For an assignment in one of my previous classes, we had to right an appeal letter to anyone we choose, regarding a human or civil rights issue. As my uncle has schizophrenia and struggles with health care in America, I decided to write my letter to President Trump on the issue. *still no response*
My letter follows:
November 29, 2017
President Donald Trump
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Donald Trump:
It is of absolute pleasure that I am writing to a president like yourself. The purpose of this letter to is address the violation of basic human rights in the decision by your administration to move to repeal The Affordable Care Act. Although this decision acts on society at large, it specifically negatively impacts the overwhelming mental health population of America. As a social justice, value-driven, dedicated and privileged member of society, I want to expose to you the dangerous implications that may be placed on already struggling individuals if this decision goes through. The repeal of this act is problematic, unethical, and in violation of basic human rights, because it puts underprivileged people with pre-existing medical conditions who fall below the poverty line at a high risk of an even further decrease in their level of hierarchy within American society.
The current Affordable Care Act covers over 1.2 million Americans who live with a serious mental illness and/or have substance abuse issues. The act itself had one major goal in mind—to “make affordable health insurance available to more people. The law provides consumers with subsidies that lowers the daily living costs for people with incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level,” (“Affordable Care Act (ACA) – HealthCare.gov Glossary”). Mainly, the goal was to “expand the Medicaid program to cover all adults with income below 138% of the federal poverty level (not all states have expanded their Medicaid programs),” and to “support innovative medical care delivery methods designed to lower the costs of health care generally,” (“Affordable Care Act (ACA) – HealthCare.gov Glossary”). The Affordable Care Act was originally created to try and cover health care for all United States citizens, at least those with pre-existing medical conditions. Medicaid is currently the “single largest source of funding for the mental health and substance abuse treatment in the United States,” and “under the Affordable Care Act, low-income people at risk for mental health emergencies, and those fighting substance abuse issues finally had a way to pay for their services,” (II, 2017). Without the Affordable Care Act, these people in need of treatment would go untreated.
Although there is always a system and reason behind every major decision made, the structured system created for certain mental health patients may become amorphous with your administration’s decision to repeal the act, and can be very dangerous for mental health patients who fall within the gray lines of society’s standards. Daniel Spaziani, a 54-year-old man living with schizophrenia in Iowa City, Iowa is a perfect example for just how dangerous this decision really could be for his own life, and for people just like him. Due to his illness with schizophrenia, Dan has trouble doing simple daily tasks to support himself independently. He lacks personal hygiene, sensitive emotions, and basic self and home care. He requires everyday services from schizophrenic-based communities to help himself try and remain at peace with the world around him. He lives every day in moments of intense anxiety and sometimes panic attacks, and requires heavy doses of medication which allows him to be a somewhat productive member of society. Due to his mental illness, he has trouble finding a stable job, alongside not being able to work a full shift for even a part-time job. Dan can work about three hours at a time, typically with the support of a job coach. Because he is unable to make a solid and steady income for himself, Dan is unable to afford any of his vital services on his own, along with any kinds of medications he takes. Counselors and group based settings help him through the challenging and demanding effects his mental illness brings upon him.
Recently, Daniel’s father passed away—his main financial caretaker. Because of Daniel’s own father’s death, he was further negatively impacted and placed further behind in the hierarchies of America’s society. His father’s death resulted in an increase in Daniel’s social security, in turn, leading him to just barely rise above the current poverty line. Without some kind of health care act that protects him from these kinds of situations, he will no longer qualify for any governmental assistance in his battle through schizophrenia. An interview done with Daniel exposes much of the issues he faces while not being able to afford services he is used to having. With many different kinds of services binding together, Daniel finds himself living a somewhat productive and independent life. However, with the removal of his needed services, much of his life has had to be reevaluated and rearranged to fit the needs of his new financial situation. In his interview, he made it obvious that losing services like his everyday counselor has made the transition difficult for him. Daniel was forced to move cities, into a new group home style living center, and was forced to remove necessary services from his daily life that he felt he could live without, in order to afford the ones that were vital to his very existence. A fundamental service that was however removed from his daily schedule, was access to a job coach. Without a job coach, people like Daniel have a hard time working a full shift at their place of work. Without being able to work a full shift successfully, and without access to any of his father’s trust money, Daniel remains in a difficult position and in a vicious, never-ending cycle of remaining ‘technically’ in poverty. He cannot afford his services on his own without a stable job, however cannot work enough hours at a job to afford these services at all, let alone his basic everyday expenses, (D. Spaziani, telephone interview, 2017).
The current world of politics displays to the mental health populations of America that this issue is more of a political and financial concern, rather than a basic human rights matter. Because of the division on health care agreements between parties of our political community, the issue is becoming more and more problematic by deeming no correct or peaceful way to dispute the entire matter. America’s society is full of hierarchical statuses and intersections that further impact these levels. When this is placed within America’s health care system, the people at the top with a fortunate amount of money are able to afford amazing, protectable health care to guard them from all sorts of unexpected events. On the contrary, people living in poverty (the majority of the mental health population), can substantially not afford any kind of health care, and therefore are not protected in the same ways that people who are already more fortunate are.
With that being said, it is important to note that the nation’s grounding documents support kinds of people like Daniel, and actions to repeal the Affordable Care Act are in violation of these documents’ statements on basic human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes in its preamble “the inherit dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” In Article I, it states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” and developing into Article II, it states that “EVERYONE is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty,” (Universal Declaration of Human rights, 2017). Even in Thomas Jefferson’s original draught of the Declaration of Independence does he declare that “all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation they derive right, inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness”, (Jefferson, 1950). It seems to me that by repealing easy access to basic health care rights, specifically for the mental health population at large, violation of basic human rights is taking place. By repealing this act, the human race of America is being deprived of their dignity and rights as a human being. It is unethical to repeal this health care act without any kind of a better follow up plan, in the name of basic human practice, legal, and social justice.
Please take my words into consideration, not only for allies of the mental health community like me, but for actual members of the mental health community, like my Uncle Daniel Spaziani.
With respect and mindful wishes,
Taylor Spaziani
References
Affordable Care Act (ACA) – HealthCare.gov Glossary. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/affordable-care-act/
Jefferson, T. (1950). Jefferson’s “Original Rough Draught” of The Declaration of Independence. (Vol. 1, 1760-1776, pp. 423-428) (United States of America). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Spaziani, D. Repeal of The Affordable Care Act [Telephone Interview].
United States of America. Retrieved November 29, 2017, from http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/
Appendix A – Interview “Repeal of The Affordable Care Act”
Taylor: Good morning Dan! How are you, today?
Dan: I’m doing okay, how are you?
Taylor: I’m doing well. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today Dan! Do you mind if we talk about some issues regarding your access to health care services, like your counselor for example?
Dan: Sure why not.
Taylor: So after your dad died, have you found life to be a struggle at all in any way?
Dan: Well, a little. I’ve had to move apartments, but I like the new one so that’s okay.
Taylor: What had to change in your life after he died?
Dan: Well, I lost a lot of things I used to have.
Taylor: What did you lose?
Dan: Well I couldn’t afford Tom anymore and had to withdraw from the center I was going to.
Taylor: Who is Tom?
Dan: Oh, Tom was my counselor I met with every day. He was a good friend too
Taylor: Are you finding it hard to live without seeing Tom on a weekly basis?
Dan: Sort of. He really helped me get out of the house. I’m trying to get out more but it is kind of hard.
Taylor: I totally understand, no need to explain! Are you sad that you don’t have the same services that you used to?
Dan: Yeah, I really wish I still had that job coach. I have been trying to find a job but nobody wants to hire me. I’m trying to get a pizza delivery job at Pizza Hut.
Taylor: Well keep on trying, Dan! Someone will eventually see what kind of work ethic you have and will be bound to hire you!
Dan: Thanks, T.
Taylor: Are you still taking all the same medicine you used to?
Dan: Yeah that has not changed. But we had to get rid of a lot of other stuff to make sure I could still take the same prescriptions.
Taylor: Does the group home you live in seem to help on bad days? With the friends you have available to talk to?
Dan: Oh yeah. Sometimes other people don’t want to talk but I have made a bunch of friends here. We go outside for smokes together all the time.
Taylor: I’m glad that helps Dan. Do you feel if you had more access to services like you used to have, you would benefit from them?
Dan: Oh yeah! Of course! I miss the center I used to go to. The counselors helped me so much and were so nice. I also wish I had a job coach again but they are way too expensive.
Taylor: I understand. Maybe one day we can get you that job coach again! Thanks for sharing, Dan.
Dan: No problem!