Photo: Jose Antonio Bernat Bacete/Getty Images My oldest son’s first pulmonologist was a man in his 60s with strong grandfatherly vibes. What I remember most was how he pulled up a chair to talk at the conclusion of every examination — even though we saw him every few weeks, even though the internet offered most answers to the general questions we asked. Sometimes my son, then a baby, would be screaming his head off, and still the doctor sat in that chair and told us to ask questions.
He’s not my son’s doctor anymore, but I have thought of him often this year, as a health crisis descended upon our country like an avalanche. Is the pandemic something like what he meant? Or is it what might happen next — the extinguishment of the Affordable Care Act? These numbers and their implications do not seem top of mind for everyone. In the hearings to confirm Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett that began on Monday, Democrats have spoken frequently about how Barrett’s confirmation could imperil the future of the ACA. Republicans have taken a different tack.
Now, the threat feels just as real to families like mine, but the public outcry seems muted—despite the fact that the very first case Barrett will likely handle in November could determine the fate of the ACA. That same organization has a page of questions for families affected by the disease my son has to consider when voting. The page does not mention specific politicians or lawsuits or Senate hearings that could lead to life-threatening reductions in health care.
jngann Destruction is just the easy way out when people can't see solutions. I would first suggest reading everything RosenthalHealth ever wrote or she suggested you read. And then call me in the morning.