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The
greatest need in health care is universal coverage. For the
well-being of our society, all our people need their health problems to be
cared for without threatening the provision of their other necessities.
Health care is a critical issue for many low income working families and
low income elderly. The State of Michigan and the federal government
provide a measure of health care protection to this population but many are
under intense economic pressure when they need health care. There are
many working families who do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare and yet can not afford
adequate medical care. When they receive medical care and are not
able to pay the bills, their credit record is tainted so that they can not
rent a home or buy other necessities on credit.
Our working East African neighbor experienced a crisis when their dentist
stopped taking Medicaid patients and they could not find another dentist to
care for their ten member family.
My disabled brother has great difficulty paying the deductible
required for receiving Medicare. The cost of medication makes it
difficult for him and his employed wife to purchase other necessities.
We should advocate for these residents of our city with
our state and federal representatives for health care and other needs that
should be tended to by those levels of government. The county
government advocated for and we passed a millage to help senior citizens
remain in their homes and meet some of their medical needs.
Churches, Neighborhood associations and neighbors should be the first
level of alert for city residents who need help. When help is not
available they should be the first line of defense in advocating for the
well being of those in need. When adequate health care is unavailable
we should contact our elected representatives' office to find
help or advice.
We should remain sensitive to health care needs
and work with anyone in the health care profession, churches,
neighborhood associations and other individuals to find and support answers
to health care problems.
An e-mail response opportunity is below
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