Georgia: No Pre-existing Condition Insurance Pool (car insurance, purchase, go bankrupt)

[cwkimbro]

Here is the ultimate problem with the status-quo of health insurance currently.

Unlike the previous posters... I am young, very healthy, and have extremely low insurance payments. I have no sad or worrisome story to tell. However, I am not fully covered or insured and have no way to be, despite having "health insurance."

The people who argue risk pools and the cost of risk, such as the argument Neil tried to make, have the premise of insurance all wrong. In the state of Georgia under status quo... there is no way for me insure myself now against future long-term health problems I may (or may not encounter) later in life. I can only insure myself for health events that happen now (or the upcoming year). Once anything else happens to my health in the future it will immediately impact the cost of health care payments and/or lead to coverage denial if I should ever hit a point in my life where I can't afford health insurance, even if very briefly.

There needs to be a system where I can pay moderately higher premiums (while I am young and healthy), but the insurance coverage I ultimately get is if I come down with a bad case of diabetes my insurance costs don't go sky high. I am essentially insuring myself of that long-term risk when I was younger and healthy as opposed to just buying short-term/right now risk insurance.

There are different ways of doing this... say what you will about the recently passed healthcare plan, but it includes this philosophy mixed with private market competition (rather than single payer via government taxing). The down side is I become mandated to buy insurance while I am healthy and actually fit in the one demographic that is likely to see slightly higher premium payments in the future, but the upside is the plan protects me from being denied coverage later in life or facing extra exorbitant cost if I do get a long term sickness or diabetes. In other words I will be insuring myself now for potential future long-term problems.

--It is not a gov't take over... you are required to by insurance and there are government rules for what the insurance is, but ultimately you are still buying insurance from private market companies competing with one another. It is not single-payer government--

If we try something else... this is apart of the problem that needs to be addressed.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

If I were suffering from a long-term health condition, I don't have any sort of foolish pride that would prevent me from accepting any no-strings attached help if it's offered.

I certainly hope that if I or anyone else was in the position to offer you help with that health coverage should you need it...that you wouldn't allow your pride to prevent youself from turning down that no strings-attached help either..

Snake, I appreciate what you're saying and it's a kind sentiment. As I say, I am open to receiving checks from those who would like to send them.

A couple of things, however. First, there aren't any options (much less free ones) for people like me right now. So what we have is a high deductible policy where I pay the first $10K and then our insurance kicks in above that. That helps keep the premiums down somewhat. I don't like it but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Secondly, I simply can't let myself get in a situation where I'm not paying my freight. I just wasn't raised that way and could never accept being a burden on society or my family.

I am looking forward to Medicare. To me that is different because I have paid into it every year since the day it came into existence 45 years ago. In my opinion that is like an insurance policy I have paid up in advance over my entire adult life. So I don't feel any guilt about being able to take advantage of the lower premiums when the time comes.

[Caltovegas]

I think what's going to happen is there will be a program such as asset recovery for people who go on medicaid. If a person has a health issue and has not paid for insurance coverage the gov. will attach the pay check or assets to pay the bill. Hey look at child support..One way or another your gonna pay..

[AcidSnake]

I understand the sentiment of not wanting to be a burden to society. I was raised in that way myself. I currently hold down a full-time job, and like Roslyn, I too am a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.

But I also realize though, that the future is not assured. Anything can happen. I could get into a bad car accident & lose permanent control of my lower body below the waist. I could ingest bad food at a restaurant and get an intense case of food poisoning so serious that I may lose most of the function of my kidneys & be on dialysis for a lifetime.

You get where I'm going with this?

It troubles me that so many folks in this country naively hang on to some idealized rugged wild-west sense of extreme individualism & think that this mindset alone will insure them from life's travails. It's always that "why should I care about the situation of others because it hasn't happened to me" syndrome.

It also troubles me that it's only when folks of that mindset suffers from the random harshness of life that they realize the value of a collective helping hand of others. Why does it need to get to that extreme point?

That's all I'm saying.

Originally Posted by arjay57

Secondly, I simply can't let myself get in a situation where I'm not paying my freight. I just wasn't raised that way and could never accept being a burden on society or my family.

[Caltovegas]

Something many may not consider is the people who make the rules in many instances have a better benefits package then you do. Sure it's easy for them to say NO to health care..You help pay for theirs out of your pay check.

[arjay57]

...

[sogagirl]

Try making 46,000 a year and have a spouse who is unemployed and two children with no insurance. Insurance for family coverage at my job is over 1000 per month. IDK what to do, but it burns me up to see immigrants whether legal or not being able to get medicaid assistance for all of their children and my children can't even go to the doc or dentist when they need to. What is this country becoming. I am sick to my stomach because it is my tax dollars paying for it!!

[RoslynHolcomb]

At 46k your children should qualify for Peachcare. The application process is a bit arduous but the coverage is good. If you have a pre-existing condition you should be able to get insurance under the ACA. It's the plan I have. The premiums aren't bad and it even covered me when I got unexpectantly pregnant at 46! As you know, most plans don't. Find Insurance Options | Finder.Healthcare.gov

[CMMom]

Sopagirl,

You probably qualify for PeachCare for your kids. Have you looked into it?

Information

Minimal premium (like $10 per kid per month) and usually no copay.

[10 feet tall]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Second, my main problem with the current law passed last year is that allows people to just jump into coverage with a preexisting condition. That's much like the auto analogy I made. I know I'm sick, and now I want someone to pay for it. What we need is to hold people accountable for the choices they make. I'm not opposed to providing ways for people who don't have coverage through their job to obtain affordable coverage. If you have coverage that pays for so-called preventive well care with catastrophic coverage, then nothing would be a "preexisting" condition. If people choose not to obtain coverage when they're younger or for financial reasons, then they shouldn't be allowed to jump into it when it benefits them, at least not at a subsidized cost.

The statement in bold is, well, just plain wrong. Contrary to "popular belief", some illnesses just happen even if you are living a healthy lifestyle.