As the U.S. House voted on historic health reform legislation, my mother was in bed in a hospital intensive care unit.
The waiting rooms of ICU facilities are always filled with families, camped out, waiting for news, any news. There are the saddest moments and those that provide at least temporary hope, a fighting chance for the survival of a loved one. In these moments, no one asks and no one tells what the financial implications are of this medical intervention. That comes later.
You cannot pass enough hats, wash enough cars, or sell enough cookies and pies in the small towns and hamlets of Southeast Kansas to cover these costs. It requires long-term investment that does not fade with economic downturns, corporate profit taking or political whims.
(In her vote) Rep. Lynn Jenkins abandoned these families. May it never be yours.
Cheryl Hudspeth
Girard, Kan.
