Keep Dithering, Idiots
"A report by Families USA, whose Web site decribes it as a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for high-quality, affordable health care, estimates that three people between the ages of 25 and 64 die in Utah every week because they did not have health insurance."
"A lack of adequate health care led to the deaths of 150 Utahns in 2006 and more than 800 between 2000 and 2006, the report declares."
Let's put aside the question of how these estimations are made, and focus on a few key facts:
"A lack of adequate health care" does not mean inadequate health insurance, although that is clearly what the report and the editorial want you to think.
150 deaths in 2006 equals 0.98% of the total deaths in Utah for that year. So we're talking about less than one percent. This is not the halocaust, folks.
If you are uninsured in the state of Utah, it's more likely by choice rather than circumstance. Having spent a good portion of my career as a health insurance agent, I can tell you from personal experience that the most common reason for going without health care coverage is that people just don't think they need it.
Most people, especially younger people, are relatively healthy, and don't feel they need health coverage. Or at least, they won't go out of their way to purchase it. More than that, no one will give up their Starbucks, McDonald's and Coca-Cola or their gas-guzzling pickup truck in order to work health insurance into the budget.
The irony is, once you need health insurance, it's too late. It's your good health that buys health insurance, the money just pays for it. My advice: get a policy in force while you're young and healthy. Not only is it more affordable then, but you'll be glad you had it when you need it. And you WILL need it eventually.
Now for those who are unaware, here are your options for health care coverage in Utah: If your employer doesn't offer Group coverage, you can get individual coverage. If you are medically declined, there's the state High-Risk Insurance Pool (HIP). If you are low-income, there's Medicaid. If you don't qualify for Medicaid, and can't afford a Major Medical policy, there's Limited Medical, HSA's, and Catastrophic Coverage available. (Or perhaps you should consider trading in your pick-up truck.) You can even get a Health Savings Discount Card for about $15.00 which will get you discounted PPO rates for doctor and hospital services.
I support the following Health Care Reforms found in The Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act (H.R. 3343):
http://action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=90
Do you ever wonder why computers get better, faster and cheaper while health care gets slower, poorer, and more expensive?
Which is regulated more?
Next time you find yourself inclined to advocate for a Communist health care system, ask yourself honestly, "how much more like the DMV do I want my doctor's office to be?
posted by J. Eschler at 5:34 PM
2 Comments:
I agree that the Families USA study and PR is terribly flawed and it is unfortunate that the media is picking it up as fact.
But you are perpetuating some of your own myths. I was on group or individual policies for 10 years, which I acquired when I was young, single, and healthy. The straw that broke the camel's back occurred when I tried to obtain a private preferred policy from the same company as my group policy. I soon discovered I was uninsurable because I had taken infertility medication. The only policy I could obtain was with my state's high risk pool at 4 times the cost with nearly zero coverage.
So I begged the insurance company to reconsider. I appealed 3 times. I looked around for other options. There were none. No insurance company would take my money.
So now I am the irresponsible person. I am fat, drive an SUV, bought an IPOD and I get blamed for the country's healthcare woes! These are all assumptions that you would have people believe.
What a waste of money over the last 10 years. Carrying insurance for that long did nothing for me. I now keep my money and put a "premium" away each month to pay for health care. Life is much simpler without insurance.
J. Eschler said...
I feel your pain, really, I do. But you still had the choice of the HIP, or of perhaps a more limited policy. COBRA may have also been a possibility which, in certain states, guarantees your rights to a HIPAA policy for which pre-existing condition riders or denials are waived.
You also had the choice of undergoing infertility treatments. It's a difficult choice, I know, and I don't envy that one bit. I understand the urge to have children, I have three. I am certain you did not have a full understanding of the consequenses of that choice, and that is regrettable. The good news is, depending on the laws in your state, you will be insurable again 5-7 years after completing the treatments.
I'm not saying you were irresponsible, but you call the insurance company evil for trying to minimize their risks. They do this for the sole purposes of keeping their premium rates as reasonable as they possibly can for their customers, and to maintain a little bit of a profit margin (as much as the regulators will allow).
There is nothing wrong with self-insuring, either, so long as no major catastrophies occur before you have saved enough to cover it. More than half of bankruptcies in the US are caused by medical catastrophies. Think about it, if you tuck away $500 per month, it will take you a year to have $6000.00 saved. The average hospitalization in the US is about $24,000. That will take you about 3 years to save if you NEVER tap into that fund. (Disregarding interest,of course.) You're gambling on time. Self-insuring is fine as long as you understand and prepare for the consequences.
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