Thought Id take time to give a personal testimony as to why Im so passionate about the statement of comparison that this prominent Dr. made in reference to the Affordable Healthcare Law being the worse thing since slavery. Although, I first want it to be clear that I offer no apology or retraction for the previous posting I shared on FB of my letter to Dr. Carson. I did not post it to get anyone to agree with me who has a different opinion than mine, it was just something I wanted to afford the opportunity to share with for people who do not view the news on TV or listen to radio...because I believe this was important enough for as many as possible to know from his own mouth how he feels (especially in the black community). I am different than some people...I am one who do believe that knowledge is valuable and that to many misunderstandings are taken wrongfully when word of mouth passes on information that seems to get misconstrued or taken out of context by the time it gets to the end of the line. On the contrary... when you hear something with your own ears coming out of a persons mouth, then there is no error in reporting it. People can only learn by listening, reading and researching to find the TRUTH...and when facts are facts...it is what it is! Back in 2005 when I was first diagnosed with CLL Leukemia...I was insured through my husbands B/C B/S insurance. I was told that I was not going to be covered because of a pre-existing condition. I was penalized for 18 mos. for having become sick with cancer. I was devastated. I didnt know what I was going to do. I was still working at the time so a friend of mine (a coder at MCG) found me an Oncologist who said she would take me on as a pay out of pocket patient. My Oncologist just happened to be taking on new pts. because she had just joined the Oncology group she was now employed with (divine appointment). I call her my Angel :-) Long story short, during that 18 mo. period of time, they helped me to get funding through various cancer societies who paid portions of uninsured pts. expenses. But, I still had to pay what I could out of pocket as my medical bills piled up into the muliple thousands of dollars that I was responsible for paying. Needless to say...I accured/accumulated a mountain of medical debt that I just could not pay or keep up with even with the help of places like the American Cancer Society, etc. who helped me to be able to get my chemo treatments. Unfortunately, the hospitals (where tests were performed), etc. said they understood my hardship circumstances, they still needed the bills that were piling up to be paid some kind of way. I set up with each facility I owed medically payment arrangements but in early 2006, my job folded and we were all out of a job. I was able to collect unemployment for a while, but then I was getting more ill with the cancer and my Dr. was telling me that I had no choice any more but to go on intravenous chemo to prevent my elevating to another level of cancer. I had been delaying the intravenous chemo and taking the oral chemo because it was less expensive and I trying to do all that I could to prevent more medical expenses. So I paid out of pocket for my meds, etc. Finally, it became financially impossible for me to pay for the medical bills at the rate they were demanding and I was being hasseled by collectors who were threatening me as the medical agencies were turning over my bills to them for possible collection of more money (although faithfully each month I was sending them what I could). I prayed, I fasted, I did all I knew to do until finally I was led to write letters to all of my debtors to ask for leniency & cooperation in helping me due to my illness that unintentionally created the whole financial devestation I was in. By the way...Id tried to get help through their hardship programs but was always turned down because of my husbands income having to be considred and it was always a little over the guidelines (they would not waver the guidelines at all). Also, he was trying to hold down everything in the house financially to keep our heads above water and us going under. I appreciate him for his faithfulness in that regard. Finally, in 2008 I was to ill to go back to work anywhere so I was granted Disabilty benefits. I recd Medicare benefits along witih it, but it had to be secondary due to my husbands healthcare insurance plan on his job (which he has to be pay for when they deduct over $200 from his pay bi/weekly...almost a car payment, huh)? I thank GOD for the fact that I even have an income (so I dont complain that its not enough)...but now even today as Im posting this I remain in a very embarrassing & undesirable status due to my poor credit status created by the fact that I just happened to have gotten sick with cancer and they punished me by not insuring me for a year & a half. GOD did touch the hearts of all of my debtors and they canceled my debts, but because they were entered into the credit bureaus, it caused my good credit rating to be lowered, therefore lowering my credit scores, therefore causing me tremendous problems financially. Im now working on getting my credit scores straightened out again (thank you JESUS that I walk in divine supernatual favor with GOD and man) but its hard work...and I didnt even create this problem. Thats why Proverbs 3:5,6 is one of my favorite scriptures because Ive had to walk it out and Im having to still walk it out daily. I TOTALLY TRUST GOD... and I have testimony after testimony of how GOD constantly works in my behalf...HE has NEVER failed me...HE always comes through for me everytime!!! Supernaturally, HE makes a way for me where there seems many times to be no way out. I lack nothing...but its all because of my faith and belief in a GOD who cannot fail! But...now do you see why I got so upset with Dr. Ben Carson? How can you compare the opportunity of people being granted affordable healthcare which could help them to have to avoid the hell that Ive been through (& is still trying to recover from) just because you are ill and cant afford health insurance? Not having health insurance is a far worse form of slavery when you become hostage to a system of insurance companies who punish you for having a pre-existing condition that you never knew you had nor wanted. His statement was one of the most insensitive ones Ive heard thus far about Obamacare (The Affordable Healthcare Law). Its just wrong for a Dr. of his caliber to have made such an non-compassionate statement when I have not seen nor heard of anything hes done to offer people who need help in his field of expertise (or otherwise) any free services if he doesnt want the Obamacare Law. How utterly insensitive he is when you have people suffering as I did during the 8 yr. battle I have been enduring. I just hope others will most definitely benefit from this attempt our President has made to try and help millions of uninsured people in this country to be successful in getting the healthcare they need. Im sorry for the ones who are even mocking and poking fun because there has been glinches (sp?) in the system while theyre trying to get everything u & running properly. So what...there has always been unexpected problems with anything thats being put into operation in the beginning until all the kinks are worked out of it. But, you who are laughing and poking fun, I hope that one day when the program is running well and working...you wont be one of the one wholl need it for either you or your loved ones because of your undesirable situation or circumstance! Many laughed at Medicare & Social Security when government wanted to make that a benefit initially, but now the ones who have it are fighting to make sure they keep it for themselves and the future generation(s). People need to think about what they say...before they put their foot in their mouths! We need each other whether you think so or not...lets just stop all the bickering and think what if I was in that situation, what would I want to happen for me to get help? Dont answer to quickly!!!
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 22:14:47 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015