During my second year of seminary, I had the honor of serving
the National Council of Churches (NCC) as they worked to pass national health
care reform. The NCC is an ecumenical
group of roughly 37 distinct Christian denominations, representing roughly 40
million Americans. Despite the wide
theological spectrum of its members, the NCC has been known for taking
progressive stances on public policy issues – some critics jokingly refer to it
as the “National Council of Communists.”
What I discovered was that the NCC was not interested in set
political positions, but rather in protecting the vulnerable. Though many liberals ardently fought for
single-payer health care; on this the NCC was neutral. What I advocated for, instead, was to ensure
that those most often overlooked by the system – the poor, the neglected, and
the forgotten – were included in a national health care reform bill. The NCC took this position, believing that
each person deserves care (including medical care) as a child of God. I agreed, because depriving people of
essential medical care ignores their inherent worth and dignity – especially in
a land of plenty.
Under the bill, the major mechanism for universal health
care was through an expansion of Medicaid.
Many Americans do not realize how many gaps currently exist under
Medicaid, which is a joint state-federal program. States have wide discretion over how
expansive their program will be – who it will cover and what benefits they will
receive. For instance, New York State is
currently the only state that covers childless, non-disabled adults up to 100%
of the poverty line ($11,700 in income annually). In most states, such adults have no access to
health insurance regardless of how poor they are. The Affordable Health Care act would cover the
costs of states expanding eligibility to all adults up to 133% of the poverty
line ($14,404) and increase access for working families. It would also allow and provide funding for
states to offer expanded benefit plans, so for instance dental care could be
included.
Now, after the Supreme Court ruling, the governors of
several states have said that they will reject the federal offer to pay for
their expanded Medicaid programs. Analysts
think that 4 million fewer Americans will receive care because of these
governor’s decisions. I cannot know what
is in another’s heart, and so I will not judge these individuals. Yet, their declarations greatly concern
me. When I was young, my family and I
did not have health insurance. I would
often hide when I was sick, because we could not afford to pay a doctor. In elementary school, I endured a week of
pulsating pain in my jaw, until I finally confessed to my mother what was
happening (I needed a root canal).
Children of 9 or 10 should not have to bear such burdens, both
emotionally and physically.
Sadly, we face circumstances where citizens might have to
endure such harsh situations based solely on being a resident of one state
versus another. We face the prospect of
a growing divide in our country – and not simply a political divide. There will be a divide in access to health
care – and the peace of mind and true health benefits that brings. There will be a divide in experience – as some
are cared for by their communities and others struggle while having their
plight ignored. For me, I cannot
celebrate the Supreme Court decision when the fate of millions of people hangs
in the balance.
In the face of such a divide, I pray. I pray that we show ourselves to be a
compassionate nation. I pray that our
duty towards one another overcomes our political fervor. I pray that we commit ourselves to working towards
a day when all have the same protections under the law.
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