For Middle Class, Health Insurance Becomes a Luxury

[ozymandius]

DALLAS — The last time Kevin Thornton had health insurance was three years ago, which was not much of a problem until he began having trouble swallowing.

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Mr. Thornton, 41, left a stable job with good health coverage in 1998 for a higher salary at a dot-com company that went bust a few months later. Since then, he has worked on contract for various companies, including one that provided insurance until the project ended in 2000. "I failed to keep up the payments that would have been required to maintain my coverage," he said. "It was just too much money."

Mr. Thornton is one of more than 43 million people in the United States who lack health insurance, and their numbers are rapidly increasing because of ever soaring cost and job losses. Many states, including Texas, are also cutting back on subsidies for health care, further increasing the number of people with no coverage.

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[Don_G]

1. I Think The Percentage Is Higher

43 Million was the number quoted in the Congressional Record when I had to do a college research paper---14 years ago.

[billbuckhead]

3. It's really a hybrid between health insurance& bankruptcy insurance

Let's hear it for crapitalism!

[Don_G]

13. It's Worse Than That

My Mom retired from a Bell TelCo. The taxes, health insurance and rates for basic services were raised so far and the benefits dropped to the point she could afford her house and food or move into the welfare system to afford the life-saving drugs she needed.

My Mom died last February.

[bleedingheart]

2. The Healthcare Abscess is festering, when it busts it will get ugly

My insurance has gone up significantly.
I also found out my company is restructuring...if I lose my job...health insurance will be a necessity for my family due to asthma but I don't know if I will be able to afford it.

My cobra payments would be almost double my mortgage....that is just a crime.

[Nlighten1]

8. Same here

My deductables tripled last year. I was stunned when my boss showed them to me.

[dragonlady]

10. Find a job before COBRA runs out

or you may have to look for an individual health policy and find out what REALLY high premiums are. I saw a graph in Time magazine that showed that the employee's share of insurance, taken out of paycheck, averages $2400 per year (from memory). Total average cost for that insurance (what you'd pay under COBRA) is $6600. But how about a policy that costs $8800 per year and carries a $2500 deductible (for each of three family members) and then pays only 80% of the rest. It does cover one checkup per year for each person, but no other office services, immunizations, lab tests, etc. Plus, based on what they learn from your application, they may exclude an existing condition. Depending on your financial condition, a severe illness could still drive you into bankruptcy. But look on the bright side--with the huge medical deduction, you won't need to pay income tax!

[bleedingheart]

11. I checked for a family of four it is $15,000 a year for healthcare

Luckily my husband and I live way below our means... so we would be okay for a while... however I do worry.

I am keeping my ears open for news at work and I am working towards getting another job.

[E_Zapata]

21. so basically, for almost $9000 or $10,000 a year......

You are good to go IF you have perfect health?!

It is an abomination.

I ran into a 26 year old kid yesterday. He needs a root canal.....really bad. Has needed it for a few months. His mom got him some oxycontin to tied him over...and he's trying to keep the infection down.

He's happy because he has a new job. In 2 MONTHS, he gets to go to the dentist when the benefits kick in. I just hope his pain doesn't get him fired or something.

Even when I had dental insurance, I couldn't afford my part for a new cap for broken tooth. Basically.......in the richest, most medically advanced nation on earth.....dentistry is for the haves.

[The Zanti Regent]

23. We know what the GOP version of health care is

You engage in "sacrificial giving" to TV Preachers. When you get sick, they will pray for you. When you die, it's God's Will...

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. Providing health insurance is not profitable for employers

If an employee becomes unusable, there is an ample supply of replacements who are in good working order.

[bleedingheart]

5. as Scrooge said... "Let them die and decrease the excess population"

or something to that effect. We are regressing to Victorian Industrial Revolution values... as I said...the Gilded Age is being revisited!

[w4rma]

25. Scrooge: "Well, let them die and decrease the surplus population."

http://www.prospecttheaterproject.org/reviews/a_christmas_carol.htm

[bleedingheart]

35. thanks for the correction

same idea though...

[DUreader]

6. If Health Care is a Luxury, You are No Longer Middle Class

Wake Up and Smell the Warfare

[leQ]

7. we're awake. it's time we had some coffee.

n/t

[bleedingheart]

9. Bingo!

[glitch]

15. I was going to say that.

I left the middle class this year.

[Myra]

18. Good point DUreader

That's more Orwellian newspeak to say
that middle class people can't afford
an essential like health care.

[JailBush]

12. Workers and teachers should start bringing

horrible diseases with them to work and spreading them to corporate executives and school officials.

[Myra]

14. And this column in the NY Times no less

One of the top media whores, and a wholly
owned subsidiary of the GOP/BFEE.
The newspaper who helped create the current
health coverage crisis by being in bed with
the devil.

I guess they decided it's "fit to print"
this news now that the damage is done and
people are largely helpless. I'm sure it
wasn't fit to print when President Clinton
was trying to implement universal health care
'cause they were too busy inventing a whitewater
"scandal." Then it might have made a difference.
Now it's a post mortem.

Media whores.

[bleedingheart]

17. Good Point!

They shilled for Bush Inc now that people are screwed they can have "personal interest stories"..

[Myra]

16. And of course they don't link cause and effect

Like it's any coincidence that Texas
has the highest uninsured rate in the
aftermath of Chimpy. And the fact that
in his aftermath so many uninsured children
were "left behind."

And what might the federal gov't be doing
to remedy the situation? They don't ask.
That would piss off their mob bosses.

Just a snapshot of the current situation.
In isolation.
No timeline of GOP/media crimes leading
up to it. It just...happened. Poof!

[ironflange]

19. And to think I used to complain. . .

. . .about paying $180 a year for Alberta Health Care. Mrs. Ironflange's work (school board) pays it now, though, so it's basically free. We only get 80% of prescription costs back, however.

[young_at_heart]

20. The middle class is about to self-destruct

The gap in income between the rich and the poor in America is now higher than at any time in recent modern American history. The gap between rich and poor more than doubled from 1979 to 2000.

[prolesunited]

24. Could you point me to the statistics on this?

I was debating someone about this the other day as well as the gap between the salaries of executives and average workers. I would love to get my hands on some hard numbers.

Hope you can help. Thanks!

[DuctapeFatwa]

33. gap between rich & poor widened 70% between 1998 and 2001

The disparity in wealth between rich and poor, as well as between whites and minorities has rocketed, according to a report by the United States Federal Reserve. The difference in median net wealth between the top 10% income group and the bottom 20% leapt 70% between 1998 and 2001, the...


http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/1-23-2003-34228.asp

[54anickel]

36. I had something on the payroll gap

In the US it's like 450 times, the next highest is Germany at 49 times. I'm still looking for it......

on edit:
Here's one, though not the one I am looking for...this is an interesting site though
http://www.ufenet.org/research/CEO_Pay_charts.html

Here's another, still not the one I'm looking for...I'll give it one more shot.
http://www.aflcio.org/corporateamerica/paywatch/pay/

[54anickel]

37. Chart at the end of this article compares US with other countries

This is based on averages, but I think they are at least comparing apples to apples

http://www.businessweek.com/careers/content/apr2001/ca20010419_812.htm

Nobody beats the U.S. when it comes to the difference in pay between CEOs and the average worker. On average, CEOs at 365 of the largest publicly traded U.S. companies earned $13.1 million last year, or 531 times what the typical hourly employee took home.

Around the rest of the world, Latin America is the leader in pay disparity, though even it doesn't come close to the U.S. At the other end of the spectrum, Japan has the smallest gap between CEO and average-worker pay.

The calculations below are based on on estimates by the consulting firm Towers Perrin as of Apr. 1, 2000. Average employees were assumed to be working in industrial companies with about $500 million in annual sales.

Country CEO compensation as a multiple of average employee compensation

Brazil 57
Venezuela 54
South Africa 51
Argentina 48
Malaysia 47
Mexico 45
Hong Kong 38
Singapore 37
Britain 25
Thailand 23
Australia 22
Netherlands 22
Canada 21
China (Shanghai) 21
Belgium 19
Italy 19
Spain 18
New Zealand 16
France 16
Taiwan 15
Sweden 14
Germany 11
South Korea 11
Switzerland 11
Japan 10

[The Commie]

40. Dems can't do anything about this...

because any one who supports socialized healthcare will be painted as an "evil goddless commie traitor" by PNAC.

[area51]

22. healthcare in the US

How can we call ourselves a civilized country when we let people die of treatable diseases? If our tax $ were being put to uses other than perpetual war and tax breaks for the ultra wealthy, I'll bet there's enough $ in the system to have a single-payer health plan. Uncouple people's healthcare from their jobs, for starters.

[Beaker]

26. "Uncouple people's healthcare from their jobs"???

what are you thinking? Emancipation for the wage-slaves? Ain't gonna happen.

[Mika]

27. This crap DOES NOT happen in "communist" Cuba

I've been to Cuba many times, including some long stays there. EVERY Cuban citizen, regardless of income or status, has full access to a well rounded health care system.. and this includes specialized care and or surgery. The highest doctor to citizen ratio in the western hemisphere.

This also applies to Cuba's education system.

How is it possible that a small and poor country, with its neck under the US jackboot embargo, can create and maintain one of the highest levels of healthcare & education for all of its citizens?


Oh.. that's right.. I forgot.. Castro forces this on the beleaguered Cuban people. :crazy:

[brainshrub]

28. I've been haveing problems breathing

but I don't have health insurance. It sucks. I'm scared to go to a charity for healthcare because I doubt I would be able to afford the medication and, if there is something serious wrong with me, I will be branded as having a "pre-existing condition" and I'll never be able to get healthcare again.

My condition scares the tar out of me. I don't know what to do. I hope I can find a job that provides health insurance soon...then if I can hold off seeing the doctor for 6 more months I should be fine.

[Bozita]

30. Now, that is truly scary

I'm sorry for you.

[bleedingheart]

34. That is just plain wrong! You should get treatment

this just pisses me off so bad....

[4dsc]

29. So why is health insurance so high

I can we all have problems with private health insurance but that doesn't answer the question to WHY is the insurance so high??

[DuctapeFatwa]

31. Because rich men want more money

As you grow in years and wisdom, you will find that that is the answer to most questions beginning with "why"

[Mari333]

32. Its a luxury for me!!

I can barely afford it, and they raised it 100 dollars a month. I called them and they said "Its the economy", so I changed my deductible ...I stopped drinking anything, and eat very little. I dont go out, I dont drive much, I dont go on vacations, I dont do anything that would cost money, I keep lights turned off, I turn the heat down to avoid the high heating bills, I dont waste food and I cut out the cable TV...and I cant find a job.

[GinaMaria]

38. what do you think

Someone recently stated in a conversation with me, that national health care helps business. If businesses were free from providing health care benefits, they could pay the same salaries, but make a better profit. My friend felt that would encourage businesses to stay in the country. He felt that Canada lured business to their county for this very reason. It's a thought :shrug: Anyone else think this?

[0007]

39. My supplemental health insurance from BC BS of Texas.....

has gone from $90.00 a month to $180.00. I have nothing but Social Security.

I have to go on Medicade. I can't take this!

[ProudGerman]

41. Is the breaking point anywhere in sight?

Just how long and hard does the average American worker have to be raped over health care costs before they say enough? I know people who have large families, and they are paying outrageous sums for health care. Sums so high that if they didn't have to pay them, their quality of life would be raised substantially. One family in particular would be able to stop renting and buy a house, and buy a decent vehicle instead of the beat up POS's they have to buy every couple of years.

I bring up socialized health care to these people, and every last one of them goes on about how nice that would be. But what happens come election time? They vote for the people who are doing their damndest to make sure it never happens.

Insurance companies and credit card companies are the most worthless companies in existance. Can you fathom the buying power the average American would have if they didn't have to pay all those premiums and interest? Demand would outstrip supply at all manufacturers in a matter of weeks. Stores that sell high dollar items would be stripped bare in just a few pay periods. Factories would have to srping up everywhere to supply that demand, and underpaid workers at those insurance and credit card companies could get decent paying, long term jobs.

We live in a consumer driven economy, but the powers that be seem focused to keep us the consumers from having any kind of buying power.

[reprobate]

42. You think things are bad now? Just wait for the new Medicare.

The repugs intend to turn medicare into a privately insured system. When they succeed in this you can expect to see the health care for seniors degenerate into the same confused, unworkable system the rest of us now have.

How will you feel then, when your parents and grandparents die because some minimum wage insurance company employee denies the needed medicine or medical proceedure because they "are not on the schedule"?

The one good thing about this situation is that the worse it gets, the easier it will be to install a true single payer national health care financing system.

[Tracer]

43. I am self-employed and have no health insurance.

It's either pay the mortgage and my town's property taxes (5th highest in the state) Ñ or pay for health insurance.

I can't do both.

[newyorkdork]

44. Two big problems

are for profit health care companies and huge doctor premiums.

managed care organizations have a statistic called MER medical expense ratio and it is the percentage of every dollar collected in premiums used to pay for health care. Most not for profits are about 90-92%, with the extra money used to pay salaries, facility costs, etc. For profits usually have an MER of 80 to 82%, with 10% going to sharehold4ers and the other 8 to 10 for costs.

Dcotors have to pay big premiums cause they are often sued needlessly. One of the previous posts stated that Cuba has a good system. i wonder if people are allowed to sue doctors in Cuba?

Back in the 60s health care was much cheaper, but the legal standard for malpractice was much higher. There were also more cases ofdrunk docs, etc.

I guess we get what we pay for!