cancer slayer

It’s looking like a promising week. The Yankees are back and so is the public option. I hope.

A bill that includes a government-run plan is before the Senate, but whether it survives the next round of debates remains to be seen. Maybe it has a better chance of getting passed with the newly added opt-out option for states.

The fact that the public plan has been resurrected, though, is promising. After the insurance industry threatened to raise premiums a couple of weeks ago, and subsequent news polls showed that 57 percent of Americans back the idea of a government option, the Dems switched up their game plan.

Rather than worry about winning over the GOP, they’ve decided to push an agenda supported by their constituents. It’s about time, too. The Dems have gotten punked for far too long regarding health care reform. We’ll see if they follow up their words with action.

I’m really excited about the measure. I’ve been down for a public plan since the beginning. But there’s one voice that has been missing from the debate, one that I believe will further bolster support for universal coverage: people with insurance who rely on it regularly, people like me.

I have yet to hear the opinions of insured men and women living with health issues or chronic diseases such as cancer. Maybe it’s because they can’t rattle off sound bites. Or maybe because, if asked, they would make an incontrovertible case for why the government needs to step in for the 40 million uninsured in this country and the 38 million underinsured.

I often have discussions with the patients at the center where I’m being treated. And, as you may have guessed, health care reform is a popular topic. For the most part, the cancer patients I know are not only well informed, but they also support health care for everyone.

The reason for that is simple: When you’re facing  a serious illness, it tends to bring out a level of compassion you didn’t know you had, one that is desperately needed in a debate dominated by politics. Cancer survivors know what it’s like to be sick. And when your medical bills are in the six figures, you sure do appreciate health coverage. It’s nice not worrying about how you’ll pay for this week’s treatment or next week’s lab tests. The last time I checked, a CAT scan cost in excess of $7,000, and I’ve had two in the last three months.

Unlike the Tea Partiers, who—if they even have insurance to begin with—don’t want others to share in the health care spoils, cancer patients understand that universal coverage is a moral imperative. There’s something about walking through the fire that makes you want to help out the next person. You don’t want others to suffer or be denied care. U.S. Sen. Roland Burris of Chicago got it right. “It’s time to do it for the benefit of those who are uninsured,” he said about health care reform.

Last week, he came out publicly to declare that he has no intention of signing a bill that doesn’t include a government option. And although his primary motive is likely to land a spot on prime time, I’m not mad if he plays politics to promote the greater good. 

With all the media coverage of the return of the public option, the junior senator stepped up at just the right time. Folks had counted him out, but he’s clearly determined to play hardball. Just like the Yankees. If we can get universal coverage and win the World Series, this will turn out to be a really good year.