Meet Lori and Savannah.

Back in July I posted the written Congressional testimony of my friend Rebecca Wood. Rebecca is a staunch "Medicare for All" advocate whose daughter Charlie has complex medical issues.

Today, I'd like to present a Twitter thread by another friend I've met online, Lori, who also has a daughter with complex medical needs named Savannah. While their children both have serious medical issues which need constant care, Lori has a slightly different perspective on the issue of the best route towards achieving universal coverage. This was all in response to my own tweet, which was in response to a comment by Parker Malloy about people who "love" their private insurance:

Who are these people some candidates speak of who just absolutely love their insurance? https://t.co/JD3IEy1Kk9

— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) September 18, 2019

Its not about anyone “loving” their current plan. It’s about whether they *hate* it enough to be willing to give it up in favor of something new and untested. Many do, but enough don’t to make it an extremely hard sell, that’s all.

— Charles Gaba (@charles_gaba) September 18, 2019

It’s also about how much effort we’ve made in taking the network and the specifics and molding our team, our meds, and our care centers around them. And how many exceptions and appeals and PAs we’ve screamed for. A new plan means doing all that tedious and stressful work again.

— Lori (@IsTrumpCareDead) September 18, 2019

Our insurance is not great. But I’ve fought for so much, gotten exceptions, and done so much to force it to work as well as possible for our situation, I’d be loathe to switch. I’ve spent time reading the current plan in detail. It sucks. Learning a new plan would be awful.

— Lori (@IsTrumpCareDead) September 18, 2019

It’s NEVER that simple though. Especially for the medically complex. Someone’s still going to have the magic button that decides if you get the med or the equipment or the specialist covered. And we have 16 specialists, lots of equipment, and a freaking ton of meds.

— Lori (@IsTrumpCareDead) September 18, 2019

But the people making the decision won't be motivated by greed! Do you not see what a difference that makes?

— HedBot (@HedBot_) September 18, 2019

It will still be motivated by money somewhere down the line. My kid’s medical bills are in the millions. We are the people who are “too expensive”. So I can see your line of thought, but I also know that money still makes the calls somehow. The money is not endless.

— Lori (@IsTrumpCareDead) September 18, 2019

But no single payer system exists where a person gets every bit of the complex medical care they need to be at their best health with no fighting. Someone somewhere still makes rules that have to be met before you can get whatever it is. Step therapy, not the right ICD10, etc.

— Lori (@IsTrumpCareDead) September 18, 2019

Thanks Charles! We were at PT.

But yes. Take what we have & patch up the holes. Then take the time to make sure SP/UC is done well and is truly built for EVERYone. Have a solid transition period with a laid out process for going “shit, that didn’t work as planned” & fixing it.

— Lori (@IsTrumpCareDead) September 18, 2019

My goal, my ideal, is a “Healthcare for All” system. Universal coverage for EVERYONE. Single payer system. But if we do it wrong, people die. And we can’t go back and fix that. It has to be done slowly and deliberately and correctly so no one comes to harm along the way.

— Lori (@IsTrumpCareDead) September 18, 2019

So many people don’t think about wheelchairs, DME, specialty medication, traveling for care, or long term care services because they don’t have to. I have to. It changes your perspective because it’s life & death, not “damn, it’s expensive to go to the doctor for antibiotics.”

— Lori (@IsTrumpCareDead) September 18, 2019

We have the same end goal. It’s just that my child and my husband are both disabled and I don’t want them to becomes victims of the transition or of unforeseen circumstances. Nobody can be left behind and that requires extensive and careful planning and consideration.

— Lori (@IsTrumpCareDead) September 18, 2019

I don’t want anything rushed just to say we did it. I don’t want a system that leaves subpar medical care for those that need it most. I want FOR ALL to really be for all. And I think that may take some time to figure out how to do right and how to transition well.

— Lori (@IsTrumpCareDead) September 18, 2019

Put another way: "You Can't Make an Omelet Without Breaking Some Eggs" sounds reasonable...unless you're one of the eggs.