What about the children?

I’ve never had to think about my health care insurance.  I’ve had excellent coverage my entire life--first as a dependent of my government employee parents, and then as a public school teacher.  Sometimes I find it a pain to navigate the red tape of the insurance companies (who doesn't?!), but I am secure in knowing that my health care costs are paid (for the most part).

It blows my mind that there are millions of people in this country who do have to worry about their health care costs.  People who don’t have insurance for one reason or other.  It blows my mind even more that there are innocent children who are a part of this group of uninsured.  I can’t help but wonder how do these families manage…and why aren’t we stepping in to help care for these people?

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, or maybe it’s because I now have my own three precious darlings. These days, everything is seen through the filter of, “It could be my baby, my family, my home…”  BC (that’s Before Children), I never cried in sad movies.  I walked by homeless people with no feelings of guilt at not giving them something.  The nightly news and newspapers didn’t make me cringe or physically ache at stories of human suffering.  

Now, however, I fall apart when I hear of sad stories, especially ones involving children.  Jodi can attest to how I teared up as she told me a little bit about her job.  I cry and I get angry that we aren’t doing more to care for children who are less fortunate.  My maternal instinct, much like Salma Hayek’s, is to do whatever I can to help kids in need.  My compassion and willingness to do something has grown as I consider that there but for the grace of God go I.  

As much as I am content in the security my family enjoys, we could be one disaster away from hardship. We hope we have all our ducks in a row, safety nets in place…but who knows?  Not to be all Eeyore-ish about it, but it's possible events in our future could leave us unemployed, bankrupt, or homeless.  I hope to never face such difficulty, and I hope that if we do, we’d be all right.  But can I ever be sure?

So I think of those individuals—especially children—who do not have health insurance.  I can’t help but think of my own children.  Would someone would stand up for them if we were to fall into a life that left them uninsured?  

Does that mean the currently proposed health care reform is the right way to go?  I don’t know enough about policy and the ins-and-outs of medical care to answer that.  But what I do know is that the system right now doesn’t work for everyone, especially the millions of uninsured children in this country.

Original DC Metro Moms post.

Michelle blogs at Wife and Mommy.