How Health Care Affects You

[The Wielding Truth]

Poll question: How Health Care Affects You

Does the health crisis effect the DU members in a negative way? How many of us are struggling?If the Senate does not protect us from corporate harm,how many of us will be hurt?
Let's find out were we are in this.

[Donnachaidh]

1. may I suggest one more entry?

I CANNOT get insurance on my own because of a genetic condition. Insurance companies won't even QUOTE me a price.

[The Wielding Truth]

5. There were no more slots for another question. I guess you would

check the last question.

[DailyGrind51]

24. I would ad that "I have insurance through work, but would not have it, if I lost my job."

I have a cancer history.

[walldude]

2. How about "I can't get insurance at any price"

Thanks to "pre-existing conditions". You have a response about having it but it's too expensive because of pre-existing conditions, I'd like to know what health care company provides health care to actual sick people, because that would be a fucking miracle.

[The Wielding Truth]

4. I found this. I know it's very expensive.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_you_get_health_insurance_if_you've_been_diagnosed_with_lupus

[Donnachaidh]

21. well, we wouldn't be eligible even for that

My son, who has hemophilia, just had a knee sprain that required an infusion. Cost of meds alone - 20 thousand dollars. This is the 2nd infusion he's had this year, so we're well over the 25K limit.

And he's a mild hemo patient. :shrug:

[undeterred]

3. I've been uninsured for over a year.

I've been unemployed for 6 months. The last time I had a job the health insurance was "offered" but not subsidized by the employer so I could not afford it.

[The Wielding Truth]

6. Please K&R so we can see how our DUers are doing.

I will send the results to Harry Reid and President Obama.

[undeterred]

7. thanks, good idea

[damntexdem]

8. None of the above.

I have fairly-good insurance from work (BC/BS); but:
- it suffers from the general malfeasance of insurance company practices;
- I expect that it will get worse, along with all other insurance, if we don't get health reform;
- I am worried about my son's ability to get coverage as he grows older, again unless there is reform.

[Laelth]

9. Where's "I have no health insurance and haven't had any for years?"

Where's "this system stinks, and I have neither insurance nor health care" (and those are different, btw).

:shrug:

:dem:

-Laelth

[The Wielding Truth]

16. You would check the last answer. If you could afford insurance you would

no doubt would have it, if you wanted it, and you had it at some point, so just for the poll's sake you can answer that you don't have it now. There is no way in the US to get healthcare if you don't have insurance unless you have a special agreement with a provider who will take cash or barter and you have enough cash,clout, or barter to get it. In the US insurance is the only well beaten path to healthcare.

True.They are not the same, but you need ins. to get and afford mainstream healthcare.

[Laelth]

27. I did check the last box.

I actually did have health insurance years ago, so that box does apply.

:dem:

-Laelth

[redqueen]

10. K&R

[timeforpeace]

11. Lack of other answers will make the last one the winner no matter what.

[WeDidIt]

12. I have awesome employer subsidized health insurance

which I know I could lose at any time and it scares the shit out of me.

[The Wielding Truth]

14. I know how you feel. Our pay has stagnated while utilities, local taxes

tuition,gas and healthcare go up and up.It's frightening in other ways,too. Our public libraries, local schools,roads,and social safety nets are also in trouble or failing.It's a fact that we are a country and not a company. Free market isn't the biggest component that makes us a great and civilized
nation.

[MrsCorleone]

13. My insurance is thru Kaiser Permanente, a non-profit, tax exempt insurer.

In '06 my premium rose 7.2% from '05.

2007: 7.2% increase

2008: 7.5% increase

2009: 17.9% increase. WTF!?

Starting Jan 01, 2010: 13% increase. Again, WTF!?

And, oh yeah, my deductibles have increased 150% between '06 and '09.


Did I mention that this is a tax exempt non-profit insurer?

[endless october]

15. COBRA.

so i have it for now. but at some point, the subsidy runs out.

[The Wielding Truth]

17. Will you be able to afford it when it is not subsidised?

[endless october]

20. it will be tough.

i think mine goes up to something like $700 a month without the subsidy.

i hope i'll be working before then.

[blondeatlast]

18. Pre-existing condition (insulin dependent). My STBX is keeping me on his plan

through COBRA to keep me from, well, dying.

I hate it--but am damn grateful, too.

[Ms. Toad]

19. I voted the second option for myself - BUT

I have a 19 year old daughter who is only eligible for dependent coverage on my plan as a full time student. All of her critical educational (and career influencing) decisions are being dictated almost entirely by the fact that if she is not a full time student she will no longer have access to health care.

With her current treatment plan, she has approximately $60,000 in medical expenses each and every year - assuming nothing goes wrong. Her illness is an orphan illness; there is currently no accepted medical treatment other than a transplant, and she is not yet eligible because a transplant currently is riskier than living with the declining status quo. The bulk of her expenses are currently being paid by big Pharma because she is patient #9 in a drug trial (the previous trial which started nearly a decade ago finished recently with a total of 14 patients). Come May, the trial will be over, but her need for the medication will not. With only one published study, and a total of 23 patients currently in or completed trials, the $50,000 a year drug may not be available even if she has insurance because it will likely be considered experimental - or at a minimum off denied as off formulary because it is not an approved treatment for her condition. Our ray of hope is that it is an FDA approved drug - and (we hope) she will personally have a record of it being an effective treatment for her.

Her illness has dramatically deteriorated her abilities to perform academically (going from valedictorian of her high school class to having a strong first semester at college last year, to barely making it spring semester, to failing half the hours she attempted this semester).

Previously she tested as gifted in math, and earned 4/5 on the AP chemistry exam (for 8 hours of college credit). She is currently unable to successfully complete courses beyond art, dance, or other similarly less brain intense classes. The courses she is able to successfully complete (in which fields she might be able to complete a major) will not likely lead to a career that will provide access to insurance.

She desperately needs to take time off to see if she can get her health under control and to rethink the direction she would like to/might be able to head with her life. She is permitted to do that only once, only for one year. If she takes the time she needs now, and her need for a transplant occurs while she is still a dependent, she/we will be up a creek without a paddle because she will have used her one time medical leave.

Currently, her prospects for the near future of being able to obtain either a job that provides insurance or a job that pays enough for her to be able to purchase insurance on her own (or pay directly for her medical care) are slim to none.

If I could only stop the clock and keep her 18 forever we would be fine - until she hits the lifetime caps for coverage. Unfortunately, she has moved into that age when most people are expected to be healthy and to be able to purchase insurance for a pittance. No insurance company is going to sell her insurance for a pittance - and it is unlikely that anytime in the near future she will be able to afford more than that.

Meanwhile - I will pay to keep her covered with my last dime - which will soon be a significant annual ongoing cost - at 19, $14,400 a year.

So - I'd say we've been negatively impacted by the current state of access to health care in this country.

[Lyric]

22. Medicaid.

[dysfunctional press]

23. medicare. i'm 48 and disabled.

[HillbillyBob]

25. Same here, 47 disabled, partner has

bcbs that costs a bunch because he is single and we are a gay couple.
His company offers to all employees wedded spouse, and what he gets for coverage really amounts to a 20% discount. The do pick up some full charges here and there, for which we are grateful.
I still do not like being 2nd class citizen. He cannot take me as dependent on taxes or we lose my medicaid/medicare and SSD.

[dysfunctional press]

28. i have medicare, but not medicaid...

medicare only covers 80%, and NOBODY will sell me a 'medicare supplement' policy at any price- and they aren't required to, until i turn 65 and there's an open enrollment. then- they'll have to sell it to me...but they get to set the price.

is this a great country, or what?

(and please tell me that you chose 'what' )

[Feron]

26. Other.

I have a crappy cheap policy, but I am fortunate enough to not need it at the moment. However it renews in October and I don't know if I will be able to afford the increase.

My mom is uninsured after losing her job. Unfortunately she is nearing retirement age and the cheapest insurance she can find is 900 a month with a 10k deductible.

[mdmc]

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