A Good Case for Universal Healthcare

by Bryan Young

I draw a modest income with my media production business, but being self-employed makes health insurance damn near impossible to afford. Hell, with the way self-employment taxes are set up, we're lucky to be able to pay those.

Because of this catch-22 (running your own business at the expense of normal company perks like medical care), I find myself thinking things that no one in an emergency should have to deal with. You see, at a Mother's Day barbecue last month, my son accidentally lit himself on fire. The barbecue was luau themed and he was wearing a grass skirt. Getting too close to an open flame with all of that dead grass and he was quickly running in circles in the backyard trying to put himself out before family members came to his aid.

My first thought (other than, "Jesus, he's on fire!") was, "Is this bad enough to need an emergency room visit?"

As soon as I got close enough to see that the skin on his hands and legs was bubbled over and charred, I realized that it was, indeed, bad enough to need a visit.

My second thought was, "But how will I pay for it?"

It's sad and disgusting to me that these things were forced to enter my mind when my only thought should have been getting my son immediately to the hospital.

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