I strongly disagree with the health care plans that have been submitted for review by the house and senate.
I understand that organizations such as ours feel the need to collectively work together to support legislation but I need to remind you that there are serious concerns about some aspects of the bills for a significant population of citizens, including practicing nurses.
We, as psychiatric mental health nurses should know better than anyone the stigma of working with “forgotten” citizens. Patients, who have no resources, are seen as a burden to society and would be soon forgotten if eliminated.
This is how over half of the population sees the unborn. (Saad, 2009)
Unless provisions to eliminate any funding for abortion are written, I will refuse to support these bills.
I am also waiting for congress to say they will take the public option for their own coverage. Anyone who mandates something that they don’t have to subject their family to makes me very suspicious.
Respectfully,
Barbara Barnes BSN, RN
Reference
Saad (2009) More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time Gallup Published May 15, 2009 and accessed online November 23, 2009 from
http://www.gallup.com/poll/118399/more-americans-pro-life-than-pro-choice-first-time.aspx