I kind of *know* intellectually that some insurance premiums are set *reasonably*-- I'd be hard pressed, given that I *chose* to start smoking and whatnot, and I'm a bad driver so I can't exactly ARGUE to my car insurance company that I am not going to cost them more (I am). I do believe, however, that if we're going to apply that logic, it needs to be a) reasonable, not extortionate and b) there are plenty of other things people *do* that are unhealthy-- drinking too much caffiene, talking illegal drugs (I wonder if insurance companies test for that, I've never had non work related life insurance due to the fact that I was diagnosed with some health conditions that SUCK early on) obesity, etc., etc. And my crazy premiums (although, I do NOT believe I've had a moving violation or a crash for like, 5 years, I must be in less of a hurry as I age) were fair, maybe, BUT, that doesn't mean that emotionally, I have to LOVE IT.
That being said, as far as I'm concerned, health insurance OUGHT TO be exempt from these increased premiums (which I guess are coming) merely because as a smoker or not (and for the most part until recently, I was physically, at least, fairly healthy as a horse except high cholestorol which runs in my family and I eat well, am if anything slightly underweight, and exercise) BECAUSE, I max out my copays Every. Freaking.Year. There are also plenty of out of pocket costs in my life. SO, charging me more UPFRONT for premiums is unfair as I'm ALREADY paying far more than my healthy neighbor who's 21 year old, and is SIMPLY paying premiums. Health insurance, as a country, we need to freaking knuckle down and realize we aren't murderers, we should care about EVERY citizen getting health insurance, period, and there is NO NEED to raise everyone's rates, even. Health insurance companies are NOT starving to death. Hell, my sis paid about 12K to have her second child, 2 years ago.
In 1997, guess what it cost me to have my son? ONE $10 copay, for the ENTIRE pregnancy (I paid that copay my first visit to my OBGYN, and that was IT). Granted, I had a great job then, but if they were able to do that THEN, even with inflation, there's no need for such a sharp rise.
I both loved and hated Obamacare-- I believe in many of the principles in it and I KNOW he wanted to go further with it to socialized medicine (which I have encountered in Britain when I got sick, once, and it was the best and most chill ER visit I've ever experienced, LOL, no waiting, everyone was nice, I kept saying "I don't even live here, don't you want me to pay?" They handed me my meds as I left, no looking for a 24-hour pharmacy, even. Now, I GET that doing that here would just SLASH jobs as so much of the cost of health insurance is caused by billing/collections/ER vists by folks who would have done better in an urgent care, but they KNOW they can go to the ER for free, unlike an UC which will make you pay up front.... OMG my favorite thing said, ever, by a triage nurse to a chick who'd arrived for a pregancy test BY AMBULANCE, "You can get those at family dollar for a dollar. So, no. Go home, and no one is going to call an ambulance for you, either." So, I find *that* kind of stupidity equally as obnoxious as a COPD victim, KWIM?
That being said, a lot of the regulations put in place by Obamacare just caused GOUGING to the max, by the insurance companies, even though they were decent, reasonable requirements, like not penalizing someone for losing their job, etc, or being insolvent, or in a bad place, however, I just have a deep and abiding suspicion of the heath insurance companies, they are getting RICH and even IF Obamacare is repealed, I guarantee that premiums are not going to go DOWN, even by a penny, for at least 10 years if not more. I really wished they could have pushed through a more socialized medicine plan, though of course issues arise with that too. I just think this is ONE area where the free market either needs ENORMOUS regulatory action, or to be eliminiated. And, I'm not a socialist in ANY area except perhaps, medicine. At this point it's not really a *want*, healthcare, and by all indications so far we are heading into third world country territory at this point, with medicine, and that is NOT something I am remotely invested in.
I pay $150 a month for health insurance for my *entire family*, too, though my insurance coverage has changed, as EVEN the SOVREIGN nation I work for, a Native American Tribe, is feeling the push, but I can't work anywhere else without ending up paying like, $800 a month. That's pretty sad.
Anna
