Shuler Throws Baby Out With the Bathwater - Possibly With Health Insurance Industry Blessings

I know full well that as a Native American I can get health care through Indian Health Service (IHS), however I would like options, and IHS coverage only exists while staying in the Eastern Cherokee service area. If I go to Asheville, I'm uncovered. If I go to Georgia, which is about 10 miles from home, or to Tennessee about 20 miles from home, I'm uncovered. That's aside from the fact that Indian Health Service is and has always been severely underfunded.
I'm one of America's uninsured. I can't afford it. Health insurance is expensive and increasingly unaffordable for most American families. That's on top of the fact the health insurance premiums continue to rise along with rising deductibles, meaning that they actually cover less. Forget coverage if you have a preexisting condition, like diabetes. And health insurance companies have a well earned reputation for abandoning clients if they should have the unmitigated gall to get diagnosed with a dreaded disease like cancer or HIV.
U.S. Congressional 11th District Representative Heath Shuler voted against the Health Care reform bill advocated by President Obama. He explains his position on his website. While saying that he supports many provisions of the bill, he said it doesn't address long-term costs or inefficiencies. “There is no question that our nation’s health care system is broken. Over the past few months, I have spoken with hundreds of constituents and received thousands of calls, letters and emails about health care reform. I thank everyone in Western North Carolina who so willingly shared their stories and concerns with me. It is clear to me that we, as a country, are failing to provide enough Americans with affordable options to manage their health care, prevent illness and treat existing conditions,” he states.
I was one of those who shared my view and stories. The cost of the bill can't compare to the cost to health care providers forced to eat the losses of uninsured patients who can't pay the bills, you know those who don't qualify for Medicaid or Medicare or some other government-funded health coverage. I was glad Shuler's office listened to my opinion, but I guess the campaign contribution from Blue Cross Blue Shield spoke louder.
If there were problems with the bill, as Shuler put it, how about addressing those problems after providing some type of reform in the process. Instead, Shuler threw the baby out with the bath water.