doronjosama (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
doronjosama) wrote2010-03-22 11:20 am
doronjosama) wrote2010-03-22 11:20 am
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My Health Care Post
George R. R. Martin's post about health care reform. I agree pretty much with his points.
I am cautiously optimistic about the Health Care Reform. I have issues with some of it (mostly, women's health care issues), and I'm worried about the yearly fine for not having health care. But as a woman of child-bearing age with an asthmatic husband, I have researched buying private health insurance after said husband lost his job. The monthly premiums would have been almost as much as my monthly paycheck, which would make paying rent and bills difficult. The health insurance offered at my job is painfully expensive (that whole child-bearing female thing again, who knew being female would count as a "pre-existing condition") and would cut my check in half, again making the bills hard to pay. Thus, husband has had no insurance for a year, and I have not had any for thirteen years (during my self-employment). In working my other part-time jobs, I have had the football of health insurance pulled away from me because I didn't work enough hours.
Something had to change, when two people who work hard are unable to afford even basic health care. If one of us had a serious illness (god forbid) or were in an accident (god forbid), we would be ruined financially for decades, and would have to file bankruptcy. We're not lazy or shiftless or anything like that, we both work as much as we can. We just don't work in high-yield careers. Most of my friends are in the same boat.
I'm not going to gloat. I'm also not going to argue. Other countries do quite well with single-payer or socialized health care. Japan, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Sweden, etc. This is America. We are supposed to be a world-leading country. This thing can be done, and done well.
I am cautiously optimistic about the Health Care Reform. I have issues with some of it (mostly, women's health care issues), and I'm worried about the yearly fine for not having health care. But as a woman of child-bearing age with an asthmatic husband, I have researched buying private health insurance after said husband lost his job. The monthly premiums would have been almost as much as my monthly paycheck, which would make paying rent and bills difficult. The health insurance offered at my job is painfully expensive (that whole child-bearing female thing again, who knew being female would count as a "pre-existing condition") and would cut my check in half, again making the bills hard to pay. Thus, husband has had no insurance for a year, and I have not had any for thirteen years (during my self-employment). In working my other part-time jobs, I have had the football of health insurance pulled away from me because I didn't work enough hours.
Something had to change, when two people who work hard are unable to afford even basic health care. If one of us had a serious illness (god forbid) or were in an accident (god forbid), we would be ruined financially for decades, and would have to file bankruptcy. We're not lazy or shiftless or anything like that, we both work as much as we can. We just don't work in high-yield careers. Most of my friends are in the same boat.
I'm not going to gloat. I'm also not going to argue. Other countries do quite well with single-payer or socialized health care. Japan, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Sweden, etc. This is America. We are supposed to be a world-leading country. This thing can be done, and done well.