For those of you that have read my “about me” page you know that I am a social worker at heart. That’s why issues like health care or the lack thereof really get to me. I get regular e-mail updates from a website called “Stand up for Health Care“. They are an organization that fights for health care reform so that everyone can enjoy this right.
Here are a few facts from their website.

• Four out of five uninsured Americans are in working families.  One out of five uninsured Americans is a child.
• More than three out of five adults who report having problems paying their medical bills  had insurance at the time they incurred their debt
• Between 2000 and 2007 along, the average premium for job-based family coverage increased by more than 90 percent, rising from $6,351 to $12,106
• As unemployment continues to rise and fewer families can afford health coverage, more children are likely to need coverage. For every one percent increase in the unemployment rate, an additional 600,000 children become eligible for Medicaid and CHIP.
• When children get the health care they need, they are better equipped to do well in school because they can do things like attend school regularly, see the chalkboard, hear the teacher, and participate in classroom and recess activities-all essential parts of succeeding in school.

My belief is that healthcare is a right not a privilege just like being protected by the police or the firestation.  Looking at some of these statistics I also think that it is an equality issue.

If you would like to get involved in some way you can also check out Families USA.