As I read about these new health care laws going into place, I cannot for the life of me figure out why we
have to be penalized like we are. You are leading our country and yet our health care is rising in price now for no reason. Maybe you should consider
looking at Colorado
where I live.
Anyone can get health care
coverage in Colorado.
No one needs be denied coverage.
We have small group plans
that employers give employees. Even an individual owner who is self employed
can qualify for one of these plans on their birthday. There is no denial of
coverage here. Everyone can and will be covered.
For those who are healthy
and want to save some money we have the individual health arena. Here companies
are allowed to underwrite & even turn down people for coverage. But it is
not all that bad. Most people qualify for this type of coverage and the healthy
people don’t need to pay as much for coverage they do not need. Pregnancy
coverage is a rider on a policy like this, we do not have to pay for it along
with other coverage we don’t need. It is our choice.
For those who are unemployed
but may not qualify for the individual health insurance arena, we have a
program called Cover Colorado. The price is a little more than the Individual
Arena, but less expensive than the small group. They will not be denied
coverage. They can get coverage if they need it for anything.
No one is denied coverage or
dropped from coverage as long as they are paying their premiums.
In Colorado, everyone can find coverage. If
someone doesn’t have coverage, it is because they chose not to pay for it. If
someone just does not have any money at all to pay for health care, we have the
Colorado Indigent Care Program that provides huge discounts for medical care to
those that qualify.
In Colorado, everyone can be covered, if they
want to be.
Okay Mr. President go find
your few examples here that fall through the holes and aren’t covered but want
to be, you will find the reason being is they may not be able to afford it but
make too much money for the Indigent program. Well, your answers to our health
care are not helping.
Your ultimate plan is to do
away with the Individual Arena of Health care that provides so many benefits to
people at a discounted rate. You are trying to make everyone—EVERYONE pay more
for no reason at all. You are trying to make us all pay Small Groups rates when
we don’t need to. Well, I want the choice to pay for what I want.
Prices are increasing
drastically. I am not happy about this. But you are wrong; it is not the evil
empire
Insurance companies that are the problem.
I do not see why the
Insurance carriers have to raise their rates 20%+ every year…year after year.
Now I agree that does not seem right. But neither does the billing of the
medical centers. My son broke his hand last summer. He went to the specialist, brought
in his own x-rays and was told he needed his hand put in a caste. Tell us something we didn’t
know. $900+ bill. He was told they would knock the bill in half if he paid it
all up front. Then it was over $260 every time he needed a new caste put on!
I had a friend who went to
the emergency room for food poisoning. She was in the ER for 3½ hours. They gave
her two IV’s and an anti-nausea pill. Cost-- $2200.00 they told her they would knock
40% off the bill if she paid it right then. Don’t just look at the Insurance
Companies, the medical facilities are robbing us and the Insurance companies
blind.
And let us not forget the
tort system. Almost every other commercial on TV is about a class action law
suite against a medical institution for some drug or another anymore.
If you are going to fix the
system, then fix the system. Stop playing with my health care. Address the tort
system; address the billing practices; and address the Insurance Companies. Either
do it right or don’t do it at all.
I don’t know what you think
the problem is, but it’s not getting health care. In Colorado, anyone can find health care. You
are not helping us—robbing us of choice and then raising our rates almost 30%
to 40% more in the Small Group Arena and then MAKING it MANDATORY that we buy
it. You are not helping at all.
Mr. President, if you are
not going to address the real problem with health care then leave ours alone.