https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 02:42:52 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758535 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 20:10:49 +0000 erinbaderin 2758535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: I think you have a pretty inaccurate understanding of our health care system (which I'm not saying is perfect but which I definitely think is better than the US system). I experienced bleeding in my pregnancy twice. The first time I went to my family doctor that day and she gave me a referral for an ultrasound the next day. The other time I went to the ER and while it took 5 hours, I got an ultrasound that day. I'm not sure what instances you're referring to but when a Canadian has a medical situation if their family doctor can't get them in quickly they either go to a walk-in or an ER, depending on how urgent they think it is. I can't think of any reason anybody would ever have to wait two weeks for an ultrasound if they were experiencing complications in pregnancy. </p> <p>You're right that my kids don't have a pediatrician, they see the same family doctor we see. When my second child was a baby he had a hydrocele that our doctor was questioning, so she referred us to a pediatrician. We got an appointment within a week. </p> <p>There can definitely be long waiting lists for non-urgent conditions, but that's a price I will happily pay for not having to go bankrupt over an urgent condition. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758519 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 18:52:54 +0000 mrsbookworm 2758519@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I generally find the people who don't approve of universal health care are the people who have no experience with it. They base their opinions on hearsay rather than fact or statistics. I lived in the US most of my life and currently live in Europe. Universal healthcare is wonderful, in my opinion. We've never waited to see a doctor, be it for a regular exam, a child's illness or an emergency. There's a lot less red tape and the quality of care is on par with the US. Everyone deserves health care. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758497 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 16:40:47 +0000 DesertDreams88 2758497@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <br /><p><i>This comment has been deleted by the original poster.</i></p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758496 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 16:38:53 +0000 DesertDreams88 2758496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: actually the SAHM I was referring to, adopted two of those kids from foster care, so they get Medicaid that way and I didn't want to complicate my original post with that info. But,if they were her bio children, they'd still qualify for Medicaid due to income. </p> <p>And I know several other women that choose to SAHM bc they believe they "should", but their husbands don't make enough, so they are on WIC and Head Start for the older kids. I don't know their insurance status, though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758490 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 16:12:22 +0000 Littlebit7 2758490@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: um...wut?? I think you took more than a little creative license there by trying to sum up our contribution to this thread as: we are "expect(ing) all health problems are in some way attributable to a person's actions and they therefore deserve to get sick"<br /> When in fact we implied nothing of the sort. I mentioned nothing about anyone deserving to be sick. That's a pretty bold claim, and pretty far off base too from what was originally written by myself or @2littlepumpkins </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758486 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:54:39 +0000 arosebyany 2758486@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: amen </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758482 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:38:47 +0000 Truth Bombs 2758482@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@oscarthegoon: et al (I can't reply to more than one of you now that we are on a second page): I fully admit I don't have personal experience with the Canadian Health Care system. My experience is mainly through HB. But there have been numerous times on this board where someone is having bleeding, or some other pregnancy complication and we all say "go get an ultrasound" and the response is "well, I'm in Canada and it'll be two weeks until they can get me in" or someone is having a chronic health issue with their child and we ask what the pediatrician says and the response is "well, I'm in England so we don't have a pediatrician but the Health Visitor seemed to think it was fine". That's not what I want for myself, and certainly not what I want to pay a 50% tax rate for. I think the US system is broken, I just don't think Universal Health Care is the answer. And in case you think I'm a monster, I'm vehemently opposed to the GOP health care bill despite the fact that it would result in a nice tax break for my family. I don't believe in a "fix" that results in lost insurance for 20 million people, but I also don't believe in a "fix" that results in me paying higher taxes for what I see as inferior care. I want more choice, and believe I'm entitled to some control over my own health care. And while not as strongly as the previous poster I also take issue with the "certainly you can afford to put more in to the pot". I already put more into the pot than those less fortunate than me, a lot more. And it can be really hard to feel like you're financially supporting choices you don't agree with. My husband and I stopped at 2 children largely for financial reasons. I personally feel that it is my duty as a parent to give my child everything they need in life and to ME that includes a college education attained at no debt to them. So we are planning and saving for that scenario, and that's not cheap. Then you see people like the woman in the original poster's example who is a SAHM with 3 kids who are on Medicaid and she chooses to risk having no coverage for herself. I don't believe any innocent child should be uncovered for health care, because they have no choice or control over their situation, but I also find myself thinking, what in the world is a woman on Medicaid doing having 3 freaking kids?!? And there are people on here who post things like that they are already pregnant with their 3rd kid and are just now realizing they can't afford 3 in day care without dipping into savings, or they can't afford what I see as a nominal dollar amount per month so their kid can go to preschool and get some socialization and education ahead of Kindergarten, or they hold off on doctor's appointments for their children because they don't want to pay the co pay. These types of things make me CRAZY. Being forced to pay higher taxes to support choices I don't agree with can be a tough pill to swallow. That's why the Bernie Sanders plan of free health insurance and higher education for everyone is not for me, because it's results in me financially supporting people who I feel make irresponsible financial choices. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758481 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:32:46 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2758481@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: agreed. I've been there too. Plus there's just the stuff that comes with old age. But I'm just saying I do think it would help. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758480 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:32:15 +0000 arosebyany 2758480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsbubbletea: I realize now how harsh what I said sounded, but I get really worked up knowning how hard my husband works for what we have. I also live in an area where people ALWAYS game the system. When my SIL was pregnant with her first, she claimed her boyfriend left her and that she lived with her mother (who wrote a note stateing that fact) and that she had no income, so that she could get on Medicaid to cover her doctors and stuff for the pregnancy. Meanwhile she was in fact living either said Boyfriend who made 100+ a year. Thier married now and to this day they've never paid anything back as far as I'm aware. That's not even the only story I know off the top of my head, it just makes me lose my faith in humanity :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758479 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:29:28 +0000 gingerbebe 2758479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think at the end of the day, most people don't care about politics, no matter what they say - they are just self-interested. </p> <p>I know a lot of people who choose not to be insured because they don't want the government to tell them what to do with their money and its their choice whether or not they have insurance and they claim to be conservatives, whatever. But then surprise, when they have a catastrophic health situation they jump on Medicaid with no qualms or they freak out about their bills and ask their friends and family for money. So they're not for handouts and tax-payer funded services until they are in dire straights, and then its the government's fault for allowing a healthcare system that forces them to go bankrupt or whatever.</p> <p>Alternatively, I know young people who are super liberals and say everything is a human right and we should all pay into the system, etc. until they hit their 30s, have kids, and actually start making some money and realize oh crap all these government services cost me a ton in taxes and this sucks.</p> <p>Philosophically, this all works if people live their politics. If you're a conservative and you really just feel like its not the government's job to tell you what to do with your money and you will really and truly live those beliefs and deal with the consequences of not having health insurance by then not burdening the system, fine. If you're really a liberal and you're really down with paying a lot in taxes so that everyone can have the safety net services you think are essential and a right for all, then pay the taxes. But people rarely live their principles to the bone like that. I live in CA, and I can't tell you the number of super liberal old people who voted for all these government programs when they were younger and then mysteriously retire to Oregon or Arizona or Nevada where the tax structure is favorable to them. And I don't know any of my conservative relatives not go on without a peep Medicare when they get older.</p> <p>For better or for worse, Americans have a sense of exceptionalism, so the idea of a government healthcare system that everyone has equal access to bothers a lot of folks at that core level. As you see from the posters here, the opinions against a single payer system range from I don't want to give up my healthcare choices to the government even if its wildly expensive to I just don't feel like funding other people's care. </p> <p>I think a great example is that terminally ill child from Britain. The NHS has determined that child cannot be saved and so they want to pull him off life support, while the parents wanted him flown to the US for experimental treatments. The court in Britain agreed with the NHS and said that they could remove the life support. Their specific hospital agreed to extend support for a little while longer so the parents could say goodbye. This story has become wildly popular in America and even Trump has gotten involved because here in America, the idea that the government would pull someone off life support is appalling to most people. We have the same issues here with HMOs, so its not like we don't deal with this too, but I've heard so many people rail about THOSE CRAZY SOCIALIST COUNTRIES PUTTING PEOPLE TO DEATH BC THEY DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THEIR HEALTHCARE yada yada. </p> <p>So, yeah, I think the issue is cultural more than anything else. I don't think health insurance companies are to blame - they reflect the marketplace and Americans choose to have this weird broken system where they complain about the high costs but don't want to let go of their individual rights and choices to the government even if chances are, in most people's situations, it would be a non-issue.</p> <p>FWIW, my husband was in the military and then used the VA health system for several years after retirement and it was horrendous, if we're looking at a purely government-led healthcare system. Like, awful. On the other hand, I also went without health insurance for most of my life until I was 22 because my parents couldn't afford it and I spent most of my 20s dealing with a lot of delayed health maintenance because of things that weren't addressed in my youth. And then I ended up with a freak brain tumor at 31 - the bill for which was over $1 million but I paid nothing with my health insurance because I had great coverage. And then I ended up with 1 high risk NICU stay pregnancy and 1 AMA pregnancy each with C-sections, again totally covered by my health insurance. A lot of why I'm staying at my current job is because the health insurance is so excellent and I will not allow my kids to go without coverage like I did growing up and then deal with all these issues later. So, I don't really have an opinion on what our healthcare system should look like, but I do know that government care did not work for us and my private health insurance has saved my life and my kids' lives. That doesn't mean I couldn't receive wonderful care in other countries (my family has in the past), but I just don't think those systems would translate HERE because Americans are weird.</p> <p>As an aside, I do like marketplaces in general because I think we should uncouple health benefits from employment. I don't think it should be a reason people stay at their jobs and I think our economy now is not based on one longterm job until retirement - people are more into gigs and side hustles and jumping from opportunity to opportunity. I think if they don't have to worry about having health insurance coverage when making job decisions, we will see a more robust and entrepreneurial economy overall that is more dynamic and successful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758475 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:24:42 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 2758475@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@arosebyany: I'm sorry your life experiences have caused you to have that outlook on life. I imagine it feels very lonely and scary to feel that way about people. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance/page/2#post-2758473 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:17:02 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2758473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@arosebyany: I am an atheist too, I more meant other conservatives who are religious. And I hope you did use up all your bad luck! By the way, you definitely aren't the only one who feels that way on hellobee. People often post similar views, but it does appear to be the minority here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758472 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:14:35 +0000 arosebyany 2758472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsbubbletea: a couple of things, one I'm an atheist. Two Ive already did my "bad luck in life" as a child. And three we've planned for possible circumstances. I know this will really bother some people and I'm sorry, but I know I'm not the only person that feels this way(maybe the only one on this blog lol) but not in real life. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758470 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:11:37 +0000 ShootingStar 2758470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Littlebit7: @2littlepumpkins: While I agree that people always have some degree of personal responsibility, I think it's a dangerous road to go down to expect all health problems are in some way attributable to a person's actions and they therefore deserve to get sick.</p> <p>Plenty of people live in "healthy" ways and they still get sick or have accidents. </p> <p>I'm so tired of this attitude from conservatives that they just want to take care of their own. It's so selfish, and so economically short sighted. So many people in this thread have talked about knowing people that just figure they'll never pay off their medical bills. What do you think that does to the costs for the rest of us? You can either pay the high costs for yourself, or you could pay the same amounts in a system where everyone is covered. Because everyone is covered the risk goes down the prices go down. Less people are financially devastated by having a catastrophic health incident. Or from having a child. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758467 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:05:51 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2758467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@arosebyany: I think you are right that what you just verbalized is the true difference between true conservatives and liberals. And it is insane to me. Wow. and the ultimate irony is how important Christianity is supposedly to many conservative people. </p> <p>I hope you never come on bad luck in life and something happens to your husband in his dangerous physical job. Because since you don't support a safety net for anyone going through a rough time, you hopefully would ever deign to take from the government or charity services! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758460 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:52:46 +0000 arosebyany 2758460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@oscarthegoon: I know you weren't speaking to me, and I'm probably going to regret even saying this, but everytime I read things like this "And if you paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes last year, surely you are wealthy enough to put a little more in the pot so that those less fortunate can have affordable healthcare." I sigh. I don't understand when or where we decided that just because someone makes money, it becomes thier responsibility to take care of everyone else. A little background my husband makes a significant amount of money, he has no college education, no training certification. What he does do is physically work his ass off through hard manual labor, like seriously he will probably die at an earlier age just because of the toll he's put on his body, and as a result we live very comfortably. He wants nice things, so he works for them. He does not work his ass off "for those less fortunate"<br /> Since I'm already here let me get brutally honest, I don't like people. I grew up with a drug addict/ alchoholic mother and Ive worked in customer service in one form or another since I was in high school and in my experience human beings as a whole are terrible, horrendous in some instances. And I don't feel one tiny twinge of regret when I say I don't want to pay for anyone else's shit, but my own. I think this is the fundamental difference between true conservatives and liberals. I know y'all want to help everyone and make the world a better place. I don't, I would gladly help someone to be able to help themselves,(teach a man to fish and all that crap) but 98 percent of people don't want to help themselves, and that's not my problem. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758452 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:41:23 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2758452@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: I'm in Canada and have never had to wait to see a specialist. The care I have received here is much better than what I had in the States even with "excellent" coverage. There is no private system. There are prescription, dental, eye plans that cover those services and also cover upgraded hospital rooms (single instead of shared) but the doctors and services are the same for everyone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758450 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:37:39 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2758450@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@oscarthegoon: Again, I dont mind contributing to the pot so to say for certain things. And we do that now through taxes. But I think we have hit a point in our system/society that its becoming easier to give up and let the system supply services for you (food, shelter, health care) than it is to work hard for those services for yourself. </p> <p>Also, I dont really love the way government run services are currently offered (education, infrastructure, health services). So I really dont want to continue to expand their role in those areas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758447 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:34:16 +0000 Charm54 2758447@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: while our system in Canada isn't perfect, it's an exaggeration and misconception to say you would wait 6 months for a doctor, especially if the issue is urgent. I can get into my family doctor the same day. When I needed my gall bladder removed it was done the next day. The longest I have waited in my life was 8 weeks for a referral to a plastic surgeon for my breast reduction. I didn't mind waiting a bit longer for my non-urgent procedure so that others with more medically necessary issues could get treatment first.</p> <p>My family does have private insurance through work for prescriptions, dental, vision etc, but there is no private insurance for medical procedures - everything is through the public system. So richer patients aren't getting in any quicker or getting better care than less wealthy patients. I think that is a major positive for our society which has far reaching affects - I see firsthand the educational impact universal healthcare has for low income children in the schools that I work at.</p> <p>I know our system isn't perfect, but I lived in North Carolina for a couple years and had a real eye opener after several uninsured friends ran into serious medical issues and incurred debt that they will be paying off for years. I had a much greater appreciation for universal healthcare after that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758445 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:24:57 +0000 oscarthegoon 2758445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: @T.H.O.U.: No one is saying Canada or Europe is a perfect system. Just much better than what we have in the U.S. My understanding is that in Canada you wait for elective procedures, but it's not like if you break your leg or get diagnosed with cancer you wait months to see a specialist. We all pay taxes for shared services like roads and public education, why is healthcare different? And if you paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes last year, surely you are wealthy enough to put a little more in the pot so that those less fortunate can have affordable healthcare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758437 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:08:33 +0000 Veggie 2758437@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have to agree with @Truth Bombs: and @T.H.O.U.: I think there is a big misconception about the healthcare for Canada/ Europe. Sure, I'm not an expert, but whenever I read threads discussing it, people seem to be very defensive. Ie. "Yes I have to wait 6+ months for hip replacement but it's better than the US system." I completely understand that the US system is not the best but that does not mean that theirs should be what's desired for us here. I mean no offense to people living in these countries at all! </p> <p>For me personally, I could have been on my parents plan after highschool but to them it wasn't worth the difference in premiums for family vs single +1, so I was kicked off. The college I went to required coverage, so I had to purchase it through them, which I had until graduation but never once used. I had 'real' coverage again after graduation when I landed a job. My now DH was temp during this time, which didn't offer insurance and he couldn't afford another plan, so he didn't have coverage until we were married and I've covered our health insurance through my employers since. Last year I switched jobs 2 times so we didn't have coverage for 3 months and had to pay a hefty fine, which actually ended up being less than COBRA. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758432 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:54:50 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2758432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: Yes, I would not say that Canada or Europe are models of a perfect system at all. </p> <p>@oscarthegoon: @sunny: </p> <p>Basically, I dont believe that the government needs to supply health care to all people living here. Supply would mean to me taxing the working population to provide services to pay for that. To me, thats like saying, it should be their responsibility to feed and shelter everyone. </p> <p>Now, I do believe that the government should have some oversight of the health care industry (just like they should over the housing and food industry) to make sure that there are regulations in place to make it safe for consumers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758426 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:38:09 +0000 Truth Bombs 2758426@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@oscarthegoon: I can't at all agree with you that Universal Health Care is working great in Canada and Europe. I'm often appalled when I see people on here from Canada discuss how long their wait times are to see a specialist. And people in England don't even have real pediatricians, just "health visitors". That's not what I want for myself or my family. In these countries most who can afford it buy private insurance. So that means for a family like mine we are now taxed at even higher rates than we are now (we literally paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes last year, and really aren't interested in paying more) to pay for health insurance for the masses, while ALSO paying premiums for additional private insurance so we don't have to wait 6 months when we want to see a doctor. I'm not comfortable with such limited control over my own choices. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758417 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:15:04 +0000 Littlebit7 2758417@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@2littlepumpkins: *loud clapping*</p> <p>Yes this. Exactly. I realize the deck is stacked against some people due to hereditary conditions, injuries which preclude exercise, etc etc. But we are a generally unhealthy society and put relatively little effort into our own health and well-being. A small to medium sized subset of our population cares about health and wellness but the vast majority either A) doesn't care or know they should care B) doesn't have the energy to care because they are stretched so thin they are barely keeping themselves or their families alive, C) or doesn't want to make the effort.<br /> I think A &amp; C are the most rampant. I'm basing this off of my patient population at work. I work with a mainly poor and middle class population. Many only recently gained insurance via ACA, many don't have insurance at all and are covered by "charity care" funded by our hospital, and others have private insurance. The vast majority of my patients, young and old, show zero interest in improving their health, unless it comes in a pill or surgical form. Zero interest.</p> <p>Our priorities are all kids of *ucked up. Wellness education, profitability of insurers, preventative care, child and adolescent care, mental health care, what to do with the permanently disabled as a long term solution...the list goes on. So many problems and distorted priorities. I for one have no answer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758403 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:49:39 +0000 sunny 2758403@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: Why shouldn't health care be a right to all Americans? </p> <p>I have a friend who was uninsured until she got married in her 30s. I recall that she had an accident and it was really scary. Every clinic she went to she had to negotiate the price and figure out if she could afford to pay it. She had to tell every doctor that she wanted the least expensive treatment and least amount of treatment since she couldn't afford more. </p> <p>I had an acquaintance who had health care, but not a good plan and she couldn't see a specialist she needed to see. I recall it was life threatening or something really bad but I don't remember the details. Anyhow, she ended up marrying her boyfriend who had better insurance so she could see the specialist. That is so messed up! I am glad she got to see the specialist and she and her husband have been happily married for years now, but it is ridiculous that she had to get married to someone with a better plan in order to get the healthcare she needed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758401 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:46:53 +0000 arosebyany 2758401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alphagam84: @2littlepumpkins: I agree that health care does need to change, and I honestly have no idea what the answer is, but I agree with you ladies that another huge factor is just how sick we are as a nation. I am a "fitness fanatic" lol, and when I say that what I mean is...I understand how what I put in my mouth effects my overall health. I know soooooo many people who have different ailments, and they are Most definitly directly related to what they put in thier mouths. For example my MIL has some sort of muscle issues, so at 48 years old she essentially has the issues you would see in someone over 70. She smokes a pack of ciggetettes a day, drink Nothing but sweet tea and I doubt she knows what a vegetable is. I've tried explaining what vegetables are, but I'm talking to a brick wall. To even suggest that her diet has anything to do with her circumstances is outrageous!!! Uhhh your body is failing you because you fill it with poison 🙄. I honestly think that her mind set is the same mindset that most of our nation shares when it comes to nutrition. Like it truly doesn't register with people that the food they eat effect that way thier body's perform or lack there of. I didn't mean to get on my soap box but this issue just drives me insane!! As does my mother in Law :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758394 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:20:24 +0000 yoursilverlining 2758394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was uninsured for large parts of my early 20’s (I was in my 20’s before the ACA allowed for people to stay on parent’s coverage until age 26). For the majority of around 20 until I was 26 I didn’t have insurance and it was scary. It was always in the back of my mind that I was thisclose to being bankrupted (not that I had any assets, but still not a fight I wanted, you know?). I went to Planned Parenthood for all my well woman type needs. While without insurance I had a pelvic exam/screening come back suspicious and it was terrifying thinking about following up on that and how that would impact my future chances of getting back onto insurance. How would I pay for surgery if I needed that? What if it was cancerous – how would I pay for treatment? Would insurers be able to deny me in the future? I did delay seeking a followup because of those very real concerns; especially the one about being denied health insurance in the future.<br /> You know the system we have is f*&amp;%$ when even with insurance people have to declare bankruptcy because of medical bills or families have to shell out tens of thousands a year on top of what they pay in premiums. That’s just crazy. </p> <p>I’m sure I know people now who are uninsured. For the few that I know for sure are uninsured, the cost is definitely the prohibitive factor. So they gamble that they won’t get sick or have anything happen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758387 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:07:54 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2758387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alphagam84: I agree. I'm concerned, admittedly, about quality of care dropping, but also I kind of think, we either have insurance or we don't. </p> <p>I also think we as Americans are partly to blame for giving in to extraordinarily sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles. I am FAR from a fitness fanatic and not exempt from this statement but even with minimal effort can maintain at least a healthy range BMI. Our diets and lifestyles just have to change IMO. I hope nobody is offended by that. Like I said, I'm not exempt, and I also understand some people are in more challenging financial situations, etc. But those of us who at all can, should, and I also think they ought to bring back home economics classes! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758383 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:02:12 +0000 snowjewelz 2758383@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pwnstar: @Truth Bombs: </p> <p>Same. I am on a better plan now, but obv at the cost of a higher premium that we can barely afford. Before that, we were on DH's plan which the only option was a high premium and high deductible AND I was pregnant so I was pretty much paying OOP that only got close to deductible so it sucked, royally. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/people-without-health-insurance#post-2758381 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:58:46 +0000 alphagam84 2758381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catomd00: the marketplaces are not failing because of insurance companies only being about profit. Full disclosure: I work at a health insurance company which I think rocks and really cares about people!<br /> 1. Don't forget the insurance companies have to pay their employees. We don't work for free! Until I started working at an insurance company I had no idea how complex and complicated it was. It is expensive!<br /> 2. There are federal mandates in place that state a certain % of each dollar brought in goes to pay a claim. I think it's somewhere around 87 cents of every dollar goes to pay a claim. Don't quote me on that but it's close. So insurance companies can't be "greedy" and screw people over because they have to spend $ brought in paying claims.<br /> 3. The marketplace is failing because of 3 things: the high cost of healthcare, not enough healthy people on the exchange, and the newly insured people are a very sick population. My insurance company lost hundreds of millions of dollars on the exchange because of all the claims we had to pay out. </p>