Americans need more health care.
As top elected officials and their staffs are unseated, by force or choice, but always due to misconduct (and no one seems to know the difference), it is important to recognize those that conduct themselves honorably, and work toward real solutions--to recognize those serving us who value progress and change.
And there are many of them. The following diary, I realize, contains only a few, but they are a particularly poignant few this weekend...
Cross Posted at
Deny My Freedom
I write this diary a day before Mothers Day, both in anticipation of the onslaught of posts on the actual day, and because I know I will be unable to post for the next couple of days.
But the sentiment remains. Anyone reading this should be grateful to have had a mother, but this happy holiday cannot help but remind me of a few things.
The CNN Article detaling a Save The Children report stating that America has the second-worst newborn death rate in the "developed" world:
Only Latvia, with six deaths per 1,000 live births, has a higher death rate for newborns than the United States, which is tied near the bottom of industrialized nations with Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia with five deaths per 1,000 births. [snip]
As Americans celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, "5,000 mothers will mourn the loss of the newborn they bear that very day in the developing world," said Anne Tinker, director of Save the Children's Saving Newborn Lives initiative. [snip]
Tinker said Japan was among a number of nations highly ranked mainly because they offer free health services for pregnant women and babies, while the United States suffers from disparities in access to health care.
"We can do better here, but what's really important is that we do something" in the developing world, she said. [notice how CNN has taken the focus off of the US by altering this quote to say 'in the developing world'; and you thought they were the objective alternative.
This is completely unacceptable, and it is even worse for minority mothers:
The report, which analyzed data from governments, research institutions and international agencies, found higher newborn death rates among U.S. minorities and disadvantaged groups. For African-Americans, the mortality rate is nearly double that of the United States as a whole, with 9.3 deaths per 1,000 births.
Granted, there
is progress being made: that number is
down from an unbelievable 13.9 percent in 2002:
But there is still a lot of work to be done, and we shouldn't forget who is doing it. Ensuring universal healthcare for all of America's children has been a staple of John Kerry's political career, and to this day his
"Kids First Act" are stimulating discussion within our society and congress about how to make sure
all of America's children receive access to the insurance and health care they need to survive.
11 Million of America's children are uninsured, and while this bill isn't a total fix for infant or maternal mortality, as only universal healthcare could claim to be, it is a start.
I find it outrageous that
- 1 out of every 4 children is not fully up to date on basic immunizations;
- Half of all uninsured children have not had a well child visit in the past year;
- 1 out of every 3 children with chronic asthma do not get a prescription for medications they need;
- 1 in 5 has trouble accessing needed care; and
- 1 in 3 went without health insurance for all or part of 2002 and 2003.
This bill could be yet another hole in the universal healthcare dyke. It's not perfect, and it isn't 100% government funded, but it's a start; a jumping point into larger courses of action. Here is the current status of the bill and a list of co-sponsors, including everyone's favorite leading lady, Barbara Boxer:
S.114
Title: A bill to amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure that every uninsured child in America has health insurance coverage, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 1/24/2005)
Cosponsors (10)
Related Bills: H.R.1668
Latest Major Action: 1/24/2005 Referred to Senate committee.
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
COSPONSORS(10), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]:
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] - 4/27/2005
Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] - 1/24/2005
Sen Corzine, Jon S. [NJ] - 1/24/2005
Sen Dayton, Mark [MN] - 3/7/2005
Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] - 9/14/2005
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA] - 1/24/2005
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] - 4/28/2005
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] - 1/24/2005
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] - 9/6/2005
Sen Murray, Patty [WA] - 1/24/2005
I've sent each of these senators a letter thanking them for their service and continued struggle during this mother's day. On behalf of all children. On behalf of all mothers. On behalf of all humans.
On this Mother's Day, remind yourself and others that there are people out there in dire circumstances, who have had their children or mothers taken from them because they could not pay a price.
No mother should have to bury her child, and no state should accept the burial of its mothers.
Contact Info Here:
John Kerry
Barbara Boxer
Maria Cantwell
John Corzine
Mark Dayton
Tim Johnson
Edward Kennedy
Mary Landrieu
Frank Lautenberg
Barbara Mikulski
Patty Murray