In the last five years, I've had the following conversation more times than I can count on two hands...
Other Person: "How's business going?"
Me: "Oh, pretty good. I'm really busy, and I really love my job."
Other Person: "Good. I was hoping with _____ (fill in the blank with any of the following: the economy, the war in Iraq, 9/11, the housing slump, etc.) that you were staying busy."
Me: "Yeah, I just keep plugging along. Actually, I figure the most likely thing to put me out of business is health insurance."
Other Person: "Yeah, rates keep going up."
Me: "Well, I can plan for rate increases. What I can't plan for is if someone in my family gets a serious medical condition. We don't qualify for group coverage, and with the individual coverage we have, our insurance company can effectively get rid of us if one of us gets a serious condition."
Other Person: "They can't do that, can they?"
Me: "Technically they can't deny us coverage. However, they can make our rates so unaffordable that we would have to switch companies. And here's the catch with individual policies...when we switch companies, the new insurance company can exclude the pre-existing condition that caused us to switch in the first place."
Other Person: "Really? I had no idea?"
Obviously, I've paraphrased, but that is essentially the conversation I've had over and over with people that have group coverage. I think that is why many people are opposed to the idea of universal coverage. Many people with group coverage don't realize that many of the country's uninsured or under-insured, lack the ability to even qualify for decent coverage.
There will always be a certain number of people who can afford health insurance, choose not to pay for it, then get sick, and cost tax-payers a lot of money. And the opponents of universal coverage will trot those examples out at every opportunity.
But I'm here as proof that many hard-working, self-employed Americans are one illness (for them, their spouse, or their dependents) away from financial disaster.
I just read John McCain's health care plan. He wants to use tax credits along with the free market and guaranteed access plans to "fix" health care. IT WILL NOT WORK! Would you let the free market run your fire department? Police department? I hope not. The free market exists to make a profit. I like profits. I think they're swell. I'd like to make more. However, I strongly believe that it is wrong to profit from health insurance. The lure of profits in health insurance influences decisions from their middle management that are scandalous. Who hasn't heard a horror story of someone they know being denied basic benefits?
As for guaranteed access plans (or GAP's), we have those already in Iowa. GAP's are a decent temporary solution to get more people insured. Take a look at Iowa's plans, though. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want one, especially with what they cost.
I'm not completely sold on Obama's plan either, but it is much closer to universal coverage, and I think it is a step in the right direction. He's got my vote on this issue.
