Monday, July 07, 2008

Health care

New American Media reported on a health care crisis that is looming in California in part to our governor. It all stems from the budget cuts that are affection all aspects of life. For immigrants such as myself, it only means that daily life is going to get harder and everyday commodities are becoming scarce. I never had health care and my mom never applied for it even when she qualified for it. when I asked her about it she said she didn't do it because she didn't want to deal with all the paper work and answer questions that they required answered. In all honestly I always thought it was because of the language barriers. Growing up, I was the family translator. They had me translate every kind of letter and conversation in offices and businesses in person and over the phone. Growing up my mom took every opportunity to get me and my sisters free vaccinations for school at local health clinics. She never miss an opportunity to get free testing or check ups. I remember those times because we would always end up being in crowded clinics with kids running around all over the place making all kinds of noise and just being kids. She also did the same for dentist and any other opportunity she had to keep us healthy. Some of those clinics are still around but most of them focus on offering free pregnancy test and physical exams. The girls offering them get paid by commission care more about getting people in the door. In all my time here in the U.S. I've never had a real proper physical check or dentist appointment. The only times I've been to the hospital was when I pooped my ear drum when I was eight or when anyone else had to go to the hospital. To this day I still don't like being in hospitals. They rattle my nerves. If the governor does cut back on healthcare the way he plans, it only means that other moms won't be able to inoculate their kids because they can't afford it.