Faith, Hope, and the Advent of Health-care Reform

by Valerie Elverton Dixon 12-14-2009

Biblical wisdom teaches us to “give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5:18). This is a syntactic ambiguity that makes us ask the question: is the circumstance the will of God, or is the attitude of gratitude — the grace to give thanks — the will of God, or both?

As the debate on health-care reform continues in the U.S. Senate, it seems that legislation to bring this nation closer to universal health care is bogged down in a political and procedural morass. The Democrats seem to be in disarray. The Republicans, for the most part, are standing aside, united and useless. One Republican senator is still saying that the United States has the best health-care system in the world, that the citizens of the United States do not want European style health care. (Face the Nation, December 13, 2009)

At this point in the discourse, most people who have been paying attention know that the U.S. ranks 37 among nations overall in health care. Europeans have universal health care. No one goes bankrupt because of medical bills. While the senators take their various non-negotiable positions on this or that aspect of the legislation, people in this country die every day God sends because they lack access to health care. Working people cannot afford regular visits to a primary care physician.

Yet biblical wisdom teaches us to give thanks in this situation because this is the will of God. Is the dysfunction of the U.S. Senate God’s will? Or, is it God’s will that we finally see it, that we are paying attention to it, that we decide if this is the way we want our elected representatives to behave?

It seems fitting that we see this confusion during the season of Advent. Short days and long nights tell us winter is coming. The darkness reminds us of the obscurity that challenges clarity. The darkness requires us to light our candles of faith and hope and expectation. When we cannot see the outcome of a circumstance, faith is the substance, the assurance of our hope. It is the evidence, the conviction of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

Moreover, we hope for what we cannot see. Biblical wisdom also teaches: “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24)

This season of Advent reminds us that the world waits in patience for the Christ, for God’s Love incarnate in humanity. Creation waits for a Divine Love that crowds out fear and takes us past pettiness and loyalties to bankrupt ideologies forever looking to the next election. The season of Advent reminds us that faith and hope light the darkness and clear away confusion. And in this circumstance, we can be truly thankful.

Dr. Valerie Elverton Dixon is an independent scholar who publishes lectures and essays at JustPeaceTheory.com. She received her Ph.D. in religion and society from Temple University and taught Christian ethics at United Theological Seminary and Andover Newton Theological School.

Categories: Health

Ngchen

The HIPAA and high-risk pools are a stop-gap solution. Speaking of which, I wonder what the situation is with someone say fresh out of college who gets sick? I know the high-risk pool here in TN is much worse than bare bones, although it is better than nothing.

I agree that cost control is very important, and that the current bill does not do much toward addressing that. Hopefully such will change in the future.

Speaking of which, how much do you want to bet that the majority of conservatives opposed the HIPAA and the subsidized high-risk pools?

judithod

There are currently programs in place that help people obtain insurance while switching jobs, even if those people have pre-existing conditions. See my response to Squeaky's question below. I do believe that those programs are not well publicized, and as a result, many people are unaware of the existence of the programs.

Again, the primary fault with the current Senate bill is that it compels everyone to participate in a failed system without reforming the system. And it does nothing to stem costs; it only exacerbates that problem.

judithod

Your colleague should check into the HIPAA health insurance plan, which is federally mandated. Under this plan, all pre-existing conditions are covered and insurance companies cannot refuse coverage. HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Another option would be to investigate whether there is a state risk pool program available. Minnesota has such a program as do about 35 other states. These risk pools help people who can afford to purchase insurance but have been denied affordable coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

squeaky

I"m reminded of a colleague of mine who cannot get insurance because of her previous condition of a benign brain tumor. How can she get the health care she needs?

kansasmennonite

It sounds like he would be in a position to get a lot of help with the premiums wouldn't he? Could he afford a small emergency trip to get some stitches? $1k for some stitches? I suggest you get Michael Moore's Sicko video. I watched it a couple of weeks ago and of course there's some smearing on both sides of the aisle but it puts a lot of things into perspective. Please see it and report back.

Your brother is going to be a burden to someone if he doesn't get insurance. Can you help him? can you help him pay the medical expenses that might occur?

Ngchen

The bill will force insurers to cover anyone who applies and then limit how much insurers are allowed to charge based on age or health condition. To cover the increased costs associated with the latter, insurers will have to raise premiums in the individual insurance market.

Very true for healthy individuals. However, the fact that there will be an individual mandate may well make things better. In addition, if not this sort of reform, then what? Continue to allow companies to cherry-pick the healthiest people, while leaving the sick out in the proverbial cold? Continue to make it impossible for someone who's ever diagnosed with a serious illness to switch jobs without becoming uninsured?

The estimates quoted may or may not be reliable (depends on whether the person conducting the study has ANY agenda or not). But again, the issue really is one of social justice. Can we really claim to be a "humane" society if we leave millions out to die of treatable diseases? Ultimately, of course, insurance reform can for the most part only spread the costs. Out-and-out cost reductions are what's needed most, but that's regrettably not a big part of the bill so far.

As for Medicare, yes waste and fraud is a problem there and I'm glad there is a crackdown on it. But that does not mean logically that there can't be both health-care reform and a fraud crackdown simultaneously.

thebootedone

my brothers business doesnt have health insurance. he is the only person working. So if this passes he has to get it. he couldnt afford it and the cost to just cover himself would be to much, to pay the fine involved would be a burden as well. He looses either way. what kind of health care is this. Its supposed to fix health care NOT create further burdens. They say STRESS is a big cause of illness YET they supposedly are helping health care, but create another STRESS related issue. the biggest one at that MONEY. the genuise of the democrates. It not emergency care he needs. He needs the system fixed so that private insurance is affordable. That is what obama promised and has failed meserably to accomplish, Yet he is giveing himself a b+ and an A if this horrid bill passes. YOu all need to look a bit DEEPER into things.

kansasmennonite

Please explain how your brother's small business would be affected. Does it fall within in the guidelines of manditory coverage? Perhaps getting a handle on health care costs would save your brothers company. Since your brother has a health issue wouldn't it be nice to not be turned down for insurance with pre existing conditions rather than the company going backrupt to pay for his emergency care?

judithod

The bill will force insurers to cover anyone who applies and then limit how much insurers are allowed to charge based on age or health condition. To cover the increased costs associated with the latter, insurers will have to raise premiums in the individual insurance market. One estimate based on real data found that premiums in the individual insurance market could rise on average by 54%, which would be an extra $3,341 for families and $1,576 for single people.

Also, bear in mind that costs paid by those with private insurance offset the lower costs paid by those with Medicare. Medicare currently has a $37 trillion unfunded liability and is on course for bankruptcy by 2017. The government should get a handle on Medicare before attempting any health reform. Even the president has admitted that Medicare has billions of dollars in waste and fraud annually.

Ngchen

How does the Senate bill mandate a rise in premiums for people purchasing their own insurance? How does the bill inflate insurance costs?

Yes, the bill does provide subsidies for poorer people.

judithod

The Senate health legislation increases medical insurance costs for people who purchase their own coverage (versus employer- or government-provided coverage). Through tax increases and cuts in Medicare outlays, the government will then subsidize the higher costs paid by about 18 million of the 32 million people who purchase their own coverage. In other words, the Senate bill is akin to a shell game. The bill inflates insurance costs, then raises taxes and cuts Medicare outlays to cover the costs it just inflated.

Ngchen

Can you please explain exactly WHY said bill will drive up government debt, raise taxes and insurance premiums, and reduce the quality of medical care? Said claims are often heard, but I have yet to hear the rationale for the doom and gloom claims.

judithod

Perhaps this bill needs to pass so that its proponents finally will recognize the devastating outcomes of the bill: Driving up government debt, taxes, and insurance premiums while reducing the quality of medical care.

thebootedone

why are you all pushing this so nard. its such a bad bill. It wont help at all and will make us poorer as a nation which will reduce the social justice you strive for. My brother who is rather liberal is against this bill becasue he sees it as it is. a job killer. he owns a small buisness and he understands what it means to pass this. His busieness suffers and or goes out of business. He also has medical issues he cannot afford and still knows the end game of it. the people are dying everyday theme is old. I have yet to see any real concern with unborn children from here which is how many a day. Yet we harp on this health care issue like its evil to the core. I think priorites are out of order. Maybe if as much concern for the unborn was given as to this. I cannot imagine why Christ did not make such a fuss over this issue of health care for free in his day. Why is it any different now. heck health care is a fairly new thing, we didnt have it not to long ago. we all paid it the same way we did everything else. Maybe we should look to how we managed back then. Its not health care reform we need especially government run health care and getting everything free. Its rediscovering our values and our priorities. Lookiong at what we NEED with what we WANT. This is what sojourners should talk about. Not the government doing it all for us. Tell me how has all this wellfare fared so far in helping the poor. Apparently not so well. yet we push it on and on.