Guaranteed Healthcare

I am a woman in her late 40s and have not had insurance for 6 years. I knew I had some health issues that I needed to address, and as a property owner I was afraid that I would have a catastrophic health care issue that would hurl me deep into financial misery. I am a single mother of an 8 yo and I am self-employed. This year I purchased a high-deductible, HSA-eligible insurance plan through the only company that provided private insurance in my location. My premiums are 300 per month with a 2500 deductible and 2000 coinsurance, and the only condition that I had been treated for prior to obtaining my insurance coverage was excluded entirely from coverage: PTSD and depression, which occurred in the aftermath of an assault in 2001.

Shortly after obtaining insurance I visited a dermatologist because of concerns about some small scar-like lesions, which were not healing. I had 10 biopsies and 8 of them were positive for basal cell carcinomas. I was so grateful that I had purchased my policy, because: (1) I could not afford the care which was over $10,000, and (2) had I been diagnosed with skin cancer before obtaining my policy, (a) I would have been denied coverage, (b)my pre-existing condition would have been excluded, (c) I would have been charged twice my current monthly premium.

I also had another potentially very serious health issue which required biopsies and surgery. In addition to the outlay of $3600.00 during 2007 for insurance premiums, I also funded my HSA account with about $2800, all of which was spent on medical bills and medical-related expenses. I started 2008 with $2500 in medical bills carried over from care I received in 2007 for which I had not yet completed payment, which I am paying off monthly. In addition, I still need two more skin cancer excisions and need about $3000 in dental work (I went to the dentist last year for the first time in about 7 years).

All in all I am paying at least $7000 for medical-related expenses (including insurance coverage), which does not effect my FICA as that is based on my profit from my business. I am paying 25% to 30% of my income after business deductions for medical-related expenses. And with my carryover of $2500 in bills from last year, I cannot afford to use my insurance this year, as I am still essentially paying for last year's deductible.

It would cost me another $150 dollars a month to cover my daughter with a $2500 deductible- a $5000 family deductible for $450 a month. She needs one well child exam and two dental visits each year, and dental benefits would not be included. I work at home around the clock to generate enough income to cover these basic needs. And I know there are many folks like I was just a few years ago who cannot even think about insurance, as they can scarcely pay for their bare necessities.

It is a crime to let people get sicker and sicker and die because they cannot afford to see a health care provider and/or purchase medicines they need to treat a treatable condition. We need a wellness model rather than a disease model. We need a president and lawmakers who are in touch with the needs of the average Americans, many of whom toil and toil and cannot properly take care of their families. Many self-employed individuals create jobs to employ themselves and others, but they are not afforded the same benefits as many of their employed counterparts, who can deduct their premiums pretax. I know of colleagues who are paying $1500 dollars a month or more to ensure their families and have deductibles and exclusions. Let's change this. Wellness benefits for all Americans...