I am not a person or American Citizen apparantly

[TZ]

I as a chronically ill person with a pre-existing condition apparantly does not exist to either the far right or the far left. I listen to the Republicans claiming Americans don't want health care reform. THATS BULLSHIT. Its also complete bullshit that no one but the insurance companies benefit from this bill.
I've ranted about this before..
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6970101
But I think its worth reminding people, that this bill will benefit some of us. Is it a flawed bill? Of course it is.
Its bad enough for the Republicans to pretend I don't exist or that my condition is my fault. But it turns my stomach to see post after post here basically saying they'd rather have the status quo than this bill. People who say that are people who don't have experience playing the insurance "game" like I have...The funny thing is, when my insurance company can't find a loophole to get out of doing what they say they are gonna do for me, they actually do a good job for me. I know I'm fairly lucky in that my employer pays a decent amount of coverage but still...My out of pocket expenses for my visit to Mayo clinic last year were $70. So sometimes insurance companies do what they are supposed to do. I pay $25 per month for my interferon, which would cost me out of pocket $2,000 per month without insurance. So lets not pretend that insurance doesn't help anyone because its helping me- now that Mayo and I made sure they couldn't weasel out of covering me
Would I like to see more people be able to get access to the level of care I get? Of course. But lets not pretend that HCR isn't welcomed intensely to people like me, because it is. I'll be able to sleep better at night knowing that one day my insurance company doesn't say..Oh you've reached your lifetime spending cap, we won't pay for you anymore...
Rant over.

[gateley]

1. I wish for all that you do, but I'm happy for what we're getting now.

It won't help me personally, but I'm happy for the people it will. My time will come. :hi:

[kestrel91316]

4. Same for me. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna fall through the cracks and still not

be able to afford medical care with this. But LOTS of others are being helped, and it's never been just about me.

[MercutioATC]

2. It seems to me that at least part of your issue is a pre-existing condition...

...and this bill doesn't address that issue until 2014.

How many people will die because they had to wait four years for access to health care?

[TZ]

3. How many would die if nothing were done?

Waiting is a bitch of course, but better late than never!

[MercutioATC]

10. Why do the "pro" people always paint the issue as "This, or nothing...FOREVER!!"?

[CBR]

11. Probably because it has been this or nothing forever... nt

[laughingliberal]

5. It sounds as if you have good coverage and I am glad for you

I would just point out that the policies people who buy their own insurance and need a subsidy will not be nearly this generous. The coverage is for 60% of reasonable and customary with a $2000 deductible and $5,500 out of pocket max for individuals or $11,900 max for families. Before I couldn't work anymore, I made a good living and my insurance plans covered 80% with low deductibles and a $4,000 out of pocket max annually. It was good coverage but a stretch in the years when one of us had a major surgery. We have no coverage now as we had to drop the COBRA after my husband was finished with his cancer treatments. We just couldn't handle the premium any more. We might qualify for a subsidy under the new plan but we still wouldn't be able to handle that $11,900 out of pocket. The coverage people get under this will still leave them with a lot of expense. I didn't want the status quo. I wanted real health care security for people.

I do hope the many here who have said the bill will be improved over time are correct.

[Warpy]

6. People who say they'd be happier with nothing than with this bill

need to live with NOTHING for as long as I have.

I have lived with NOTHING since 1987, at first priced out and later simply written off by an insurance industry that will not cover me at any cost. That has meant living in poverty when I didn't have to, saving for any health expenses over and above what ailed me instead of doing anything that you healthy people are able to take for granted.

The filthy attitude that unless it is perfect, it is never good enough is one of the things that has forced me to live this way for far too long.

So go straight to the hell you want to keep me in, all you purists out there. Experience NOTHING for a couple of decades so you will know what you are talking about when you post that shit in here.

[TZ]

7. Kicking for morning crowd

By the way the pre existing condition and life time spending cap ban go into effect right now!

[WilliamPitt]

8. There it is.

My wife's MS medication costs $2,500 a month, plus $7,000 a pop for MRIs, which she has to get at least twice a year.

Her terrible awful profit-hungry monstrous bastard of an insurance company covers all but $25 of the monthly medicine, and covers 100% of the MRIs.

So.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. TZ--fuck yeah!

K & R'ed.