Episode 7: Battling Obamacare, Being on TV, & Getting Back to First Principles with NC Congresswoman Ruth Samuelson

INTERVIEW

GUEST: Ruth Samuelson, former NC House of Representatives (R-104th) & Regional Philanthropy Advisor, Excellence in Giving

[1:30] Guest intro. I’m a native Carolinian, and the first time I worked with the healthcare system was as a licensed foster-care parent. Then I became a county commissioner in Mecklenberg, where we handled social services including mental health and public health. Eventually I got recruited and then elected as a state representative, where we started to get involved with broader regulations of healthcare and liability insurance.

BTW, Mecklenberg is near Gaffney, SC — where Frank Underwood is from.

[6:00] Featured on John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight. You were close to the first person to alert me that I was on TV recently, and my first thought was “Oh no, I don’t want to go through that again — thankfully, it wasn’t one of the more difficult or emotional clips.” Since I was a female in leadership in the legislature, I got put in charge of speaking on anything labeled a ‘women’s issue’.

“Women and men deserve healthcare facilities that provide the greatest chance of them being well taken care of, and most abortion clinics are not up to those standards.”

[BTW, this reminded me of the time when I somehow wound up on The Daily Show with John Stewart … no joke, Episode #75 in Season 19 on March 10th 2014 from 3:46 to 3:58. I’m sitting beside my friends Victoria, Hunter, Brandon, and Ryan — we wake up the next morning to find we’ve been spotted on both C-SPAN and the weekly political comedy talk-show that loves to burn conservatives...]

[10:00] How to Handle Media Exposure. Eventually you build up a resistance and learn: “This too shall pass.” No matter how bad it is, just give it some time.

“I got burned really bad once early in my first term as a county commissioner. I learned the lesson that nothing you say, do, or write is ever private — so don’t say, do, or write anything unless you want it on the national news.”

[12:45] Listening to Everyone. One thing I had to learn early on was that doctors and nurses and hospitals are NOT always on the same page. I mistakenly assumed that because they all treat patients and generally want what’s best for them… many politicians like me assume that their agendas are all the same. Another key distinction wound up being between Hospital-owned practices and Independently-owned practices (not to mention a variety of things in between). We started to realize all assumptions had be tossed out the window, and it was hard to keep it all straight.

“Remember, politicians have to be a jack of all trades and master of none — well, maybe of one or two.”

“I know people talk trash about lobbyists, but a good legislator learns to be the ear to as many biased lobbyists as possible sharing their view in order to get every perspective.”

[17:00] Standing up to Obamacare. Payments were only guaranteed for three years, and we were going: “Well gee, once you have someone ON the rolls, it’s very hard to ever take them OFF the rolls.” Since North Carolina covers that at the state level, not county level, we made a basic calculation that WHEN (not IF) the federal government isn’t able to pay for 500,000 new people on expensive health plans, we’re going to have to figure out how to do it. So we decided not to set one up.

We got protested viciously. Some of them had MY picture on their signs. The legislature gave me an armed guard while I was walking around the facility.

[19:45] First Principles. It comes back to the question: at what point does someone actually need government-paid healthcare? For much of history, that source of charity was the Church and local faith community.

[21:15] Name-calling. A lot of people were saying how awful we were for not expanding Medicaid: immoral, completely without compassion for the poor, etc. There were several layers: hospitals and doctors feeling like they made different commitments, a non-profit community feeling like they would have to pick up the slack, the primary insurer worried about lack of clarity. The overwhelming sense was fear because deadlines kept moving and the federal administration kept changing dates for different parts to go into effect, so that just increased the nervousness and anxiety.

[25:00] Intensity Levels. One of the largest hospital systems is in my district. “I’ve seen people literally on the verge of fighting.”

[26:00] Reading up. One of my first historical sources was trying to figure out what the Bible says about these things. One thing was clear:

I learned that taking care of the poor, the crippled, widows, the lame, the blind should be done on as local of a level as possible through charity.

[Historically, these Christian principles of social justice are called Solidarity & Subsidiarity.] Other things were unclear: the Bible doesn’t say much about insurance, so I went with my gut that it’s a responsible precaution.

[28:00] The Trouble with Entitlements. I get frustrated with expansion of entitlements, with throwing around the idea that we have a right to this, and a right to that.

We forget that each new entitlement and right creates on someone else a responsibility and an obligation. We forget there are two sides to the equation.

Government can really only be one-size-fits-all, so it winds up not fitting most people at all. At least send the money down to the local level so that people more familiar with needs can decide how to use it. As individuals, we’re usually too worried about our rights and entitlements; more people should be focused on: what is my responsibility to my neighbor?

[31:30] Dignity & Teamwork. Two other aspects. Free medical clinics aren’t the best philanthropy model, because they don’t invite people to participate in their own care. First, it undermines dignity. Illness and health become viewed as something happening TO you that you have no say in, and as a result people aren’t great at taking the medicine they’re given or avoiding self-destructive behaviors. If everything is free no matter when I come get it, why would I take the doctor’s advice right now?

“It actually isn’t charitable to offer everything free, and we kinda forget that.”

BTW, President Obama agrees with Ruth on this fundamental point:

“So often what we label as a health care system is actually more of a disease-care system in which the patient is passive, you wait until you get sick, a bunch of experts then help you solve it. And one of the promises of precision medicine is not just identifying — or giving researchers and medical practitioners tools to help cure people; it is also empowering individuals to monitor and take a more active role in their own health.”

[34:45] Personal Tracking. The FitBit was helpful for a transition from the public back into the private sector, because as a politician you’re on the move and on your feet ALL. THE. TIME. But the most helpful thing for me now is the SCALE, tracking my weight. Also, since I have an irregular heartbeat, I use an app on my phone to help track that. I have the habit of tracking weekly 30’s: 30 push-ups, 30 sit-ups, and 30 minutes of cardio. Plus, I stretch for about 30 minutes. If I do all of those 5 days out of 7, I count it as a successful week.

[36:30] Nickname Motivation. I grew up being teased with the names Fatty-nut, Ruth-pottamus, and Moose. So when I finally did lose weight in high school, I decided I was never going back.

[37:30] Continuing the Great Commission. Now I work at Excellence in Giving as the southeast regional coordinator. “Charity needs to be done as responsibly as all our other investing, and when you do, it’s a lot more fun!”

UPDATE: Over this summer, Ruth Samuelson was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer. In the video below, she shares openly about this current battle. It amazes (but doesn’t suprise) me that she continues to use even the worst things that happen to her as inspiration to bless others.

If you would be so inclined, please say a prayer for Ruth and her family.