Thanks to right-wing talk radio the level of disinformation in the public stream of information is at an all-time high. Hannity, Rush, and all their brethren will literally say anything to either start a ratings increasing controversy or make the Republicans look good. As a result, there is a perception that people who don’t have medical insurance somehow choose not to have insurance. The Kaiser Foundation published a study called “Myths About the Uninsured” that debunks some of these right-wing hacks more egregious claims.
Most of the Uninsured do not have health insurance because they are not working and so don’t have access to health benefits through an employer.
Actually, 80 percent of uninsured Americans come from working families. However, of these 80%, 81% are employed be companies that don’t have insurance, or are not eligible for their employer’s health plan.
In other words – they either have a job, or one of their immediate family members has a job.
Buying Insurance is always an option.
The average annual cost of a private insurance plan is around $3300/year or $275/month. For an individual who makes $2000 after taxes, this represents 14% of their monthly income. This is on top of, rent and the ever-increasing price of gas. In other words, the cost of insurance is prohibitive below a certain income level.
The uninsured believe they don’t need it or don’t want it.
The majority of the uninsured (52%) state medical insurance is too expensive.
Most of the growth in the uninsured is in higher income brackets.
The unemployment totals have increased 5 million in the last 5 years. Of these 5 million, 75% are from low-income families.
Does anyone see a pattern here? It’s about money. Plain and simple. These are people who are working trying to move-up in the world. But, insurance is financially beyond their reach. These people know about insurance but don’t make enough money to pay for it. And I’ll bet you employers work this system to their advantage to keep people off their insurance rolls to keep their costs down.
I am self-employeed, and I buy insurance through a professional association. It costs $17,000/year for family coverage, with a $2000/person deductible. None of us has serious medical problems.
Fortunately, I have built up a stable business, so I can afford these premiums. But I can’t imagine having to pay that when I was starting out. If Democrats can proposed a simple, understandable health plan (like Kerry’s), they can win a lot of votes.
That is one hefty premium
I’m self-employed and I have a family of three (myself and 2 children), and our monthly premium is $618 without Rx coverage…up from $475 per month in 2001, when the copays were 1/3 of what they are today.
I would like to know why the cost of insurance can increase by 35% in such a short period, while most people’s wages remain stagnant…and 5% is considered a generous pay increase by most employers.
WOW. . .5%! If any increase in wages in my state are offered and/or given, they are 1% or .5%. State Employees have had no raise at all in the past 6 years. Raises are very scarce in R Idaho.
Heck no, no one can afford health insurance on the middle to lower ends of the income scale.
Fortunately I am in very good health. . .for now. . .
I am at the age now where I must give up my carry over insurance from employment and buy some Medicare supplemental. If it costs more than what I am currently paying, I will absolutely not take it. Out of my combined SS and retirement income of $1600 a month, I pay $100 mo for my insurance carry over. There is not wiggle room here. . .so either I will become a burden to local tax payers if the need arises, or I will take a page out of some indigenous peoples ways and walk off into the woods saying “today is a good day to die.”
I am most inclined towards the second option.
Goddamn them all to hell, anyway.
Yes, the uninsured CHOOSE to be uninsured, single women on welfare LOVE to collect those pitiful checks that come from having to go every 60 days and be interrogated and made to feel worthless, the unemployed LOVE to sit around all day doing nothing, it is their CHOICE, those who are debt CHOOSE it because it is such a fun and freewheeling lifestyle we all lead….[reining in rant]
Approximately one THIRD of my husband’s paycheck goes to insurance premiums every month (for a family of four), this does not include medicine, copayments or anything else medically out of the ordinary.
And a Righteous Rant it is! You go girl!!!
I think more and more people are becoming aware of the need for universal health care, but as long as the insurance industry can keep buying politicians it doesn’t matter what the people want.
You know, this is the main thing that bothers me about the Democratic party. The crisis in health care coverage is so obvious, so unfair, and so damaging, and yet the “liberal” party STILL doesn’t support single payer health.
I try very hard not to be blantantly and openly against Democratic policies, because I know that they are currently the party of most progressives, but frankly, the Democrats are hardly better than the Republicans on this topic. (And on many others, e.g. energy, Iraq, etc.) The party is simply too beholden to big-money interests.
Compare Jill Stein’s support for singler payer with Hillary’s “keep the insurance companies solvent” health plan.
http://www.massinc.org/about/cw_govinterviews/stein.html
http://www.soonerthought.com/archives/000579.html
A third party is desperately needed in this country, and until that happens, plan to keep on paying that old health insurance bill…