by I’m posting a link to an essay written by my cousin, William G. Kaelin Jr, MD, for The American Journal of Medicine. It’s about health care, written by someone very informed and compassionate.
I’m going to lose my health insurance in a couple of weeks, and I have to decide what to do. It could be that I’ll only be without if for three of four months, and maybe nothing bad will happen to me in that time. But maybe something will! What to do, what to do.
These days it seems like there’s always a protest going on somewhere in the city. I passed this one in Union Square a couple of weeks ago.
Excellent, thought-provoking article. Thanks!
I have long thought something similar to the proposals for “medicare for all,” would be a solution to the health care market. Private insurance could act as a supplement, as it does now.
After my husband died, and I was 54, I struggled to keep medical insurance. First I had Cobra for three years (very costly premiums but good coverage); then I went to the state pre-existing plan — which was exorbitant with a minimum $5,000 deductible. I was just about priced out of the market when Obamacare came along — thank goodness! I did have to go 6 months without insurance to qualify (courtesy of the republicans!). And while I finally got medicare a month before Obama left office, I will always be grateful to him for having medical insurance with good coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.
However, I sat down and figured up what I’d paid in insurance premiums since my husband died: $50,000+. Yeah, sad. I had no major illness, but did go to a rehab for alcoholism — partly bad response to loss of husband (never drank before he died). That rehab actually squared me with the premiums — came out even.
While I still pay in excess of $350.00 a month for medicare and a supplement, I’m well covered. On the other hand, the part D drug program is awful — huge deductible.
Didn’t mean to write a book (too late, ha!). I hope you find a solution…really unfair situation in our country.