Birthday Present

On what would have been my father's 61st birthday, health care reform (by all appearances) plunged past the tipping point on its journey to reality.

Let the complaining begin, but I'll be too busy celebrating to notice.

I started thinking about the magic number 61 last night, and it was my short break from obsessing over the health care vote tally. And, just as I was starting to get tired of being sad on March 18, the yes votes started to trickle home. Some might take such timing as a sign, but I'll be glad to accept it as a happy coincidence.

I will also begin preparations to halt worry that my high blood pressure will always prevent me from obtaining any kind of meaningful insurance. But, alas, I will always have to check the box about a parent who died on or before the age of 55. Just one more year would have been nice.

Dad talked about health care reform in his typical far-ranging ways back in the day. By that, I mean I had heard him at times concern himself with the fear of "socialized medicine," but I also heard him absolutely fume over insurance companies that found ways to not cover his patients.

As usual, I really couldn't pin his position down. But, I know my position, and I will celebrate when the vote comes down on Sunday. I can't prove it, but I think dad would be happy about this as well.

Dad would have liked it that children could remain on their parents' insurance until the age 26. I know this because of how intensely he worried about any of us going a single day without coverage. When I transitioned from his insurance to my own as a student, he was adament that I not even risk one day of non-coverage. He said something to the effect of, "what if that's the day you learn the wrong thing and it becomes pre-existing?So, he knew the insurance game.

Obviously, he would like that pre-existing conditions will no longer stop people from being covered. The prohibition against removing coverage when a patient is sick? Only a jackass would be against that. Or someone in the video below:



I think dad would have frowned on anyone who would treat one of his patients like the man in this video was treated. I know that because he cared about his patients. And because he was not an asshole.

I could never imagine dad being against providing coverage to 30 million more people.

Despite clear signs that the Democratic Party strongly considered making a back-breaking, goal-line fumble in its march to the end game, health care reform (appears) a done deal. Apparently, the powers that be realized that failure to bring this bill home for want of a better one would lead to either never having reform or having the kind of free-market based reform that leads to the exact problems plaguing the whole industry today.

Somehow, cats managed to march in unison behind what I can only imagine to be otherworldly forces... or political catnip, I guess. Really, this is a two-pronged miracle. First, it's a miracle the vote was this close a call considering the huge numerical advantage held by the Democratic party. Second, it was a major miracle that they still didn't screw this up.

I would like to thank the President for his leadership on this issue and his steely-resolve (almost Republican-like in its Machiavellian qualities). I would also like to thank Betsy Markey for her (announced) vote in favor of reform. If you remember, I blogged about my conversation with her about this. True to her word, she was there when it mattered.

Nothing is perfect, and neither is this bill. But time matters, and we just couldn't wait any longer. Afterall, with death as permanent as it is and all, why not act now?

Happy Birthday, dad. I hope you liked your present.

*** UPDATE TO THIS POST.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the coming of age of our President. Barack Obama has been in office for over a year, but this victory has cemented him as THE PRESIDENT. He's made the leap. The wide eyes have narrowed. The brow has furrowed. He's got this! Watch this video and see for yourself what leadership can look like.