2 hours in the emergency room cost me......

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

you're kidding me, right? you honestly think you know more about my life than me?? i'm sorry, but thats ridiculous. as i said i have cancer insurance but i do not pay for it-- my parents do.

cancer has affected my life just as much as it has yours. just because i choose not to live in fear does not mean i dont respect cancer. i just choose not to live my life waiting on it "just in case"

I don't think most of us live in fear we just live prepared.

I think I have certainly beat a dead horse as far as your concerned and I hope one day you do gain a mature priority list especially if your planning on bringing a child into this.
Not all babies are born physically perfect and depending on your husband to go back into the military for insurance is presuming nothing goes wrong with his health or your marriage.

I have a saying you may think of one day:

People Plan; God Laughs

 

[jodifla]

How did she prove your point? She never, ever said that anyone should go without health care. In fact, she said that people should make sure that they have insurance so that they don't lose everything. At least a catastrophic policy at the minimum.

Having health insurance is huge for me. I will do anything to make sure that my family is insured. I would find a job just for the medical insurance if necessary. It is my responsibility to take care of my family and I would make whatever choice I needed to do so.

But the reality is, jobs with healthcare are disappearing.

Heck, jobs in general are disappearing! I certainly believe that you would look for a job with insurance, but what if no one would hire you? There's A LOT of competition for jobs these days. Depending on your situation, You could go months, even years, without a job. Or, you could walk into your job, and find it no longer offers health insurance. That's happening to more people.

And in my area, they don't even hire TEMPS anymore, so you can't go that route either.

Our system is hopelessly broken. The ones still clinging to it are the last few whose benefits haven't been cut.

 

[lillygator]

I'd rather die happy than to save for something I don't even know is going to happen (horrible diagnosis).

Eventually, I will have health insurance. When I get a job after college, I will get health insurance. However, right now, I choose to be happy and young and not stress over imminent death like everyone here seems to think I should.

Health insurance is not an affordable option to me. However, being happy is. I love to travel- it makes me happy. So travel I do.

My husband and I have an "in case" account to the tune of almost 10k (and yep, we're in our 20s- although I will admit over 3/4 of that is money he saved while he was in the military). It's for a house, an emergency, or something of that nature. We don't touch it to travel with. It's for later. We don't touch it AT ALL except to put $250/month into.

We still don't have health insurance, still will not pay insane amounts of money for it and we will continue to vacation however we choose!

ok, you don't have insurance, you fall and break a leg - are you going to pay cash? what is you need a hospital stay, how are you going to pay for it?

 

[momto2girls]

But the reality is, jobs with healthcare are disappearing.

Heck, jobs in general are disappearing! I certainly believe that you would look for a job with insurance, but what if no one would hire you? There's A LOT of competition for jobs these days. Depending on your situation, You could go months, even years, without a job. Or, you could walk into your job, and find it no longer offers health insurance. That's happening to more people.

And in my area, they don't even hire TEMPS anymore, so you can't go that route either.

Our system is hopelessly broken. The ones still clinging to it are the last few whose benefits haven't been cut.

I guess I would deal with that if I was faced with it. I would exhaust every option I had to.

I have to say though that we really must live in different worlds. I don't personally know anyone who doesn't have insurance with their jobs. And I'm not just talking about my local circle. I'm referring to my friends and family in other states too. If I didn't know better, from reading this board I would honestly think that there are only about 10% of us left who still have insurance. Obviously the situation is not nearly so dire (not to say that the system doesn't need reform). I can see why our friends from the UK and Canada are so horrified. They probably don't realize that many people in the US are perfectly happy with their insurance situation.

 

[Mskanga]

i didnt say i knew the realities of having cancer.
i said i knew the reality of cancer. most of my childhood centered around cancer- i know exactly what the financial situation is like, etc. i was there. twice.
so no disrespect but if you're going to disagree at least make it about what i actually said.

That is exactly what she did .....disagree about what you actually said because regardless of if you have it or someone else has it , the realities of cancer are the same ones .

No disrespect, but I know the realities of cancer.

you're kidding me, right? you honestly think you know more about my life than me?? i'm sorry, but thats ridiculous.

Please direct me where I said anything about knowing about your life .....

 

[lillygator]

according to my Healthcare Financial Mangament Core Exam I just took - 15.7% of Americans do not have health insurance.

 

[minnie56]

I'm a little behind on this thread so forgive me if this has been mentioned already.

I've been reading the responses from our friends in CA and the UK that have NHC and they mention paying for scripts and other things. Why doesn't NHC pay for it all? And IIRC, your dental isn't included.

That is where for us, Company Plans come into play. Through my DH we get Dental (limiting the really BIG stuff), Eyeglasses, Chiropractic, Prescriptions, and on and on...

 

[jodifla]

according to my Healthcare Financial Mangament Core Exam I just took - 15.7% of Americans do not have health insurance.

And those are 2003 numbers.

http://www.cbpp.org/8-26-04health.htm

I would imagine the number is even higher today. So in 2003, 1 in 6 workers in America were without health insurance.

 

[jodifla]

And here's another story from 2006

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/04/26/MNGFEIFEGT1.DTL

Jump in middle-income Americans who go without health insurance
Victoria Colliver, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, April 26, 2006


The number of moderate-to-middle-income Americans of working age who lack health insurance has risen dramatically in recent years, a study to be released today found.

Forty-one percent of adults with incomes between $20,000 and $40,000 a year did not have health insurance for at least part of 2005, up from 28 percent without coverage in 2001, according to the report by the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based health care policy foundation.

The report illustrates how employers are dropping health coverage or are offering insurance plans that are too expensive for many workers to afford, according to the authors.

 

[jodifla]

and another story:

http://www.nchc.org/facts/coverage.shtml

with this interesting fact:

The percentage of people (workers and dependents) with employment-based health insurance has dropped from 70 percent in 1987 to 59 percent in 2006. This is the lowest level of employment-based insurance coverage in more than a decade.4,

 

[Piecey]

I don't think most of us live in fear we just live prepared.

I think I have certainly beat a dead horse as far as your concerned and I hope one day you do gain a mature priority list especially if your planning on bringing a child into this.
Not all babies are born physically perfect and depending on your husband to go back into the military for insurance is presuming nothing goes wrong with his health or your marriage.

I have a saying you may think of one day:

People Plan; God Laughs

we can agree to disagree-- i truly have no hard feelings, i know i'm living the best way possible for me.

if i break my leg- yes, we'll pay cash. a hospital stay we would deal with it if it were ever to happen.

i also dont depend on my husband rejoining the marines for insurance. i will be done with school soon, and if he doesnt go back in i will work.

thanks for all the concern, g'night!

 

[lillygator]

And those are 2003 numbers.

http://www.cbpp.org/8-26-04health.htm

I would imagine the number is even higher today. So in 2003, 1 in 6 workers in America were without health insurance.

well, my book must be misprinted. It says 05-06.

 

[golfgal]

Golfgal, I know you believe what you're saying, but it just isn't true. What about my uncle who came down with meningitis as a baby and suffered brain damage? Trust me, that wasn't his choice. He can do simple, minimum-wage work but will never be able to do more than that.

There are plenty of people who, no matter how hard they work in school, will never be able to get top grades and get into university. Not because they're lazy, not because they made the wrong choices, but because they were not born with a lot of academic ability. They will never be able to qualify for the higher-paying jobs.

There are also people with mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders, bi-polar disorders, etc., etc. that limit their ability to work.

If we say that any problems other people have are due to their bad choices, then I guess we don't need to care about them or do anything to help them.

Teresa

But they DO still have a choice, get a minimum wage job that has benefits, Walmart, Target, Starbucks, etc. all offer insurance for employees. Many, many companies do. It doesn't matter how much you make, be responsible and find a company with benefits.

Many people are missing a very important point. It is NOT ALWAYS A CHOICE whether you purchase insurance or not.

Example: Let's say one spouse is older than the other. Let's then say the younger spouse isn't working full-time anymore due to a condition requiring on-going medical treatment. The older spouse retires, or otherwise becomes unable to work, but the younger spouse can't qualify for Medicare yet because he/she isn't 65. If the younger spouse can't hold down a full-time job that offers insurance after the spouse retires, he/she will likely NOT be able to purchase insurance at ANY price that will cover the existing condition. The insurance companies are likely to list the condition as EXCLUDED. They could lose their home through no fault or choice of their own, or face the choice of not being treated. And, until the loss of insurance actually happens, the family spends years worrying about what to do when it does happen. Is this the way we want to treat our fellow citizens, citizens who have otherwise worked as hard as they could all their lives? I have no facts, but would guess there are more of these situations out there than people think. Unexceptable, in my opinion.

Then the choice is to PLAN AHEAD. Get a private plan to cover this eventuality. If you have continuous insurance they CAN NOT excluded preexisting conditions--that is a non-issue if you PLAN AHEAD. It is still a CHOICE no matter how you look at it. Yes, it might be expensive and you might have to cut out your Disney trip but crips, BE RESPONSIBLE. Sorry, sometimes being an adult means you have to make hard choices. Yes, everyone would love to go on a nice vacation each year but if it means you can't carry health insurance then you don't go on the vacation.

Car accident is a bad example because our car insurance would cover that (of course, to the limitations of our policy). My insurance agent's husband died two weeks before Christmas in a car accident where a drunken, un-insured driver hit him.

Uninsured, underinsured and medical payment coverage was the first thing she sold me on up'ing above the state limitations. We both carry full coverage, as well.

If you can find a healthcare premium that a 21-year old college student in West Virginia can afford, fine. Good luck.

At the end of the day, it doesn't make sense to us. Like you said- my husband is covered. He loved the time he spent in the military but when his contract for active duty ran out, he left to better himself through college. He will more than likely go back in-- and then we'll be covered. We're lucky in that sense.

Ok, so what are the limits on your policy? If your medical bills exceed that, you still have to pay for that. I don't know what kind of medical coverage you have on your policy in your state, PIP or med pay, but there ARE limitations to that. An auto accident is a perfect example since it can and DOES happen all the time. Ask the girl in the neighboring town how she would pay for her medical bills if she didn't have health insurance. She was in an accident in August--her auto insurance exhausted her coverage, $250,000 in ONE DAY in the hospital. After 4 months in the hospital and several MILLION dollars later, she can finally walk again.

You live in a mighty black and white world.

It's not always a CHOICE. WHAT A FALLACY!

There are sick people who can't work. There are mentally ill people who can't work. There'are mentally impaired people who can't better themselves.

You can't just "move" in this economy. Just ask all the Michiganders stuck in Michigan...they can't sell their homes or even RENT them.

There are homes in my neighborhoodl that have been on the market for 3 years.

Ok, but there is coverage, medicaid and other state plans, available for these situations. There IS coverage available for EVERY PERSON in the US. If they aren't working and don't have an income they qualify for medicaid, plain and simple.

You still have a CHOICE to move or not--it won't always be easy but you still have a CHOICE. Lower the price of your house, rent it out, etc. Send your spouse on to a new job while you wait to sell your house....Making choices isn't always easy and because they are hard people think they don't have a choice. You ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have a choice in EVERY situation. Not wanting to move is a CHOICE too. I completely understand not wanted to uproot and move for a better job, however you have to realize that by doing that you made a CHOICE not to have health insurance. You also give up your right to complain about that situation when you haven't done anything to CHANGE your situation.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

EVERYONE has a choice to better themselves or to get out of poverty or to buy health insurance. Your lot in life IS your choice. In the US there is ALWAYS something you can do about it. That doesn't mean it is easy but there IS ALWAYS a choice to change where you are in life. ALWAYS.

As for house values, they vary by area. A $700,000 house in San Diego would be a rundown shack without plumbing. It is all relative dear.

As for affording insurance, we can afford insurance because we worked hard in school, got college degrees--which we paid for by ourselves for EVERY dime, made good career choices and were careful with money. DH's first job paid $16,000/year but you know what, he was offered jobs that paid twice that with minimal benefits. Why did he take that job--because we had excellent health care, an incredible pension plan and a whole host of other benefits that made the total package worth a whole lot more then the other companies could come up with.

If you can't find a job, move--there is a choice. If the only job is a paper route, take the paper route to afford your insurance premiums--there is a choice.

I feel bad for your dad but again, what choices did he make to prepare himself for retirement? Again, his CHOICES put him where he is at now.

I couldn't agree with this more. DH and I also struggled financially through college, but we did it. AND we also chose to take jobs that paid lower salaries, but the bennies were/are wonderful.

 

[honeymom]

I pay for private medical insurance because we are self employed. It is not that I have a problem with this, but the rate rise every year has been astronomical - 20% per year on average. And, it isn't really a year. Policies have increases on the average of 9 months. I would love to change policies but do have a situation with a child who has mental health care which pretty much nixes being able to get another policy.

We now are up to $800 month (family of 4) with $4000 year deductible.

BTW, for those of you with employer paid programs, this type of rise is typical for privately insured and even with employer based programs. That is why so many employers now make employees share the cost of insurance.

This year has been a little better as we were able to take our child off some meds that were costing us $300/month.

We have family in France. They have much better healthcare than we do and it is universal. While I know that taxes go up to provide universal care, I do not see the problem with it. Ultimately, we are doing away with layers and layers of health care expense through centralization. My husband used to work for a major health insurer and you cannot tell me that having so many health companies with so many personnel to pay for isn't expensive. As to fears that doctors lose the incentive to do a good job, most doctors are already victims to the health insurance plan standards. Its not like the good old days for doctors. Most doctors have to see many more patients in a day to make a good living, plus they are often restricted on what they can prescribe by the insurance company. That is why many doctors are now on the side of universal health care where at one time they weren't.

Go on and debate all you want. I won't be checking this thread. My opinion is set in stone and I will do everything that I can to vote for the candidate with the better health plan this fall. I encourage everybody else who agrees with me to do the same.

 

[Kath2003]

I couldn't agree with this more. DH and I also struggled financially through college, but we did it. AND we also chose to take jobs that paid lower salaries, but the bennies were/are wonderful.

Do you not think it would be nice to choose a job based on the job itself, rather than whether your family are going to be able to access medical care?

 

[lillygator]

Do you not think it would be nice to choose a job based on the job itself, rather than whether your family are going to be able to access medical care?

that would be nice but everyone's priorities are different. Benefits and medical insurance is right up there for me and my family. I am fortunate that I have great insurance as does DH, although we only use mine.

I also do not know many people who do not have access to medical insurance through their employer. I know many who choose not to take it, but that is their choice.

 

[Kath2003]

that would be nice but everyone's priorities are different. Benefits and medical insurance is right up there for me and my family. I am fortunate that I have great insurance as does DH, although we only use mine.

I also do not know many people who do not have access to medical insurance through their employer. I know many who choose not to take it, but that is their choice.

But with UHC, you'd know you're entitled to the same standard of care regardless of your job. You wouldn't have to take that into account when choosing a job at all. It wouldn't even need to figure in your priorities when choosing an occupation, choosing whether to go to college, choosing whether to have a baby etc.

 

[lillygator]

I am not one for UHC....my family is from England and are not US Citizens, when my Grandfather received treatment overseas, it was horrendous compared to the US.

 

[tlens]

Rankings of the World's heathcare. From WHO.

1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia
27 United Arab Emirates
28 Israel
29 Morocco
30 Canada
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile
34 Denmark
35 Dominica
36 Costa Rica
37 United States of America
38 Slovenia
39 Cuba
40 Brunei
41 New Zealand
42 Bahrain
43 Croatia
44 Qatar
45 Kuwait
46 Barbados
47 Thailand
48 Czech Republic
49 Malaysia
50 Poland
51 Dominican Republic
52 Tunisia
53 Jamaica
54 Venezuela
55 Albania
56 Seychelles
57 Paraguay
58 South Korea
59 Senegal
60 Philippines
61 Mexico
62 Slovakia
63 Egypt
64 Kazakhstan
65 Uruguay
66 Hungary
67 Trinidad and Tobago
68 Saint Lucia
69 Belize
70 Turkey
71 Nicaragua
72 Belarus
73 Lithuania
74 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
75 Argentina
76 Sri Lanka
77 Estonia
78 Guatemala
79 Ukraine
80 Solomon Islands
81 Algeria
82 Palau
83 Jordan
84 Mauritius
85 Grenada
86 Antigua and Barbuda
87 Libya
88 Bangladesh
89 Macedonia
90 Bosnia-Herzegovina
91 Lebanon
92 Indonesia
93 Iran
94 Bahamas
95 Panama
96 Fiji
97 Benin
98 Nauru
99 Romania
100 Saint Kitts and Nevis
101 Moldova
102 Bulgaria
103 Iraq
104 Armenia
105 Latvia
106 Yugoslavia
107 Cook Islands
108 Syria
109 Azerbaijan
110 Suriname
111 Ecuador
112 India
113 Cape Verde
114 Georgia
115 El Salvador
116 Tonga
117 Uzbekistan
118 Comoros
119 Samoa
120 Yemen
121 Niue
122 Pakistan
123 Micronesia
124 Bhutan
125 Brazil
126 Bolivia
127 Vanuatu
128 Guyana
129 Peru
130 Russia
131 Honduras
132 Burkina Faso
133 Sao Tome and Principe
134 Sudan
135 Ghana
136 Tuvalu
137 Ivory Coast
138 Haiti
139 Gabon
140 Kenya
141 Marshall Islands
142 Kiribati
143 Burundi
144 China
145 Mongolia
146 Gambia
147 Maldives
148 Papua New Guinea
149 Uganda
150 Nepal
151 Kyrgystan
152 Togo
153 Turkmenistan
154 Tajikistan
155 Zimbabwe
156 Tanzania
157 Djibouti
158 Eritrea
159 Madagascar
160 Vietnam
161 Guinea
162 Mauritania
163 Mali
164 Cameroon
165 Laos
166 Congo
167 North Korea
168 Namibia
169 Botswana
170 Niger
171 Equatorial Guinea
172 Rwanda
173 Afghanistan
174 Cambodia
175 South Africa
176 Guinea-Bissau
177 Swaziland
178 Chad
179 Somalia
180 Ethiopia
181 Angola
182 Zambia
183 Lesotho
184 Mozambique
185 Malawi
186 Liberia
187 Nigeria
188 Democratic Republic of the Congo
189 Central African Republic
190 Myanmar