Cystic Fibrosis Fatboy

Please, Mr. President, Don’t Kill Me

I had no intention of doing anything remotely political on this site, but I’ve just been overwhelmed by the number of tweets, Facebook statuses, and blog posts that I’ve seen from the cystic fibrosis community in favor of the bill that passed last week. Overwhelmed to the point of needing to speak out.

Disclosures first

I took the Nolan Chart survey to find out which political sector I fall into based purely on my views of what government should be. I would suggest taking the survey, too, because it may help you think about things consciously that you just regurgitate what you’ve known from your house growing up.

Libertarian: supports the smallest possible government, supports individual liberty in all ways, prefers to only defend our borders and not interfere in other countries’ affairs

I scored as a libertarian, near the conservative line. I’m not hard line libertarian, though, because I believe in a strong military backed by government money and the Interstate System. Until we can get everyone in private schools funded by some sort of consortium of parents, I suppose I have to agree with public education for now, too. I will use their “working definition” of libertarianism for now.

I do not believe the government knows how to run anything right, or at least better than a private company. Examples: USPS vs. FedEx, Medicare/Medicaid vs. Aetna, Social Security vs. mutual fund 401(k)s invested in properly. Money is wasted left and right, like for studies to see if people have slower reflexes when drunk or if students get lower grades in college if they don’t attend classes. Special interests rule the day, and I’ll be shackled and sent to Azkhaban before I become one of those suit’s special interests.

I earn my money. I’ve earned my degree. I pay an exorbitant amount of self-employed taxes (over $6,000). I pay thousands of dollars ($440/mo in expenses and $485/mo in premiums) for my health care alone, but I’m in charge and no one tells me “no, that isn’t covered.” I’ve been blessed by the Creator with trillions of neurons that I choose to fire of in a dazzling array of faith, love, motivation, determination, grit, and an iron will to survive, thrive, and spur others on to the same greatness that I have achieved. Granted, I’m not a household name or anything to brag about, but I’m proud of every achievement notched in my belt that the government never had a hand in.

The CF community

I see CFers running around saying that they can’t get coverage or they will be denied any useful coverage because of their pre-existing condition, but in most states, if you work for a company with more than 50 (maybe even just 15) employees, insurance companies cannot enact a pre-existing condition clause. I’ve never not been covered as a result. Now that I own my own company, I paid COBRA for a year and used the HIPAA guarantee and prior-coverage certificate to wave the one year delay on pre-existing conditions again.

[Read more…]