ELLIE'S BLOG on Living Well with MS

I believe that if we feel strongly about something we have a responsibility to advocate for it.  I do most of my advocacy online. However occasionally I do write a letter or make some phone calls.  I have many issues I feel strongly about. But I advocate only for those that are closest to my heart felt concerns.  These of course are for the disabled,multiple sclerosis, senior citizens and young children. I leave the environment,education,the war and many others issues to the other members of my family.

As the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress prepare to convene, they have given us an early opportunity to advocate for what we think is most important in Health Care. The incoming Administration wants us to engage our family and friends in a dialogue about comprehensive health care reform.  They advocated forming groups to discuss the issue in a very organized comprehensive way.  However, if you could not form a group you were invited to send in your own ideas and concerns regarding comprehensive Health Care issues.  I would not have been able to form a group but I did want to send my ideas in to advocate for them.

All the components of my letter came together this Thanksgiving, however I was extra tired in the month of December due to my MS and a bad cold.  This caused me to delay my advocacy letter.  But I finally did get a letter off to "change.gov" President-elect Obama's website. I went through the MS society's web site connection but I could have gone just directly to "change.gov".  When I sent it I found out I had missed the deadline by two days.  But with a sigh of relief after all my thought  and work I appreciatively read their note that they would read late entry's  eventually and include them also. Below is what I sent to change.gov on health issues.

We had a big old fashioned Thanksgiving this year. Three generations came from the south, east and west to upstate New York. We were democrats, republicans and independents. Our larger extended family which is spread across the United States ranges in age from 2 to 89. But this Thanksgiving we ranged from 18 to 78. As we all have very strong opinions when conversation turned to Health Care under the Democrats I was a little nervous.

Surprisingly, we were all in total agreement that we had to get rid of the excessive profit in Health Care. There was also total agreement that we should have an independent nonprofit agency run the Health Care in our country. However there was mixed feelings about government total control of universal Health Care. But all agreed strongly that everybody in the United States should have healthcare from birth to death. And it should be fair! It should not cost more where you live or if you have preexisting conditions. When the topic of electronic records, prescription writing etc. came up we were all puzzled why it was taking so long. The thing is we know we are spending a fortune in Iraq. Why can't we spend it here on our own Health Care in this country?

My family also agreed on the following:

1.We we should use the information from electronic record keeping to develop best policies practice.

2. more emphasis should be placed on preventive medicine.

3. chronic conditions require comprehensive coordinated care.

4. De- institutionalize people with disabling conditions and allow them to remain within their community.

5. Get rid of the in-house restrictions on Medicare B for durable Medical Equipment.

6. Return rehabilitation to its original intention by FDR which was to return a person with a disabling condition to their community to be actively productive.

7. Use technology as the final step in rehabilitation of those with disabling conditions. Using low tech walkers, manual wheelchairs, computers etc. to high tech upgrades and other electronic devices as rehabilitation specialist’s determine the need for them will make these people more productive.

I am a perfect example thanks to my family. I’m writing this using word recognition on my large screen monitor with enlarged type. And I also have an ergonomic keyboard and mouse when my voice goes so I then type for a bit. To sum up how we feel. Quality Health Care and affordable cost for all. We are a great democracy! Let’s do it.