That's right. Most of us are fighting for a Public Option that we will not be allowed to buy. Those with employer insurance are locked in to the limited choices of private companies they already have. If your health care cost does not exceed 12.5% of your income, you are locked out. Hell almost everybody is locked out of buying into Public Option health insurance.
Uhhh. That sucks! That is not a true public option. that is not competition. That isn't squat.
My health insurance horror story below....
This is where I am supposed to tell you the horrors I face with my health care. How I have huge issues and am uninsurable. How I cannot get health insurance because of previous conditions. How my life is falling apart because I cannot get medical care. Well, that isn't true.
I am 47 years old and am in great health. I cycle many times a week. I compete in triathlons and Ironman races. I do endurance cycling. My idea of hanging out with my buddies is a 50-100 mile bike ride or a 8 mile run. In the last 10 years I have been to the emergency room once for a minor thing, the doctor for a cut finger and nothing else. I did get a full checkup when I turned 45. That included a cardiologist and a dermatologist. The cardiologist appointment was made because of a slight leftward tilt of the electrical signal of my heart or some such BS. The cardiologist explained that it is a common trait among athletes in very good shape. So I guess you figure my insurance is easy to buy?
I have been working for an insurance company to 10 years. At first they provided my insurance. Then I had to pick up part of it. Recently our premiums have gone through the roof. Last year the company was forced to pass along the entire increase to the employees. As a single employee with the cheapest plan, my premiums jumped 900% to $200 a month- this is for a high deductible plan from United Healthcare. The company premiums are going to jump 24 % this year, and I figure that most of that will be passed on to me again. Families in my company are paying over $400 a month with $5000 in deductibles between drugs and care. Plus hefty co-pays.
Now, my company does have an aging workforce. We did sell part of our corporation and so now fall into the small group category. My thinking that the Public Option will help lower these rates because of the competition is bullshit. There will be no competition. My company and its employees will be stuck having to choose from the same couple of companies that offer employee health insurance in my state and city. Everybody with employee health insurance will also still be stuck with a few limited choices. There will be no new competition from a government run plan. The idea that competition will help lower our rates and give us more choice is complete bullshit!
Yeah, I have a high quality problem here. However, because I have this minor problem, other folks still have bigger problems. I can buy individual insurance, many others cannot. I am not worried about buying food to keep my insurance. Others are. I just do not see how many families are making it. This Public Option will not be helping the majority of people in this country.
If the Public Option is not available for all who want it, it is useless. Push for the Public Option for everybody!