COBRA running out; convert to indiv. plan = $1978 PER MONTH for just ME.

and that's with a $2500 deductible.

Dear GOD. That is just sinful.

I'm kinda at a loss as to what to do now. I guess just go for some indiv plan w/a huge deductible and bite the bullet till I get a job.

Is this health insurance reform? More like rape and robbery.

I have been told that I can have a policy if I pay about $6500 per month with a 10,000 deductible. Of course I have a current unresolved spinal injury so they know that if I get insurance I'm gonna use it. Can't have that, now can we?

As many predicted, pre-existing conditions are being offered policies. No one can afford the fucking things, but they have, out of the goodness of their black flabby hearts, offered them. Thank god for health care reform. Everythings going to be OK now.

You'd have nothing to worry about had a sensible, egalitarian health reform passed and went into effect in a timely manner. It didn't.

Im sorry.

:evilfrown:

they can mail the checks to. Otherwise, you're just SOL.

I'm sure you wrote your post sarcastically, but freedom is a terrible psychological burden, especially to those already preoccupied and struggling with health problems. We should thank both parties for lifting this burden from our shoulders.

I am not sure what state you're in but I know in order to join the new "lower cost" high risk pools you have to uninsured for 6 months.

I am sure someone here will know more about it.

that require you document that you have been refused coverage by five private insurers before you can join the high risk pool.

for the high risk pool, and then you have to wait the 6 month waiting period, and THEN you get put on the waiting list to get a policy. It can take up to a year to get a policy.

Many people go for 18 months or more before they can get into the high risk pool in IL. For those with cancer or some other deadly PEC, it means you die.

And the costs are as exorbitant as the individual policy would be. You don't get any discount - you just get coverage.

Furthermore, in IL, if you are already in IL's high risk pool paying the exorbitant premium, you aren't allowed to apply for the Federal subsidized high risk pool when that opens up.

My congressman hasn't been able to tell me if the Fed pool when it's merged with Illinois will also require the standard denial of insurance qualifier before you can apply or whether you just have to be without insurance for 6 months. So consequently in Illinois, many people aren't getting denied anymore. They get a policy written, like the OP, with an outrageous policy cost. My husband's is $1100 alone! We were sure they'd deny him (Stage IV, Grade IV lymphoma) but nope, they covered him and we're locked into a high premium with no relief in sight.

In Oregon you have the one denial and then get the policy, but you have to wait 6 months before any of the pre-existing conditions are covered.

My husband and I both have coverage and it's $600 a piece, with a $500 deductible. We're 52. It does go up with age, but I don't think it ever hits $1100 for anybody. You do have to wait to get a subsidy though, something I hope will eventually be removed once everything is implemented. With the subsidy, we paid $65 last year and are being evaluated for this year's premium right now. That was both of us, not a piece. And Oregon's plan is administered by the dastardly BCBS too.

I know there are problems with the current health care system, and I know the federal high risk pool isn't going to solve everything either.

But what gets me is that there are enough REAL problems out there, without people just pulling stuff out of their ass.

You do realize that you have it better than most American's, don't you?

I'm glad it' working out for you, but my real cost (could I afford it) is $6500 per month. Others her have posted that they are paying $1100 per month. And yet you think we are pulling stuff out our asses.

What do you tell rape victims? That they shouldn't have been wearing a skirt, or walking outside? Sheesh!

They CAN have it better and subsidized health insurance CAN work. If MINE doesn't cost $1100 a month or $6500 a month - YOURS doesn't have to either. That's the entire point. Instead of fighting with me, why don't people work together to get EVERYBODY as good a plan as what I have??????

What real cost would be $6500 a month for you? Please explain.

There is also a 10,000 deductible.

This is insurance speak for "fuck off and die, but you can never say we didn't "offer" you help." It's no different than offering someone drowning an anchor and then claiming that they didn't want help when they decline your "kind" offer.

I have a pre-existing condition that consists of an active spinal condition and associated problems like neuropathy, and related pain. They will cover me, but only at a premium that will pay for any conceavable costs after the pre-existing condition time limits are exhausted.


I'm glad things are working out for you and FYI I have been fighting hard by contributing cash for over 20 years to get single payer or some government policy option. I have directly lobbied and gotten state laws fixed to give the poor more access. And all of my work has been blown out of the water and destroyed by this travesty of a bill. And now that I need help, I can't get it. You can go and peddle your pollyanna dolls somewhere else, bucko.

With a $10,000 deductible?

Is that what you're telling me?

And what state do you live in so I can help you check and see when the high risk pool will be implemented or whether you will need to go with the federal plan. There are individual caps on the federal plan, no more than $6500 a year, so that's better than what you're being offered already. Not saying that you can afford $500 a month, but as in Oregon, many states have subsidies. Hopefully the federal plan will too, but if not now, at least you'll get it in 2014.

That's not POLLYANNA bucko. That's LIFE to millions of people.

For instance, hemophiliacs pay around $ 25,000 a month (not a typo) for the medication they need. So when they are not insured, they have to either be rich, or know someone who is rich and will help them, or just put their affairs in order and prepare to meet their maker.

On edit: I hope it ends up that enough stink is made over this that someone somewhere rescinds much of these policies. For your family to have to be "locked into" an exorbitant premium because of yr spouse's lymphoma is criminal.

When the state insurance exchanges are implemented and there are no more pre-existing conditions at all. In the meantime, the people who can't wait 6 months wouldn't have had anything to wait for anyway, if this bill hadn't been passed.

At the C Span hearings last week.

The hemophiliac population has set up its own group called the "Committee of Ten Thousand" because of how terrified they are of how this is playing out. And hopefully they will remain intent on calling out the panel members so that things get straightened out and no one loses their life over this.

Be more specific, with links please.

Again, people would have NOTHING anyway, so what the hell are they bitching about? I don't get it.

Choices.

Nothing forever OR

High risk pool for 2 years and then access to the insurance exchange and subsidies.

What are they terrified of?

OR are they LYING and pretending that the current pool is ALL there is to health care reform. That's the most likely as all most people do in this country anymore iS LIE.

Saying "Something is better than nothing," is lacking Logic. Why you find it "whatever" to keep saying that, (is it comforting? What?) to keep saying that we would have nothing if we didn't have "this" is beyond me.

"This" was supposed to be:

REFORM!

But the fact that we have no real persons demonstrating leadership in the Congress or at 1600 Pennsylvania means that the whole notion of reform is now a mockery. (In HoR's, we have some leaders like Spiers, Kucinch, Grayson, Garamendi, and a few others, and in the Senate we have Boxer, Leahy and Sanders.)

Barack Obama's entire argument about the style of Health Care reform that he was peddling last year around this time was this statement "Now Single Payer Universal HC is the best and most logical form of Health Care, if you are starting from scratch. But since we have a system already in place, then we have to work out a uniquely American stle of reform, so that we can keep the system we have in place."

Since we no longer have any truly great newspaper or TV analysts any more, no one in the media parsed this statement. Again back in the day, the greats like Ed Murrow would have made mince meat of this stateement (The only person I know of that took this on was Jon Stewart. And the fact that he did so again demonstrates his genius.)

So Obama's logic is not logical. It makes no sense. We either need "reform" or we don't - but if we need reform, why do we insist on keeping the very elements that brought about the need for reform "in place." To cover up the lack of logic in this statement Obama injected what we have heard from our leaders ever since "Bush I" - our plans and projects must be "completely American."

Had we had leadership on this issue, we would have had real Health Care Reform. Not the style of reform that allows for some people on the margins to face death or illness,because they need to jump through bureaucratic hoops to get it. (And since you yourself have been on COBRA, wouldn't that fact alone make you want to have real reform. After all, your life has its insecurities just as many other people's lives do.

Obama also promised, even last year, transparency about HCR. And that it would not be a convoluted plan. Now we have to have entire panels of people working out the details.

I grew up at least a decade before you did sandnsea. (When you revealed some time ago that you were paying under four hundred a month on COBRA, that indicated your age.) I remember an America where a President once faced down a slew of Generals that urged the man and his brother to realize that world war three was the only option to bring about resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis. If we ever get to that point again today, (And economically we are facing such a crisis) Obama is not capable, nor is Pelosi or most of the others on the Hill, of standing up to the Meglamania of the financial generals or the military generals, and acting like a Leader. These are scary times.

As far as the links

Currently the same stuff I watched on C Span is still up and running - (currently on page seven, and its date is June 26th)

i didn't take down the names of the people, but if you want to educate yourself, pls feel free to watch the program on C Span. It is a bit lengthy, but it shows how many people have valid concerns about this monstrosity of the HCR act.

"Center for American Progress Discussion on Health Insurance Oversight
Center for American Progress Discussion on Health Insurance Oversight

President Obama signed the health care bill into law in March, and federal and state regulators now turn to implementing its provisions. The Center for American Progress hosted an event where some of these regulators participated in a panel discussion on developing the exchanges, which will act as clearinghouses for purchasing health insurance under the new law. They also looked at how the new law may control the rise of health care costs.
Friday : Washington, DC : 1 hr. 16 min."

Yes, it is something to look forward to.

Of course, because I am self employed I don't qualify. I make too much (gross income) on paper despite the fact that my net is close to zero right now. While this is not different than what I had before it is still a fucking travesty of a public policy. It was written by and for the insurance companies. And I guess we should be happy that at least someone somewhere will still have a job. Thanks to this bill the only place where you can still get a job for life would be at an insurance company.

While we don't have those sort of costs (mild hemo here) - the groups have seen a rapid drop off of donations, and all the talks of cuts go to those programs that help with this rare disorder. Our social worker has literally had to work magic to keep some of the kids covered, or at least in contact with outside sources that will help on a one time basis.

It's horrendous that the weakest of our society is getting shat on almost on a daily basis now. It's an embarrassment beyond belief.

It covers families of 3 with incomes up to $43,000.

http://www.peachcare.org/FaqView.aspx?displayFaqId=104

accept Peachcare. Many are turning away from it.

But it sounds like it's worth a shot for him to find out.

NC has "Inclusive Health." It's not as good as the State Health Plan, but it's not awful, considering how bad the State Health Plan has become.

To qualify, you have to apply for a regular individual plan (online), check boxes about pre-existing conditions, and then get a letter back (this took all of three hours via PDF) denying you coverage.

Premiums were also subsidized for people with lower incomes, but that money has run out for 2010.

In NC, however, once you're on this, you can't switch to the new plan in January 2011 unless you drop coverage for six months.

Good luck!

I've been on it for 3 or 4 years, with subsidies. They've requested a waiver so that everyone in the state will be under this plan instead of the federal plan. The federal plan pre-existing pool is to cover people in states that aren't going to implement their own state plan. I just don't know how the subsidies are going to work with the new federal plan guidelines. Hope I end up with coverage and cost as good as what I've had.

$10,000 deductible with a co-pay beyond that. Doctor visits are not covered.

I have no docuented pre-existing conditions. Of course, I haven't seen a frickin doctor in over 15 years.

And that clusterfuck we pretend is healthcare reform won't do shit to improve my situtation.

That is outrageous. New Jersey is pretty expensive but the top rate is way less than half of yours and that is for a person in their 50s.

Remember that insurance reform had little if anything to do with rates. The bastards are free to charge pretty much anything they want. You don't think that Congress would pass something that actually favored the consumer, do you?

you live in Atlanta. I live in Ga. also, about 40 north of Atlanta. When my husband changed jobs, cobra was just too expensive for us to afford for both of us, so I paid his $897/mo. cobra and I got an inv. policy for myself through BCBS and the cost was $157/mo. I couldnt get an ind. plan for him because he had bypass surgery 11 years prior, but even though there were no problems in that 11 years, the ins. didn't care. Pre-existing ya know. WHY is your sooo expensive?

I've never heard of a plan so expensive. Maybe that's why they passed that premium tax.

For a conversion. Of course, off the street, I could find something much cheaper but again, it's very hi deductibles and crap coverage and hi copayments. I have a couple of months until Cobra ends. No pre-existing conditions.

The UNsubsidized Cobra for me is 617/mo.

http://www.insurance-now.com/

I didn't check the rates on any of them because I don't have any of the info, like your age, etc. but it's wortha shot.

The other thing I did was call BCBS directly. That;s how I got mine.

Good luck to you. I have to believe CIGNA was just way out there in their quote to you. I don't know anyone in Ga. who has to buy an indiidual plan who could possibly afford that kind of an expense!

:fistbump:

1) Learn how to access foreign health providers
2) Have plane tickets ready and suitcase packed.

Have you tried it?

I spent most of Dubya's second term out of the country -- Obama's house buying credit lured me back. Medical care outside of the U.S. is quite good, even in considerably poorer countries. I've been to a dentist and a dermatologist in Mexico and the cost was quite reasonable, less than what a lot of health plans exclude here as "deductible". If you take your $2000, you can buy a lot of medical services abroad.

The only real shortcoming is that it can't cover emergencies. In that case, you're stuck with 37th in the world, what-the-market-will-bear health care.

It's not like you can ask the medical helicopter to fly you to Mexico. lol.
If only.

When I get to the point that I need more frequent care, I'll be leaving again.

The GF and I are starting to plan for retirement, which we'll probably be starting in six or seven years, maybe as much as ten. Depends on whether my union manages to keep our early retirement plan in the next couple of contracts-- if they do, we're out of here early. We've been talking about Central and South America, particularly Nicaragua and Ecuador, and are going to start visiting both countries soon. One issue that we're both concerned about is the quality of medical care available as we age-- neither of us wants to live forever, we just want to be active and independent and enjoy the time we have. It's one thing to read about health care options from the point of view of a journalist or some such, either well or badly researched from afar, and quite another to hear it spoken of by someone with experience seeking treatment in the region.

Share your findings! This sounds like a great plan.

We're planning to start traveling and looking for ourselves in a year or so. I'm lucky-- I'll draw a pension if the state of California doesn't screw us before then. It'll still be a significant reduction in income, however. If we stay in the U.S. we'll be living hand-to-mouth throughout our retirement, just waiting for the first big expense to drop the ball on our heads. We're hoping to retire to somewhere where we can live more-or-less comfortably-- which by our standards is pretty basic, really-- and not live in complete poverty. It's a bit selfish, I know. We just want to enjoy the relatively few years remaining without having ti work in a convenience store or as Walmart greeters to keep cat food on the table.

... why should other countries have to take care of our citizens. If I were the Canadian government I would figure out how to identify yankees by site. Maybe a big waterproof glow in the dark stamp on the face that says something like "I'm here to rip your country off. We're my fucking cheese fries?"

On the other hand, emigration seems like a good idea.

When the health insurance reform kicks in in a couple of years, you'll get a subsidy to help you pay for a plan and it won't cost that much because my high insurance pool is around $600 a month and that's with a $500 deductible, free preventative screening, and a number of medications that are free.

If you won't want that, you can always join the Republicans and fight for a repeal.

...from people who are supposed to be on our side? I can see being upset that things can't kick in right away, but to say that what we have now is as good as it gets is not true.

"When the health insurance reform kicks in in a couple of years, you'll get a subsidy to help you pay for a plan and it won't cost that much because my high insurance pool is around $600 a month and that's with a $500 deductible, free preventative screening, and a number of medications that are free."


translation: my plan is great - so fuck you and stop whining like a teabagger.

That's insane! I'm on COBRA right now and paying less than $800/mo for myself and my two children.

Which insurance carrier is offering you this plan? Have you visited www.ehealthinsurance.com? They have a lot of different individual & family plans available at prices FAR lower than $2,000/mo (and much lower deductibles, too!).

Seriously though, which insurance company offered this to you?

I am going to look at the link you sent and start getting quotes.
Thanks to all!

CurtEastPoint, my COBRA thru Cigna. I had Open Access Plus (a group plan) thru my former employer and as I said earlier, my premium for myself and my two children is less than $800/mo. This $2,000/mo quote you got for an individual Cigna plan which is ONLY FOR YOURSELF with such a high deductible makes no sense. Please tell me the name of this particular Cigna plan and the link for it. I want to check it out.

Thanks!

are way more expensive than group plans. That's just the way it is. I used to have Cigna (in NYC, until they cancelled all coverage in NY State two or so years ago), and at the time, I believe I paid 1200$ a month. For just myself.

I am now on my husband's plan, and for the two of us (through his work) it is A LOT cheaper. (We are now covered by United.)

I realize that group plans give you more bang for your buck but having browsed thru ehealthinsurance.com fairly recently, I have found a lot of individual plans that seem pretty decent for about $300-400/mo and family plans running about $800-$1,000/mo. However, I have NEVER heard of any Cigna plan which charges almost $2,000/mo for ONE PERSON!?!

We felt your pain, too and opted for a high-deductible catastrophic policy for our family. And then held our breath for well over a year.

:hug:

I'm self employed and broke with a severely painful disability (spinal injury with neuropathic pain - it kind of feels like being dipped in a vat of acid while being stabbed with meat forks - I don't recommend it) The reason for it is that my original insurance didn't pay for the original injury and waiting for a court case to finish has caused multiple complications due to the time factor.

My plan is this. I will borrow the money to get a high pay out life insurance policy and then in 2 years ... blam. At least I will leave my wife debt free.

So saying "please don't do that" is a facile answer. It's what I'm thinking, but I won't say it.

Are there free clinics near you that could maybe help you with pain management, even if the underlying problem itself is too expensive to fix?

As a self employed person I make too much money on paper (they consider gross income only when deciding on eligibility) to qualify even though my real income is pretty much zero. I have held the line as long as I can.

I own and manage a family medicinal clinic that has cut costs to patients, especially those without insurance to the bone. I have held onto employees even as my take home pay has dropped to zero. And now with this latest car accident (I've had three where other fools have just ran stop signs and hit me) I no longer have the energy to go on. I'm done. I'm closing the clinic later this year, letting my employees go, and taking the little equity I have and buying me a life insurance policy. After that it is only a 2 year wait.

The irony here is that my care was denied by insurance companies using factually flawed documents. Documents the insurance companies produced themselves. Documents I informed them were easily verifiably flawed. There response was "take us to court." And so I am. But that takes time, and most of my ongoing pain and paralysis issues are directly attributable to not recieving care in a timely manner. I am a cripple because the insurance companies decided to play god.

The real irony is that if I were in Canada this problem would have been fixed years ago.

So no - free clinics won't help me. I can't pay my docs (contract work) to help because I am flat broke and I need more than another prescription that I can no longer afford. If I seem hopeless and depressed it is because I am. Imagine how you would feel if you knew that a cure was just out of reach, was denied to you for reasons that are false and fraudulent, and the pain is like being suspended in a vat of acid while being stabbed by knives over and over and over. I can't imagine you would be happy or hopeful either.

I would like to tell you that behavior like this is criminal and that insurance companies will be held accountable some day, but the new law actually makes them completely unaccountable nation wide. They have been given carte blanche permission to do whatever they damn well please and there is not recourse for anyone who isn't rich.

I am so, so terribly sorry for you and incredibly angry at our health insurance system right now.

:hug:

I'm done and I'm going to choose the method of my end.

and they assured me I would be paying more even if I downgrade.

Looks like I'm just going to have to cancel my coverage. I can't afford it because the REPUBLICANS said I can't have any more UI. I just found that out this morning, thought I had another 14 weeks. Wow, isn't life grand!?

Anthem/BlueCross and the GOP are crooks. Period.

account would be at least 24K after a year.

so hopefully and most likely you will find some relief when it does.

but you are saying this is because of HR reform?

confused!!!

If you have coverage through your employer, nothing will change, although predictably rates for everyone will continue to rise through the roof as they have consistently - out pacing both the costs of increase of care and inflation, since nothing addresses that concern, either before during or after "reform".

In 4 years the insurances exchanges will be implemented (we hope) where you are supposed to be able to compare a wide array of coverages and prices. At that point there will be no pre-existing condition exclusions and the prices of those policies are not supposed to cost more than a standard issue policy. BUT age rating will still be in effect at ratios of either 3:1 or 4:1 - I've read both figures, so I cannot say with certainty which one is correct. At that point in the future, we will no longer have lifetime caps, although strangely enough, there will still be annual caps (!) at some figure not yet determined by the HHS Secretary whoever that may be at the time.Also, at that point government subsidies will kick in but the combination of deductables, co-pays and drug costs will still be enough to throw many families into bankruptcy.

In the meantime, people who have been denied coverage who have pre-existing conditions are supposed to be able to access the National high risk pool which starts July 1st, but which seems quite problematic. Number one, it is underfunded, with only 5 billion allotted to cover the millions who could actually qualify for four years. Second, the qualifying was intentionally onerous - actual denial of coverage (doesn't matter how expensive if you are offered coverage) AND you have to be uncovered for six months -which is just cruel if someone is ill and needs immediate treatment. It's also just plain stupid, since we can correctly imagine that delayed treatment will be more expensive since the condition of the patient will no doubt worsen.

For passing a Health Insurance Corporation bailout instead of universal single payer.

have the new premiums for HCR been implemented already?

I don't know what the posters means othrewise.

unless he means that Because HCR will happen, the insurance companies are now uping the premiums before the laws change?

:shrug:

I do not think the HCR kicks in for adults for at least a couple of years

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

2500/5000 deduct / 20% co-insurance / 20 co-pay

:P

Ya little shit disturber, you! ;) :P

The not average family! While while Cheney's heart has been sucking off the Government teat since his first heart attack at 38. PIG!!!

It got us through with our son who has hemophilia.

I can probably dig up the number for you. Also, contact your county health department and see if you are eligible for ANY help. Start networking. There is stuff out there.

But for those of us without family to help and without the health to "network" and make lots of phone calls, it is just too big a task. I have just enough energy to get through part of every day at my office. I am literally over 2 years behind in my paperwork at this time. I just don't have either the income, the help or the health to do what you suggest. I spend the rest of my days either resting, throwing up from the pain, or wishing I could die.

I've tried calling my local gov't and charity offices a few time and been told that I don't qualify because I'm self employed. Wonderful news. I've applied for SSI and SSD and been denied. I just don't have the energy left to try again. I wish I had someone to help, but's it's hopeless. Someone might tell me at this point to hang on, that it will get better, but my doctor disagrees. Unless I get the surgery I need it will NEVER get better. I was hoping for single payer or at least a public option. That didn't happen and I can't wait any longer.

DON'T give up.

I've been there. I've looked at bills piled up, avoiding my phone because I know the odds are good that it will be a collector. I've sat in a corner wondering what is the point of trying anymore. And all the other darker thoughts that go along that line.

CALL your county mental health and make an appointment to get in to see a doctor. You are suffering from a form of ptsd, and you need to possibly get on some form of meds to keep going. I guarantee you that if you do, and watch the people going in for the same form of help, you'll see people from virtually ALL levels of income looking for help. It certainly was a revelation to me.

TALK to someone. Sometimes you need someone outside of your own circle who can act as a soundingboard. It helps to get another pair of eyes on the overwhelming pile of problems - if only to find a new way of working through that pile.

DON'T give up. You are NOT alone. And reaching out will prove that to you. Be shameless and fearless. And reach out for help. It's there.

I'm normally pretty positive but I just can't face another disappointment. I hear what you are saying and I know that there is help out there, but I also know that because I am self employed that there is NOTHING out there that I qualify for. I've checked.

If you aren't independantly wealthy or work for the rich (i.e. have a w-2 proving your are poor), then you are screwed. I am screwed. I've been fucked by the system and I can't take anymore.

With multiple pre-existing conditions, it certainly is a risky proposition.

What I did before COBRA ended was get a complete physical and blood work so the doctor would keep my scripts going for a year. I also stocked up on meds through the mail order pharmacy, getting 90-day supplies on everything since there are no generics for my asthma meds.

Now I'm just rationing the meds. I do pretty well in the summer and winter with my allergy and asthma, so I've cut back a bit. I know when my asthma is bad because I get spasms between my shoulder blades. I also switched to a store-brand OTC for one of my allergy meds. It seems to be working OK if I use my Netipot every day.

Never thought I would see the day when it would become too expensive to breathe.

With BCBS of GA, I paid 343/month for indiv. insurance. Copay 30, unlimited office visits and maximum annual out of pocket of around 1000 (if I recall). It ended up being worth it as near the end of my contract, I ended up needing surgery which cost over $30k. They wanted to raise my rate to 400+ but I am now on group insurance.

By the way, reform hasn't kicked in yet.

The insurance companies are closing that "loophole" too. My small 10 employee business was denied a group policy 5 months ago. The agent told me that the insurance companies aren't writing them anymore for any company of less than 200 people because they know it's a way for high risk PEC individuals to "get" insurance.

Before, you could apply for insurance as a "group" - even with as few as 2 people in your business - and voila! Everyone was insured in the group despite a PEC (yes rates would be high, but you'd have insurance - and typically cheaper than an individual policy). But the insurance companies have closed this down within the last year according to my agent. Two years ago when my husband decided to leave his govt job (after the lymphoma diagnosis - I know this is heartrending but true - he didn't want to die doing that job. He wants to die in his organic gardens or riding his horses.), we carefully investigated our health care options since going naked was NOT an option for him. We were assured by our agent that getting a group policy for our farm was a sure thing. Then HCR discussions began and many, many things have changed for the big insurance companies and how they are doing business. We got caught in the vortex of that change. No more group plans for small businesses are being written.

But of course, as I stated upthread, his individual policy was approved. For an unbelievable rate.

And if anyone doubts THIS story too, PM me and I'll send you the copies of my rejection notices....

Of course HCR doesn't touch this little fun factoid either. I know it's been posted on DU before about how many new businesses aren't starting up because of health care costs, well not only is it the cost of a group plan but it's also the fact that many if not most of them will not be able to get group policies written at all. Would you leave your existing company to start-up and go naked for ... however long it took? Health care issues in this country are impacting a tremendous number of economic fronts that will have devastating long term consequences for our country, beyond just individuals like us.

If you're poor you get great coverage through Medicaid and if you're rich you can get whatever you want. I never thought I'd have fantasies about winning a lottery or inheriting money so I could see a doctor. Can't wait to see what the government pool for us insurance lepers will cost.

But to be clear the government and their corporate owners are not interested in what it costs you. The plan is to make sure that you can either just barely afford shitty coverage and so they get all your money before you die, or you can't afford it in which case they will get all your money as you pay out of pocket to die a little slower.

Either way, the middle class had better grease up before they bend us over.

:wow:

for over 3 years now and can barely afford what little medicine my doctor put me on! Yeah the insurance companies in America are nothing more than one step above Organized Crime imo.

My family will put money into a savings account to buy air tickets to another country. We'll use the ER if urgent or unable to fly. I'll opt to die if long term.

But on my way out... I'll do some good.