“If You Can’t Afford Health Insurance, Hope That You Don’t Get Sick”
President Obama’s speech at the Democratic Convention last night was warm, inspiring, articulate and moving. And at one point, somewhat familiar:
PRESIDENT OBAMA: “This is the choice we now face. This is what the election comes down to. Over and over, we have been told by our opponents that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way; since government can’t do everything, it should do almost nothing. If you can’t afford health insurance, hope that you don’t get sick. If a company releases toxic pollution into the air your children breathe, well, that’s just the price of progress. If you can’t afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent’s advice and ‘borrow money from your parents.’ You know what? That’s not who we are.”
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And here is a speech on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, three years ago:
ALAN GRAYSON: “The Republican healthcare plan for America: Don’t get sick. That’s right, don’t get sick. If you have insurance, don’t get sick. If you don’t have insurance, don’t get sick. If you’re sick, don’t get sick. Just don’t get sick. . . . And if you get sick, America, the Republican healthcare plan is this: die quickly.”
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Déjà vu. You’ve seen it before.
We feel no small pride that three years ago, Congressman Grayson laid the foundation for one of President Obama’s key points to a national audience last night. But we will feel a greater pride when:
(1) Congressman Grayson is re-elected; and
(2) Every sick American, rich or poor, can see a doctor.
Show your support.
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= new reply since forum marked as read
Looking forward to hearing a lot more from you on the House floor starting in Jan. 2013!
I have health insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Prior to Oct 2009, I could afford although it was a financial stretch a pretty good policy with minimal out of pocket total of I believe $1,000 a year.
I am an individual policyholder, my employer doesn't provide. I paid about $300 a month for that coverage. In the summer of 2009, BCBS MI announced it lost money on individual policies, and requested and was granted massive rate hikes of 35 to 60 percent by MI insurance regulators.
My new quote was over $500 a month, and I was forced to downgrade to a policy with a total out of pocket of $5,800 a year, which costs me $220 a month.
Just a few days after the change, I had to have emergency surgery, so was hit with the new copayment/deductible, and I had to pay that off over time with the hospital.
I was just diagnosed with a serious condition that will take lifelong treatment and follow-up. So another $5,800 by the end of the year out of pocket, the of course everything resets Jan 1st for another $5,800. My medical appointments, tests, are cutting severely into my job time, and I don't get sick time, so it means very small checks. Then I get to miss the next two weeks for outpatient drug therapy for 10 days at the hospital.
I expect to end up medically bankrupt within a few years, losing my retirement savings, most likely my place to live. So I have this choice, if I want to live at all, spend everything I have on dr's and expensive drugs, until I can't afford it. And then, as I understand our system, nothing, because SSI/SSDI is very, very hard to qualify for, most people are turned down. Medicare/Medicaid isn't available to a single, middle aged man with no dependents.
At that point, I basically expect to end up on the streets, and will probably die because I can't get the drugs I will always need to survive. Dead in the gutter somewhere like a stray dog.
Our system is still far from fixed. Of course, if we would just cut taxes on the rich a lot more, no doubt it will be paradise. 
