Humanizing the Health Care Debate
If you are a US resident and could never under any circumstances afford private health insurance, copy this meme to your LJ. Even if you have health care through work now, write as if your one-layoff-away-from-losing-it has happened and you're facing the job of getting insurance on your own.
If you have friends or family members who are in the same boat and are not on LJ, feel free to mention them too. I suggest thumbnail descriptions which include no names or identifying information, in the interests of privacy.
............
I definitely cannot afford private health care insurance. I looked into it a few years ago and between payments and deductibles, there was no way I could swing it. Since I am partly disabled and have a couple of major health care needs besides that, I would have "pre-existing conditions", which means that they would not be covered or I'd have to get even more expensive insurance.
I have not been able to get insurance through work, because I have been unemployed, underemployed or self-employed. I am not very employable due to mental and physical illnesses and due to the "economic downturn" (aka recession), so this is always a struggle.
I gave up a full fellowship to a graduate school because their insurance was not going to cover a surgery I needed. I went with a lesser program with better insurance, but less financial support and much less support for my work.This was important because one of my organs was disintegrating and I had been denied care for it.
If you have friends or family members who are in the same boat and are not on LJ, feel free to mention them too. I suggest thumbnail descriptions which include no names or identifying information, in the interests of privacy.
............
I definitely cannot afford private health care insurance. I looked into it a few years ago and between payments and deductibles, there was no way I could swing it. Since I am partly disabled and have a couple of major health care needs besides that, I would have "pre-existing conditions", which means that they would not be covered or I'd have to get even more expensive insurance.
I have not been able to get insurance through work, because I have been unemployed, underemployed or self-employed. I am not very employable due to mental and physical illnesses and due to the "economic downturn" (aka recession), so this is always a struggle.
I gave up a full fellowship to a graduate school because their insurance was not going to cover a surgery I needed. I went with a lesser program with better insurance, but less financial support and much less support for my work.This was important because one of my organs was disintegrating and I had been denied care for it.