabee, I know you and I share one thing, the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes on our medical records. Despite losing weight and making significant lifestyle changes, that declaration is still on my medical record. It still impacts me when I become acutely ill and when it comes time to tally up medical bills at the end of the year. Because of it, I certainly fear what I would do without health insurance.
You must be a little different than me regarding the type 2 diabetes on your medical record. Are you prepared to be denied health insurance with your own pre-existing condition? Are you willing to give up your right to Medicare down the line because of your own pre-existing condition?
And more importantly, are you willing to give up your presidential dreams in 2012 because you, too, are a vehicle that has crashed and a house that has burned?
I didn’t think so.
Best,
Rachel B
Rock on, sister! You did that with far fewer curse words and much more eloquently than I think I would at present. I’d like to address his absurd assertions, but it might be another couple of days before I can do it sans f-bombs ;)
Beautifully stated! One point: Huckabee will NEVER be denied coverage because of his time spent in the Senate. Senate members are guaranteed health coverage for life. He, therefore, will never have to worry about having a pre-existing condition. He’s covered by a golden parachute that allows him to throw stones at others.
He was involved in Arkansas state government, but never the federal government. I don’t know what health coverage Arkansas provides its former employees, though, and whether his is guaranteed.
Yay, Rachel!
Nicely posted!!
Well said, Rachel. Like Lee Ann, with far less curse words than I would have chosen….
Well done Rachel!!
Thanks for your calm but clear letter, Rachel!
It helped me to read his clarification:
http://ivotehuckabee.blogspot.com/2010/09/huckabee-on-pre-existing-conditions.html