Health Insurance

Love it or hate it, the Supreme Court upheld the President's Health Care act.

Me?  I'm rather glad.

From the beginning, this legislation was clunky, and only placed band-aids over the big issues.  We all knew the current health care system in the country is broken.  When I was uninsured, I had to see a doctor (death would have resulted if I didn't).    My 15 minute appointment cost me $200.   That's like $800 on hour for the doctor's time.  Amazing.

In my opinion, there's more good in this legislation than bad.

• I love that fact that preventative care is covered.  It saves money in the long run.  
• Covering people with pre-exisitng conditions helps to save lives.  My friend might be around today if he went to a doctor months before he landed in the ICU.. he was uninsured and didn't want to get diagnosed with something before his insurance kicked in.
• Forcing the health insurance companies to use most of the profits for like.. health?  Wonderful idea.

Most people are upset that they have to now get insurance.  I get that.  It's REALLY expensive.  If your employer doesn't cover you, that's a lot of out of pocket cost.  I completely understand their anger.  Now, I have to re-read this provision.  Hopefully there's some loophole out of it if you're unemployed and not eligible for Medicare (I wasn't).

But I think of it this way:  If you can afford to get insurance (your employer offers it, or you make a lot of money), and don't... say you come down with Leukemia.  It's bad... since you never went to a doctor.  That 5 day stay in ICU will be over $100,000.  Plus the chemo and doctor's visits that you're going to get.  The surgery to put in a port?  Also out of pocket.  If you don't have insurance, or the money to pay for that, the tax payers pay for it.  It's scenarios like this that the law was designed to prevent.

So now if you chose to be uninsured, you are taxed.  Ok.  You pay higher taxes if you're unmarried.  You pay higher taxes if you have no children.  You pay higher taxes if you don't make charitable contributions.  

As someone that makes sure to get her preventative care (oh, that lovely yearly boobie squish), and who has pre-existing conditions (gotta love asthma and high blood pressure), I'm all for this act.

If you're not.. that's your choice.