It is so ridiculous to have people making a profit off of our health (or lack thereof). Health care is a basic human right and it is horrifying that our government does not ensure that every person in this country has access to good health care. McCain’s proposal truly terrifies me.

Am I the only one who wonders what it would do to the abortion rate to have all of America’s reproductive age women out there buying insurance on an open market?

Just speaking for myself, I am married and hope to have children in the next few years but one thing I am quite sure of is that I am not pushing out no baby without health insurance. No way, no how. Under McCain’s plan I am much more likely to personally have an abortion and I bet I am not the only one.

Shortly after my husband and I became engaged, I had a conversation with my mother-in-law where she asserted, vehemently, that if you were too poor to afford health insurance, there was always Medicaid. Needless to say, I had to count to ten before responding to her, as I was uninsured for 6+ years because my mother worked for a non-profit and my father worked for a small business, and my parents couldn’t even afford to put us on their employer plans (both passed the ENTIRE cost of family coverage on to the employee, and since they didn’t have the purchasing power of a large corporation, it was prohibitively high). I then informed her that many lower-middle class working people who can’t afford to private pay for health insurance make too much to qualify for Medicaid, and even if they don’t, unless you’re under 18, over 65, pregnant, or permanently disabled, you’re still SOL. She didn’t believe me, and basically thought I was full of crap, but that’s a whole other issue.

My point is that I think many people who’ve never had to navigate the waters of trying to purchase private health insurance or trying to qualify for Medicaid have an unrealistic view of how things really work. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to change that, nor do I know how to convince people that guaranteeing a basic standard of medical care for everyone will actually save money in the long run, since by the time people get sick enough to qualify for Medicaid, or to have to go to the doctor anyway (and then aren’t able to pay their bills), it costs a heck of a lot more than it would have had the problem been treated/prevented from the get-go.

As someone who, for the last month and into the indefinite future, is without health insurance for the first time in her life, I hear ya. I’ve already had to give up two prescription medications that I’m not going to die without or anything, but would certainly be a hell of a lot better off with. It’s not even a nightmare, and that’s not even counting the constant nagging at the back of your mind about “what if someone gets sick, what if there’s an accident. . . “

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/us/30insure.html?em

And not just because of reproductive health issues! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Speaking as one of those persons who isn’t terribly ill but has a lot of health problems that require regular medication, I’d be one of those forced onto a high risk plan under McCain’s plan. And with the salary I currently make, I couldn’t afford the out of pocket costs.

Which means, of course, I’d have to pick and choose which medications to take. At least until I become disabled. Then at least I’ll have medical coverage, but it’d be too late then.

I’m in the situation now of having to cobra my health care. I’m lucky that it’s only 308 a month, but even that’s a lot and seriously straining the budget. But I can’t afford to let it lapse because then I’ll get hit with pre-exisiting conditions when I finally do get a job with health insurance.

I always live in terror of losing my job, because it means losing my health insurance. Even voluntarily changing jobs is fraught with risks for folks like me. At this point in my life, I’m mostly able to work, and I want to work. But sometimes I get tired of fighting and think I should just give up and apply for disability. I’d be poor, but at least I’d have some healthcare coverage.

It’s a shame that people like myself have to even have thoughts like that.