These people aren’t necessarily leeches.
Some of them literally cannot afford to pay out the wazoo for something they rarely need (I have heard and read it said that all they have to do is cut out cable tv and they can afford it. There is no way it’s that simple and cut and dried.). I know; I and others of my aquaintance are THERE. I agree only on the point that people in this situation should have options and be encouraged to have some type of health coverage THAT FITS THEM.
But this is not what is happening now, and if the government controls it all, what little of it that is happening now will be destroyed.
You are seperating out an issue that especially angers you from the fact that all of us are about to lose our freedoms AND the best of healthcare that we now have.
And you are making a case that it hurts others who have insurance or personal wealth when, those who don’t, go to the hospital.
It does, but not as much as all will be hurt by what is about to be forced upon us.
Therefore, I choose to debate the destructive situation we face as opposed to the point that you seperate out from it.
You are correct that many people who have issues are not leeches.
Five years ago I was diagnosed and treated for cancer. So far I am fortunate it has not reoccurred.
I recently lost my job due to downsizing. I’m now paying the full cost of my medical insurance through Cobra. In 16 months if I have not found another job with health insurance Cobra will expire and I will have no health insurance. I’ve already check with private insurance companies about an individual policy and have learned they either will not insure me or will charge 4-5 times my current premiums to obtain much less coverage.
There has been much written about people with preexisting conditions wanting to buy insurance at the time they have a problem. What about the millions of us who have conditions but have been paying insurance premiums for decades and face losing our insurance due to loss of a job in this economy?
Look at homeowner’s insurance. I’ve never made a claim. If my house burns down next week, the insurance company will pay the claim and not cancel my insurance or raise the premium. The premise is that I’ve paid in for years and the insurance is there to pay off in the event it is needed.
Employer based insurance, without portability, is different. The individual and her/his employer pays into the system. However, once a condition occurs, if the individual’s job situation changes that condition may prevent the individual who has faithfully paid into the system from obtaining future coverage at any price.