Health Care: A word from the President

President Obama emails me regularly. Oh yes. Well, me and a half billion other people, but still.

This is what he said today:

Dear Friend,

If you’re like most Americans, there’s nothing more important to you about health care than peace of mind.

Given the status quo, that’s understandable. The current system often denies insurance due to pre-existing conditions, charges steep out-of-pocket fees – and sometimes isn’t there at all if you become seriously ill.

It’s time to fix our unsustainable insurance system and create a new foundation for health care security. That means guaranteeing your health care security and stability with eight basic consumer protections:

• No discrimination for pre-existing conditions
• No exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays
• No cost-sharing for preventive care
• No dropping of coverage if you become seriously ill
• No gender discrimination
• No annual or lifetime caps on coverage
• Extended coverage for young adults
• Guaranteed insurance renewal so long as premiums are paid

Learn more about these consumer protections at Whitehouse.gov.

Over the next month there is going to be an avalanche of misinformation and scare tactics from those seeking to perpetuate the status quo. But we know the cost of doing nothing is too high. Health care costs will double over the next decade, millions more will become uninsured, and state and local governments will go bankrupt.

It’s time to act and reform health insurance, drive down costs and guarantee the health care security and stability of every American family. You can help by putting these core principles of reform in the hands of your friends, your family, and the rest of your social network.

Thank you,
Barack Obama

My only concern is that he doesn't go far enough. I'm afraid we'll end up with a watered-down plan that will still fail to meet our needs and will cost too much.

But at least he's trying. Bless him! Maybe someday soon we'll join the rest of the civilized world in providing basic care for our citizens.

Weather, whether we like it or not

"The last time the Portland area saw four consecutive days of 100 degree or higher temperatures happened from August 7-10, 1981."

From the article, Heat wave: Day 2 will be even hotter
Posted by Stuart Tomlinson, The Oregonian July 28, 2009 08:18AM

Oh, yeah - I remember that heat wave. I had just given birth on July 28th to our first child, a beautiful baby girl who looked vaguely Korean and surveyed her new universe with a serious of soft coos and sighs: "Ooooh! Ahhhh!! Ahhh? Ooooooh!

We were enchanted.

She was born into a loving family living in a big house in Northeast Portland. None of us was ready for the weather.

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law Donna came to visit from Miami, where it was a relatively balmly 88 degrees. They nearly died of the heat. But they didn't have to buy clothes, unlike my sister during her August visit in 1973. That summer the mercury scarcely exceeded the 60 degree mark, and her family nearly died too - of freezing, rather than frying.

Those two extremes of experience may explain some of Oregon's charm: a little something for everybody - sort of like a psychotic uncle who can be really fun AND really helpful, and once in a while, really really creepy.

Anyway, there's really no point in fussing about the weather; it does what it will, and our job is to adapt to it.

Some day soon, on some damp chill morning, some poor fool will cry, "What happened to summer?"

Please - let's let him live, okay?