While President Obama’s New York Times op-ed uses language that suggests a public option for those without health care may still be on the table, his health secretary, Kathleen Sebelius seems to think otherwise.
I’m confused: If there is no public option, then what exactly is reform?
As time goes on, it seems like the Obama administration is bowing to Republican pressure and offering concession after concession on a health care bill that some argue is already watered down.
With both sides of the debate wasting time arguing over terms like “socialist medicine,” those Americans who need their health taken care of now are taking matters into their own hands.
A recent study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research estimated that nearly 1 million people from California alone seek medical, dental or prescription services in Mexico each year.
Medical tourism from cities such as San Diego and Phoenix has led to an economic boom for choice pharmacies, dental clinics and doctor’s offices across Mexico. These facilities offer medical services for costs sometimes thousands of dollars less than those offered by their American counterparts.
It’s not just uninsured Americans taking bus trips for the discounts either. Take 60-year-old Bob Ritz, who was profiled in a recent Reuters article. Despite already having insurance, the Phoenix-based retired police officer told the paper, “I pay $400 a month for my health insurance, and it's still cheaper to come to Mexico.”
Though the immigration debate has often gotten intense on The Recession Diaries, how do you all feel about Americans traveling into someone else’s country to get health care?
Personally, while I am looking for my own policy, I can’t rule out traveling to Mexico for cheaper treatment.
Sure, I enjoyed poking fun at joining the 46 million Americans without health insurance before, but reality has hit me and like many of you I’m fearful of a life without coverage.
The longer this health care reform debate lingers, the more I grow frustrated.
While each side argues their stance, I’m brushing up on my Spanish for a check-up in Tijuana.
Who’s coming with me?
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Michael Arceneaux hails from Houston, lives in Harlem and praises Beyoncé’s name wherever he goes. Follow him on Twitter.