I am an Emergency Physician in a predominantly working class rural community hospital in West Michigan. Every time I work, I see the devastation of a broken healthcare system. People with potentially life threatening conditions who are afraid to take the tests because they cannot afford the medical bills. Patients with pre-existing conditions who are under attack by the Trump administration and the Republican party that seek to eliminate critical protections. There are 297,000 people in Michigan’s 2nd congressional district under the age of 65 who have pre-existing conditions. Last year, I attended town halls and asked my congressman, Bill Huizenga, if he believed healthcare was a right. He told me he believes people should have “skin in the game.” So I decided to run against him. As an ER doc, it breaks my heart to see patients who put off treatment because they couldn’t afford to go to a doctor, putting their lives at risk.
Here are some of my latest thoughts on our healthcare system after completing another night shift at the hospital.
Not only must we fight back against the attacks on pre-existing conditions protections. We must fight for a truly universal healthcare system. Medicare for All will provide security and peace of mind to families and small businesses across the country. With their employees covered, small businesses can use their resources on growing their business and creating jobs, instead of on rising premiums that provide less coverage and cost more. We can provide coverage for general healthcare, mental health, addictions and substance abuse prevention and treatment. We can live in a country with no lifetime coverage caps. We can make sure patients have access to low-cost prescription medications and eliminate the burden for low-income families and seniors. The question we must ask ourselves and our representatives in this critical moment is “in what kind of country do we want to live?” I am calling for Bill Huizenga to return to West Michigan and hold public town halls, which he has not done for nearly a year. If you agree with me that healthcare is a right, stand with me today.
Rob Davidson
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