By Joyce Schlag, CCW
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Letters, March 19, 2020
We are all connected, a community of people experiencing vulnerability in the face of the coronavirus which threatens us, our families, neighbors and friends. We are becoming aware of how the well being of one person can affect the well being of many. This puts a focus on community. Ā We are all inter-connected in the web of our complicated lives. This pandemic causes interruptions for all of us.
Social distancing, reports of closures, concerns about cascading economic fallout are all part of our national conversation. Health issues such as the availability of tests, treatment, masks, ventilators are high priority. We are missing the conversation about the need for universal health coverage, how important it is, and critical in time of a pandemic.
This is the time when we must call for universal health coverage. This virus should be our wake up call, Many of our own citizens are uninsured or cannot afford medical care. When the public service industry does not provide health coverage for their employees, workers who have much contact with the public are vulnerable. Among others, there are those who work in the food industry, restaurants, bars, fast food places, grocery stores, barber shops, hair salons. They need to be protected, as well as the customers they serve.
Many uninsured workers have low incomes and live paycheck to paycheck. They donāt qualify for government programs, ironically, because they have jobs. Seven out of 10 uninsured have jobs, but no insurance. Others have jobs that offer health care coverage, but the premiums, the deductibles, co-pays and medications essentially make that coverage unaffordable. The reality of at least 29 million uninsured cannot be ignored. There is no safety net for them.
Today, itās the coronavirus. In the future, there likely will be other infectious diseases that threaten the health of our nation. We can do better. We must have universal health coverage.