The Public Health Insurance Option – It’s a Must Have in Health Care Reform

I have been insured and I have been uninsured. I have lived both worlds, and I know what it is like to have to effort about getting sick. Too many Americans live their daily lives timid about getting sick because they do not know how they will financially be able to handle such an event. We must provide an option for those who are not able to gather health insurance privately or through their employer. There are nearly 50 million uninsured Americans according to the US Census Bureau, and likely millions more who are not being counted.

My family never had remarkable money. My mother and stepfather raised me, and we never had health insurance throughout my life. My mother worked as a self employed housekeeper, and my stepfather worked in construction. Normally the scrape was that they made “too remarkable money” to qualify for Medicare, and not enough money to be able to afford health insurance through a private company. Neither of those occupations offered health insurance, and we could never afford to capture insurance privately. I did manage to pick up on SCHIP (Position Children’s Health Insurance Program), which in Georgia is called Peachcare, as a teenager when my parents lost some of their income. This is one of the few times in my life that I had the help of being insured, and that was thanks to the government. Unfortunately at the age of 19 I was booted from SCHIP.

It was shortly after I was booted from SCHIP that I suffered a major car accident. I was driving to work from college in the rain and hydroplaned. My truck spun out of control on the highway and I went into the oncoming lane of traffic. A semi-truck side swiped me and demolished my vehicle. I was taken to the emergency room by ambulance. Luckily everything turned out OK (except for the fact that I had no vehicle as I could only afford liability automotive insurance, and had no health insurance either). The medical bills accumulated in my mailbox daily. I never knew until that time how powerful the costs of medical services truly were. When I discovered that my short ambulance spin was going to cost me nearly $800, I was astonished. I racked up over $5,000 in medical bills, and there was no plan I could pay them. Health care reform opponents might sing you that I did in fact receive “free health care” as I never paid those medical bills. However, as most rational people know – those services were not free – not to me and not to you. My credit was ruined at the age of 19. I was working hard and paying my plot through college, and I could not even regain a slight loan for a customary car to replace the one that was totaled.

I was lucky enough later on in college to land a valid management status in California and score health insurance through my employer. Unfortunately due to the economic recession my company sold and I was laid off four years later, and found myself uninsured again. I did not qualify for COBRA extension insurance because I moved out-of-state assist to where my family was which was considered “out-of-network” (this was considerable for me to be able to conclude afloat). I’m now working again, and have access to health insurance, but the point is that many Americans obtain themselves in my same station, for grand longer. What does a 19 year customary with rude income parents (who works and puts him/herself through college) do when they regain sick? They do what I did; they go to our emergency rooms and rack up debt that will haunt them for years to advance. Debt that also contributes to the skyrocketing costs of our health care system. Debt that will be passed along to those who are lucky enough to have insurance, raising their premiums and lowering their standard of care.

Sometimes even the “insured” procure themselves without many options. High deductible health insurance plans leave many individuals paying thousands of dollars out of pocket before their insurance kicks in. Often the insured pick up that clear procedures aren’t covered under their insurance policies because they had definite “pre-existing” conditions making them ineligible. The health insurance companies have one thing in mind – and that is profits. I do understand the reservations some have in allowing the government to hasten another program. However, we all know greed is what has gotten us to where we are today – and the only option we have at this point is to force competition upon the health insurance industry.

The “public option” is critical to achieving true health care reform. Imagine 50,000,000 people with the opportunity to prefer health insurance at affordable rates. Objective imagine those 50,000,000 people not crowding our emergency rooms with minor ailments because many doctor’s offices will not lift uninsured patients. Imagine the billions of dollars in savings yearly from the reduction of unpaid medical bills. We may not have to imagine remarkable longer. If having a government-run “public” insurance option has ever been a possibility, it is now. President Barack Obama has vowed his help for a public option, as have many Democrats in Congress. Of course, the health care industry is spreading misinformation and trying to demolish the public option. Of course some Democrats are leaning toward settling for watered down reform, and most Republicans will not vote for health care reform no matter what is in the package. It is now up to the people. The people must request exact health care reform, and that means demanding the public option.

I have been insured and I have been uninsured. I have lived both worlds, and I know what it is like to have to trouble about getting sick. Too many Americans live their daily lives panicked about getting sick because they do not know how they will financially be able to handle such an event. We must provide an option for those who are not able to acquire health insurance privately or through their employer. There are nearly 50 million uninsured Americans according to the US Census Bureau, and likely millions more who are not being counted.

My family never had noteworthy money. My mother and stepfather raised me, and we never had health insurance throughout my life. My mother worked as a self employed housekeeper, and my stepfather worked in construction. Normally the quandary was that they made “too remarkable money” to qualify for Medicare, and not enough money to be able to afford health insurance through a private company. Neither of those occupations offered health insurance, and we could never afford to pick insurance privately. I did manage to secure on SCHIP (Status Children’s Health Insurance Program), which in Georgia is called Peachcare, as a teenager when my parents lost some of their income. This is one of the few times in my life that I had the help of being insured, and that was thanks to the government. Unfortunately at the age of 19 I was booted from SCHIP.

It was shortly after I was booted from SCHIP that I suffered a major car accident. I was driving to work from college in the rain and hydroplaned. My truck spun out of control on the highway and I went into the oncoming lane of traffic. A semi-truck side swiped me and demolished my vehicle. I was taken to the emergency room by ambulance. Luckily everything turned out OK (except for the fact that I had no vehicle as I could only afford liability automotive insurance, and had no health insurance either). The medical bills accumulated in my mailbox daily. I never knew until that time how mighty the costs of medical services truly were. When I discovered that my short ambulance slither was going to cost me nearly $800, I was astonished. I racked up over $5,000 in medical bills, and there was no arrangement I could pay them. Health care reform opponents might allege you that I did in fact receive “free health care” as I never paid those medical bills. However, as most rational people know – those services were not free – not to me and not to you. My credit was ruined at the age of 19. I was working hard and paying my device through college, and I could not even salvage a itsy-bitsy loan for a feeble car to replace the one that was totaled.

I was lucky enough later on in college to land a helpful management site in California and regain health insurance through my employer. Unfortunately due to the economic recession my company sold and I was laid off four years later, and found myself uninsured again. I did not qualify for COBRA extension insurance because I moved out-of-state encourage to where my family was which was considered “out-of-network” (this was critical for me to be able to discontinue afloat). I’m now working again, and have access to health insurance, but the point is that many Americans obtain themselves in my same place, for mighty longer. What does a 19 year mature with obscene income parents (who works and puts him/herself through college) do when they come by sick? They do what I did; they go to our emergency rooms and rack up debt that will haunt them for years to approach. Debt that also contributes to the skyrocketing costs of our health care system. Debt that will be passed along to those who are lucky enough to have insurance, raising their premiums and lowering their standard of care.

Sometimes even the “insured” bag themselves without many options. High deductible health insurance plans leave many individuals paying thousands of dollars out of pocket before their insurance kicks in. Often the insured bag that distinct procedures aren’t covered under their insurance policies because they had distinct “pre-existing” conditions making them ineligible. The health insurance companies have one thing in mind – and that is profits. I do understand the reservations some have in allowing the government to race another program. However, we all know greed is what has gotten us to where we are today – and the only option we have at this point is to force competition upon the health insurance industry.

The “public option” is considerable to achieving valid health care reform. Imagine 50,000,000 people with the opportunity to take health insurance at affordable rates. Fair imagine those 50,000,000 people not crowding our emergency rooms with minor ailments because many doctor’s offices will not acquire uninsured patients. Imagine the billions of dollars in savings yearly from the reduction of unpaid medical bills. We may not have to imagine considerable longer. If having a government-run “public” insurance option has ever been a possibility, it is now. President Barack Obama has vowed his serve for a public option, as have many Democrats in Congress. Of course, the health care industry is spreading misinformation and trying to slay the public option. Of course some Democrats are leaning toward settling for watered down reform, and most Republicans will not vote for health care reform no matter what is in the package. It is now up to the people. The people must quiz actual health care reform, and that means demanding the public option.