Why I Push Hard For The #NYHEALTHACT 🍎
My New York Health Act Story
I am Anuradha Naik. I am an International student & Web developer.
I am from India, worked in NYC for both for and non-profit companies. Before I came here, I knew how expensive healthcare was to the point of being inaccessible.
When I first came to the U.S and went to university in Newark I had to pay for student health insurance that I didn’t know how to use. It was the Aetna student insurance, I honestly struggled just in printing out an id (lol) and I didn't really understand it’s coinsurance policy. I was not able to figure out where I can safely go to the hospital without the fear of getting a massive bill.
After I graduated in Dec 2017, I made the choice to spend all the time I am allowed in the US to advocate for #NYHealthAct because it was extremely close to passing. I didnt have a clue what it was going to take, I did know It was one senator away and that it had been around since 2 decades, I didn't even know what the state assembly was. So I ended up applying for OPT which is a years worth of work experience and you can stay in the US if you have some kind of work.
In 2018, I was unable to get a full time job that provided employer sponsored health insurance & had a massive tooth decay that led to extreme pain for 6 months. Despite this pain, I still went on the lobby visits, the election rallies and kept advocating for the New York Health Act. I didn't have health insurance and didn't know how to possibly navigate the market here, a lot of family and friends who recently immigrated used charity hospitals.
I remember graduating in this inhumane pain, I didn't have a job to be able to take a flight back to India because I would be asked about my job status at immigration, My parents had come to see me and holly molly did they see me in unspeakable pain.
We still made the most of it and they were anxious to get me employed but boy going into interviews with massive pain is not fun, the only saving grace was the lobby visits and the rallies and the canvasses that gave me some hope. I honestly could not find or risk going to a US hospital for this.
On Nov 6 2018: Midterm election day, The IDC was overthrown and democrats controlled all the 3 chambers of government (which I now knew about). I went back to my country after all the rallying and lobbying and got my teeth fixed, some of the treatment was left but at least the pain was gone and I felt conscious and capable for the first time. I will never take a tooth not aching for granted ever again.
In 2019, I faced a similar issue in my tooth and had to wait until my financial situation allowed me to book a flight back to India, This time it was a tooth extraction of my wisdom tooth but hey got to see my family, serve my mother, come back again to work and advocate for the New York Health Act.
The only thing that got me through this serious pain was being able to shake some hands telling folks who will never even have the desperate option I have, that they will have healthcare very soon.
I have lived through my fair share of pain, that I wish upon no one and I mean no one but that tough toothache, the perils of having to fight everyday to stay here was still not as painful as seeing and experiencing the uncertainty that the US healthcare system brought about in me, my friends, my colleagues and each every person every day.
If you have lived in the US YOU know, no matter how well off you are, you know the perils of private insurance in this country. You know this healthcare system is built on delaying treatment and you know what that means. GOD forbid you need something that’s not covered , GOD forbid they try to shove the cost onto you which they will and all that delay is with insurance.
Going to the hospital with complete peace of mind to seek any kind of healthcare needs to be a right and that must include dental, vision, mental and long-term care. Burdening sick and desolate people with high medical bills isnt an acceptable way to provide healthcare. We simply must accept this reality and make the NY Health Act happen and work for us. This industry is not worth anyone's life and certainly not worth the 24 X 7 stress it inflicts upon us. WHAT keeps us in disease is not having healthcare when we need it.
Spare me the pats on the back , I want to see people well taken care of . I want to see this happen, Medical decisions are decisions of life and death and they cant be made at the whims of insurers , its that simple . Wherever you are Pray for this to happen ASAP. This is an urgent need.
The arguments about it not being feasible will not matter when it’s your life or your loved ones life being pushed to the wayside for Aetna or Humana and by that time it will be too late. Stop pretending this doesn't affect you or you have some backup, Join the movement and help make all our lives matter.
Standing List of Things One Can Do:
- Tell everyone you know about it !!
- Put an apple 🍎 next to all your online handles
- #SinglePayerSunday Join us on IG/Twitter with this hashtag and share your stories and tag your elected officials
- Use #PassNYHealth & #NYHealthAct on IG/Twitter to promote this legislation.
- Share your story here https://www.nyhcampaign.org/story
6. Contact your senator https://www.nyhcampaign.org/contact_your_senator
Biggest Highlights that I saw during my advocacy
- #PassNYHealth trended on twitter for the first time in 20 years . If you follow me on twitter you know when down.
- The IDC is not a thing
- #SinglePayerSunday , something folks give me credit for , for some reason ; Its a s a national online event on twitter where all people come together and advocate for guaranteed healthcare
- My biggest achievement I feel is I asked the question , whats the first thing you would do when this happens. I would party all night and sleep all day and eat party food for the rest of the week.
So in case you wondered why did I do ALL that ? I can’t see people die knowing I could have done something about it. Honestly I think NEW YORKERS & All the folks in the US having healthcare is WAY TOO WORTH IT.
I can’t honestly describe the fulfillment I will feel when New Yorkers will go to the hospital in peace and the doctors & healthcare providers will be able to practice in peace
WHY DO I CARE : I know the value of your life. Its worth saving. That’s how it should be inside and outside the hospital.
For years and years, I have pretended to want to live in NY because of career, because of moolah 💸 because that’s what people expect why folks want to live or immigrate anywhere. People who have known me since I came here in 2017 and before have mocked me because I used to talk about going back to my family in 2018 and didnt end up doing so.
But I will never forget MLK day in 2018, I attended the civil rights prayer conducted by Rev William Barber and they gave me a “We Shall Overcome” button and I decided at that time that I had the courage to stay on & advocate AND make this happen , I couldn't go back on people I could have done something for especially since it was so close…
Since then it has been a real process (to put some sleepless nights and unfortunate family fights very mildly) to be able to stay here and justify the lack of monetary reason / monetary success,
But to be honest this has been an opportunity of a lifetime for me, for someone who wanted all her life to live for the greater good, for that I am ever grateful , I will never be able to describe that gratitude for giving me such a huge opportunity to pursue with my time ⏱️, to help me catch a break in such a real way from the petty cynicism that can become ones life. Being able to tell & advocate for thousands of people regularly that they will in fact be going to the hospital is peace for me.
I am always going believe in New York and believe that people here can in fact make this happen đź’– after the perseverance & humanity, I have seen and experienced here . And I will do everything to make sure that is in fact passes and becomes reality.
(I am sorry I am so extra)
I did come to love New Yorkers which I never thought would happen, HECK in a zillion years I never thought I would be writing something like this or doing something like this but as long as I can stay, I am going to be right here letting you New Yorkers know that there is someone out there who will celebrate just a bit harder when this happens and always look out for you. What can I do, I cant see you die. Of course I know this is will the first step in a series of steps that will then lead to a National Medicare For All policy .
Thanks to Campaign for NY Health and Physicians For A National Health Program for being so welcoming, nurturing and supportive even when I wasn't at my best.
I believe in you New York, Yes I am talking to each and everyone living there, I I am so excited for you and for this🍎 and everything you achieve !! Lets make this happen!💖💖💖
DISCLAIMER :
For every idle person in this world who is going to call me a commie or a socialist, I am not. I do not read that much. You can ask the DSA. I want us all to be well taken care of and the economy should revolve around that regardless of what economic theory one subscribes to.
Our lives are precious and they should be treated as such, The value of patients’ lives is not up for debate.
