R
redguard572001
Guest
I don't understand why people are against healthcare reform. Perhaps it's because they have never had the experience of a serious illness with our system.
My dad came down with two diseases - first it was a lung disease, which he was able to bring under control, but then he was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma, which made him unable to work very much. He was self-employed, so he had private insurance. They doubled his premiums after the first diagnosis, then quadrupled it after the 2nd. His income declined because he couldn't work as much, so he had to drop coverage. It took a year to get him on my mom's employer plan (Aetna), who initially resisted but finally took him and doubled her premium. During that year he was uninsured, his bills totaled about $100,000, so he had to sell pretty much everything he had to pay it off. Now his health is stable and he is on medicare, but the system robbed him of everything he worked for because he was unfortunate enough to get sick.
I have insurance, but I can only afford a plan with a $10,000 deductible and 30% coinsurance capped at $5000 per year. If I get seriously ill, I will immediately incur $15,000 of debt (which I can pay with difficulty), but if it is not fixed in 1 &1/2 to 2 years, I would have to file for bankruptcy. I have a good copay and prescription drug plan (tradeoff for higher deductible), so as long as I can be treated with drugs I am "happy" with my coverage, but I don't feel terribly secure, since an accident or serious illness would cripple me financially as well as medically. I work hard, save my money, and love my wife. I do everything I'm supposed to do. I don't see how our current system is fair.
It seems to me that our current system vicitimizes the weakest in society - those that are sick and cannot work - by destroying their finances due to something beyond their control. Yet people are resistant to reforming it.
We are either going to pay more taxes or we are going to pay higher premiums. The rate of inflation in health prices tells me that doing nothing will only keep our premiums rising every year.
My dad came down with two diseases - first it was a lung disease, which he was able to bring under control, but then he was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma, which made him unable to work very much. He was self-employed, so he had private insurance. They doubled his premiums after the first diagnosis, then quadrupled it after the 2nd. His income declined because he couldn't work as much, so he had to drop coverage. It took a year to get him on my mom's employer plan (Aetna), who initially resisted but finally took him and doubled her premium. During that year he was uninsured, his bills totaled about $100,000, so he had to sell pretty much everything he had to pay it off. Now his health is stable and he is on medicare, but the system robbed him of everything he worked for because he was unfortunate enough to get sick.
I have insurance, but I can only afford a plan with a $10,000 deductible and 30% coinsurance capped at $5000 per year. If I get seriously ill, I will immediately incur $15,000 of debt (which I can pay with difficulty), but if it is not fixed in 1 &1/2 to 2 years, I would have to file for bankruptcy. I have a good copay and prescription drug plan (tradeoff for higher deductible), so as long as I can be treated with drugs I am "happy" with my coverage, but I don't feel terribly secure, since an accident or serious illness would cripple me financially as well as medically. I work hard, save my money, and love my wife. I do everything I'm supposed to do. I don't see how our current system is fair.
It seems to me that our current system vicitimizes the weakest in society - those that are sick and cannot work - by destroying their finances due to something beyond their control. Yet people are resistant to reforming it.
We are either going to pay more taxes or we are going to pay higher premiums. The rate of inflation in health prices tells me that doing nothing will only keep our premiums rising every year.