I guess I just cant stop myself

I really don't want to bring politics onto this blog as its primary focus is Ryan but there was one reason i was very interested in who our next President was going to be. The Affordable Care Act can have a great impact on many special needs children in this country. I know its not ideal and depending on your situation might actually be worse for some folks but I for one am happy about some of the provisions in Obama Care. I

don't live in a state where Medicaid for a disabled child is dependant on the child's income not the parents, and the state has waivers etc etc. Here in NJ if you work you are entitled to nothing, nadda, zip! No mater how medically fragile or disabled your child is. Many families in our state are going bankrupt due to medical costs, and are having to give up work just to be eligible for assistance or being thrown off their insurance when the child becomes too costly and God forbid if you loose your job and have to change carriers. At

least with Obama care they cant make my child uninsurable, and I wont have to give up my job to live in poverty to get him the assistance he needs basically just to live. And that's after paying over $400 month for EI services since Ryan was 3 months old, yes NJ really is bad when it comes to special needs kids, which is ironic as it is bordered by 3 states that and #8, 9 and 10 in the nation for provisions for disabled children.
Yes, Obama Care is not a perfect solution, but on a case by case basis, it is sometimes much better than what we currently have. I'm really hoping that contrary to popular belief it is one step closer to a medical system than takes care of all its citizens ESPECIALLY the children, and tightens the screws on the insurance companies and the amount of fraud that goes on in the Medicaid system, and the extortionate insurance premiums drs have to pay just to practice. Because keeping the system just the way it was was not an
option for alot of folks.
We shouldn't live in a country where medical treatment for our children (yes typical as well as disabled) is a luxury depending on what state you live in, and if your employer happens to give you health benefits. Mine does, and its great if you are healthy, but for my son it doesn't cover any therapy, DME stuff like his braces and wheelchair, his cough assist, a sleep safe bed (hence he's still in a crib at 4 1/2), and the bills from the hospital stays and outpatient procedures are out of control. Luckily we are able to get by but its a huge expense that wasn't figured in when we decided to have a child.
On a side note, my views may be a little different as I was born and raised in Northern Ireland, where we are under the British NHS, and before you all scream OH NO, my brother just had a horrific accident where his spine was severed at T9, he was in ICU for 7 weeks on a ventilator, had a huge surgery to stabilize his spine and has spent the last 8 weeks in rehab, learning to use his wheelchair (which was free) and become as independent as possible. He was released last week without one bill from the hospital. They
sent him home with a hospital bed, 2 days ago he went to pick out his hand control car that the government pays for. Yes, you read that right. The NHS in Britain is definitely not perfect, and it has many many faults
but the above gives you a little taste of how good Americans really don't have it when it comes to healthcare. We have a long way to go in Healthcare reform and there is alot of work to be done and I hope in the mean time our most vulnerable citizens (the sick, old, and disabled) don't get lost in the political shuffle.