Good thing YOU have affordable healthcare!!! Don’t worry yourself with the rest of us. Just hope we don’t pass along our ‘disease’. ….

And god forbid, you find yourself working for a small business where insurance costs you over $800 a month!!!!

I’m 38, husband 43, and two daughters age 6 and 10 months. In ‘03, I paid a $35 co-pay to my OBGYN, and nothing else, except for a $500 deduct. for the hospital I gave birth in. I was paying $160/mo. for my health ins. through my “small business” employer at the time, (Veterinary Hospital). My husband and I decided to use his employer healthcare coverage for our family,…it cost $200/ mo…. Although we were lucky to be a healthy family, our daughter did have an occasional x-ray or bloodwork at her pediatricians’ office, but I never saw a bill, (and never even really heard of a deductible, though I knew it existed, non of our needs fell under it.)

In July ‘06, my husband was offered a job for a small business in Titusville, Fl., because of an increase in salary of $7000/yr. We jumped at it! (My husband had gone from an 8th gr. teacher, to a Logistics Eng. in Orlando for $53, now will make $60,000 in a small town .., which was what we wanted??!! Great!!! His first paycheck was actually less than his previous ones. And so the story begins…..

Our health insurance his 1st year was $158.00/week, (they got paid weekly.) The second year it went up to $176.00/wk. The third year, it increased to $201.00/wk, ( for most,the population that gets paid every other week, that would be $402.00 taken out of every paycheck you receive,…for insurance!!.) We had a 2nd daughter this last January, and though we pay almost $900/mo., we had to pay $1000/deduct. for my pregnancy! My husband had a vasectomy done in May, inwhich fell under his own deductible! Our 6 year old broke her collar bone last year, the walk in clinic took 2 x-rays, ….it all fell under her “OWN” deductible! After paying almost $11,000 last year in premiums ..alone!! We are still trying to pay off the almost $2800.00 in deductibles in addition!!

We cancelled my husband’s insurance, and now pay ‘out-of-pocket’ for Dr. visits. My husband and I are both college educated. His income is $70,000/yr. We have cut corners so that I can stay at home with our daughters. Might seem lazy to some of you, but our 6yr. old has had 100% on all of her spelling tests this year. We live within our means. But I can tell you neither my “Republican” husband, or I, a “non-party”, (but truthfully a hippie at heart), are willing to pay so much money for a premium, and then to be sent ..bill..after…bill…I just won’t do it!!! (Even my partisan-voting Republican husband won’t!!!)

We ask for no “freebies”. We never qualify for anything,..anyways! We always make too much, or too little. Neither of us would EVER take something from anyone! We have even turned down our parents help, after being VERY poor after having our 1st daughter and trying to purchase a house. We are not entitled, but I do have opinions on healthcare!!!!

Is healthcare a right? I feel that it is. Whether your wealthy, poor, or inbetween, (as I consider us, going from paycheck to paycheck) our children deserve to have the same opportunities throughout their childhood. I believe in public schools, mostly because I want my children and every child to have the same opportunities for an equal education…Black, White, Rich or Poor. The question should be……Do I want my child going to school amongst other chidren that may not have access to the same healthcare?? All children should have equal healthcare. Does anyone really want their child to be exposed to another child because they don’t have insurance?

Shoudn’t we all have equal access to sick/well visits to make sure our country is strong and healthly? I’ll pay a little more,(not to insurance co. that make billions in profits!)but invest in us as a “whole”.

I read a ‘blog’ inwhich someone mentioned “subsidizing” insurance companies premiums/policies. I’m assuming they are young,..or are working for the Ins. Industry! Unfortunately, subsidies, are what adds to our deficit. Being from Texas, living in Florida, and moving to Vermont at age 19 to 24, I understand subsidies possibly in a different way. Subsidies work for large farms, and allow them to be be ineffiecient. It does nothing for small, responsible, humane, and enviromentlly efficient, small farms. I’d rather my tax dollars go to the latter…

For those of you happy with your insurance. I’m glad. I hope you never have to claim Bankruptcy as we did, mostly bcause of our rising premiums and healthcare debt. And to be young and care-free, Gosh!, those were the days! But you too will find, one day as you get older, and find yorself with a person you love, and then to experience all the “greatness” of youth through your children together,..that health ins. is not so simple.

UHG! And for “GEEZ KATHY” what the hell? I happen to like Obama, but why would you harp so much on the previous blogger? I suppose some people just like to ‘bitch’ about the way things are, but will also oppose any changes, that might be better! The sooner we all become comfortable with thinking this as a “world economy, and “people as a ‘whole’ , the better off we will be. OH! And the sooner you come up with a better idea, please let me know!!!

But just remember, you may also find yourself with someone that you love comepletely, and have a child. And if you are lucky enough to still feel “crazy” in love with the father of your child and call yourself a “family”, you, too will be trying to find the best ‘policy’ that fits your family. Do you really think our country is strong, when some are sick and don’t go to the Dr. because they just can’t afford it?

Don’t be wish-washy!!! We’re either all for one!…Or one for all!! But stand for something!!@! :)

It doesn’t take care of you, but at least the kids would be covered.

I’d at least consider a relatively inexpensive, very high deductible policy. If, God forbid, you were in an auto accident . . . you can be bankrupt in twelve hours flat with emergency room trauma, ICU, etc. We had to go without insurance for a short period of time due to changes in jobs, etc., and we ended up not going on a ski trip, because we had no insurance — neither my husband or I wanted to risk skiing without it! THAT’S when you fall off the mountain and bash your head on a rock!

I have savings, but I’m trying to keep what I can in there in the event something bad happens or the unemployment runs out before I find another job and I need to pay my mortgage.

Any advice?

Theresa, glad to hear he is able to get home. I will keep y’all in the prayers, sounds like there is still some ground to cover. Thinking of your family (especially your Dad) as the Jackets take the field! Don’t let the ballgame get your brother too worked up.

;)