Health Care And Social Equality

There are no guarantees to success and equality in American society. We are simple taught that to be successful we must get a good education, work hard, play by the rules and in our democratic society and capitualists system, everyone has a chance to realize their dreams. We've all heard the clarion, all dreams are possible to achieve in America. All citizens have the capability to grow up and maybe one day be President. More realistically of course, maybe become a lawyer, doctor, accountant, dentists, teacher,etc. But highly much more likely, to toil an existence in a blue collar job with limited options for advancement. And for still others, it might be worse eking an existence in day labor, incarceration, disability, or just plain simply lost in a society where dogs eat dogs. But none the less, the governments social contract to provide opportunities has been met and exceeded as we are responsible for the decisions we make, except when it comes to health care.
In access and the providing of health care to its citizens, America is definitively a caste society, whereby those who have the most get the most. And those with less get less, and those citizens with nothing, get nothing when it comes to providing life extending and life saving medical treatments for chronic and sometimes acute medical conditions. One only has to see the priority Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, received in getting his life saving liver transplant. Simply by shopping a state where the recipient list for liver donations was short, Mr. Jobs received his new liver in short order while patients who have been on the list for months still wait. And for those patients waiting, who have a modest insurance plan through an employer, their wait in reality will be in vain. And for the employed or unemployed uninsured their placement on an organ donor list is a cruel hoax as there will be no chance they will ever receive the "gift of Life". Except for the rare and long odds chance the moons and stars align just right and the hand of God touches them.
Those in Congress who will be deciding health care reforms in the next few weeks have the best government money and power can provide reserved for themselves and members of the highest social order. The rest of us simply must be pleased with our managed care policies and dare not risk getting any services "out of network". We simply cannot afford such a higher standard of medical care for unapproved medical procedures or specialized providers unless our insurance provider first approves. And they never say YES. It's more likely they will say NO and invoke our policies micro print to compassionately inform us our coverage is being cancelled. But more likely, the reality will be for employers, whose enrolled members have a high rate of doctor visits or medical procedure's, the cost to re enroll will cull the sick and unhealthy. Or the employer will simply drop all coverage as a cost saving, job saving financial decision. After all, if you could only choose one, which would you prefer, a job or health insurance. While executive management will not have to make those choices. And will continue to have their doctor visits and elective surgeries at will as usual.
It's time the Congress do its job and answer the calling of the time and write a social and moral contract that provides access and fairness in medical care for all citizens. To find a way for unemployed, low income working families, modest income and middle class income families to have access to the best medical care this country has to offer. To say to the low income working family with no insurance, "if it becomes necessary, you will have just as much chance of recieving that "Gift of Life" as a corporate CEO, member of congress or the President of the United States. Why? Because its the right thing to do. It's not a question of money, it's about compassion and societal morality. It's the American way to do the right thing for all citizens.