I don't have health insurance, but the rest of my family does. My fiancee's employer offers coverage, but we couldn't afford to insure the whole family so he and one of the kids are covered through his employer. This costs us about $300 per month. To put the entire family on the plan would run about $700 per month (this is an entire week's worth of pay, before taxes. After taxes, it's more than 1/3 of his monthly income) which simply isn't realistic for us. To make sure the other child was covered required some manipulation of the system. I had to award joint custody to my parents, so the child could be covered under their plan which has no premium.

Still, we are only 3/4 covered and crossing our fingers that nothing happens to ME - because I'm not covered and medical bills could quickly overcome us, causing us to lose our home, etc. For this reason, I rarely drive at night, during rush hour, or on holidays and I avoid situations that could threaten life or limb. All in the name of NOT having to file for bankruptcy or ruin my credit rating with unpaid medical bills.

Anyone else have a story about trying to obtain coverage for themselves and their family?

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A government big enough to give you everything you want, makes Santa Claus pretty much obsolete.

Yeah the world is a cruel place. Nice idea about getting the parents to sign on for joint custody so you could game the system.

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It is far easier to ignorantly control others than it is to wisely control yourself.

one of my boyz from back home was covered by his parent's plan. they didn't tell him (or his parents) that was only valid if he was either in school, or still a dependent on his parents, or both.

Well, he took a semester off college for an internship (5 college credits). he didn't take the companie's offered coverage because he assumed he already had coverage. it was in another state about 6 hours away, he broke his arm skateboarding (long board skateboarding, not vert or grinding or that nonesense) and had to drive back home to be able to get his arm in a cast. they wouldn't cover him over there.

well, technically he didn't drive himself, a friend of ours (a male-nurse)drove over there, put his arm in a temporary sling, and drove back, total of 13 hours straight....

when I asked him why the hell didn't he just go to the hospital over there, he told me he did, but when the nurse told him how much it would cost for emergency room fees and shit, he whipped out his insurance card. 2 hours later his agent said since he wasn't a FULL TIME STUDENT, he couldn't be covered, and since he was working full time, the insurance company doesn't consider him a dependent, even though he is listed as such in his parent's tax forms.....

and he won't be eligible for coverage for at least 1 year of going back to school...

the legality of what his insurance company did is in question, and I believe there is some lawyers getting involved. this was when I was in college (about 5 years ago) so there's probably some details i missed...

the fact is that he didn't get the treatment he deserved. he had a compound fracture in his forearm, he could've ruptured a vein or artery, and a simple fracture could've killed him.....and his company found some bullshit to claim to not offer coverage straight up.

the gray-area in insurance coverage is too complex, and it allows companies to do shit like this... if there was some sort of minimal universal coverage, this wouldn't happen.....

p.s. i think my friend's a jackass for taking on a hill too long/hard for his skills...

sounds a little paranoid to me

dont let the fear of getting injured control your life

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Yeah, I have my own story to tell. Back in 1985 I crushed two discs in my neck. The insurance company wouldn't pay because of a pre-existing condition. I couldn't live with the pain, so I went into the Neurosurgeon and worked out monthly payments. He was more than willing to give me as long as I needed to pay for his service and expertise. I then went to the local hospital and asked them what was the least I could put down and the longest I could have to pay. They said half down and six months to pay. I went to another hospital in town and asked them the same question, and they said $2000. down and six months to pay. So, I went back to the first hospital for the second time as told them I had a better deal and if they would accept $1000 down and six months to pay, I'd do business with them. They accepted my terms. After the surgery and recuperation, I felt like a new man. I went to work and worked my ass off in order to make the money to pay off my obligations. I paid off the doctor and hospital as agreed.

To this day, I haven't asked any of the Progressives on this site for money to pay for that surgery and hospital stay.

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

my gfriend and daughter are covered about $500 a month, i cannot afford for myself, hence the growing of weed. so yeah, i grow weed for healthcare coverage in the future

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You realize the rest of the developed world doesn't have to worry about health care costs bankrupting them, right?

So "the world" is not a cruel place. America is a cruel place.

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A government big enough to give you everything you want, makes Santa Claus pretty much obsolete.

That's ridiculous. Almost as much as my mortgage payment

I got a quote for a family policy on the "individual" market. For me and both my kids: $1200 a month, and that's only IF we managed to qualify. I had an abnormal pap smear after my daughter was born. It corrected itself and no treatment was ever needed, but the fact that it exists on my medical record more than likely makes me ineligible. That, and all three of us have "hay fever".

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A government big enough to give you everything you want, makes Santa Claus pretty much obsolete.

Thank you Reverand Wright.

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

All health care expenses should be a tax credit. Maybe Congress can gather some common sense and make that happen.

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Are you stupid or apathetic? I dont know and I dont care