It’s scary to think that the Presidential race is in full swing. The Iowa caucus yesterday was the kick-off of the race for the White House. I’ve heard lots of discussion about the war in Iraq and the a bit less on the economy even though polls show that’s the number one concern of the American public. If the politicians aren’t discussing what’s number one, how do we have any chance of them discussing healthcare.
It’s at this time that we can have an impact on the political process. Who is going to back funding for research for new medical treatments? Who’s going to address the co-pay situation…I have one medication that if I had an 80/20 split I’d still pay $200 a month for one prescription. Who’s going to pave the way disease prevention strategies and programs?
When facing a life-altering illness these are the questions you ask not just during the presidential campaign, but every day of the year. For some illnesses, if a celebrity didn’t take center stage the illness would fade into the background and it wouldn’t receive funding, even if research institutions wanted to work on the project. It’s why many individuals are finding ways to self-fund research. I saw a story on World New Tonight about a mother whose child had cancer. There wasn’t funding for the necessary research so she started a campaign to raise between 2 and 3 million dollars to make it happen. Her first fund raiser, selling cookies, raised approximately $200,000.
I’m in awe, but now it’s time that the politicians realize who they are working for…US! Hold your politicians accountable and make your voice heard throughout this election year. It could save your life!
Pilgrim Pathway/Surviving Strong 