Health insurance was robbing the cradle

[Guest guest]

>A few minor corrections: You don't have to go through conniptions to get

>health care--you have to go through conniptions to get somebody else to

>pay for your health care, which is usually a pretty good deal. Also, we

>do have universal access to health care--we just don't have universal

>access to taxpayer-funded health care.

Well, the basic problem in THIS state anyway is that health care is pretty

cheap for, say Boeing. But the insurance folks then balance their

books by charging HUGE rates for individuals, if in fact you can get

it. We pay more for health insurance than we do for house payments.

The state did pass some laws eventually to help out, but basically

the system ties workers to large companies if they want insurance.

Small companies and individuals who work freelance have

a very, very difficult time getting any insurance, and most

of it isn't very good. Really, the situation has gone far beyond

the issue of " Darn, I have to pay for it myself " .

Add that to the issue that a lot of jobs now can't make a decent

living (many of the well-paying jobs are now shipped overseas,

and that is even happening with programming), and a lot

of folks are working two jobs just to afford rent.

>Just out of curiosity, why couldn't she get health insurance?

>Pre-existing health problems?

I believe she did get it eventually, just not very good insurance.

None of us had any money to speak of, which was likely the

biggest problem.

-- Heidi