Healthcare Repeal and Private Health Insurance Policies

I can’t say how many other people feel the same way I do about the healthcare law and its repeal. I know an article about a recent Gallup Poll says 47% of American’s agree the healthcare law should be repealed.

Here’s where I stand as an individual.

I just bought a private health insurance policy. I have a $7500 deductible, because insurance is a hedge against the risk of facing a situation that would destroy my wealth and leave me bankrupt. I work a part-time job which doesn’t supply me with healthcare insurance. I’m quite happy not to be emotionally tied to a job because I’m worried I’ll lose my health insurance coverage. But my coverage costs less than $100 a month, and that leaves me with money I can save to use for medical expenses. Most cell phone plans with talk and texting cost more than this these days! Yes, you can save money and have health insurance on a salary or wage of $24,000 a year. I do it.

The very fact that we’ve become so scared of life’s risks has put us in the situation we’re in, where insurance is thought of as a wealth building tool, instead of a protection, and it says a lot about why most people freak out when I tell them my deductible.

"Aren’t you afraid you’ll have to be put in the hospital?"

Well, yes. But only because that means I’ll be very, very sick and who wouldn’t be a little afraid of that?

As for the money, that’s what emergency funds and savings are for. And if you’re not paying for coverage you don’t need, you can usually afford to accumulate a bit of that! I visit the doctor about 3 times a year. Rarely more often. I’ve had two surgeries in 25 years. With the money I save from paying lower premiums for just the protection I need, I can accumulate enough to cover a variety of life-altering health care needs. A $7500 deductible isn’t something I’ll want to meet every year, but it’s unlikely that will ever be the case. And if it is, it’s going to be tough, but not impossible and my INSURANCE against something financially devastating will have fulfilled its purpose.

But if I wanted to risk it all and have no health insurance because I felt like it, then that’s my own damn business, not the business of the federal government. That’s how I feel about the individual mandate to purchase health insurance. I don’t like it when people take advantage of the system and not keep health insurance when they have the means to buy it and still expect everyone else to pay. I’ve never said I didn’t have a problem with that. And I do believe it is morally wrong to deny urgent care for life threatening or serious injuries or illness. But I believe it is even more morally wrong to take away our right to choose how we meet life’s risks and what we do with our own lives. And I believe it is wrong to force a doctor to care for someone without compensation for his or her time, because we sure wouldn’t expect a plumber or a car repairman to work for free.

Forcing someone to pay for the majority of their care forces that person to learn to be more realistic about what constitutes an emergency and what illnesses a doctor should have a hand in healing. Prevention also becomes more important. Why worry about staying healthy if you can just get a prescription?

A lot of what’s wrong with healthcare in America is the problem of everyone being told to see their doctor for every little thing and few people taking responsibility for their own health. It’s behavioral and character issues. Those that need care have had the cost of care driven up by the many who waste healthcare services with frivolous doctor visits.

Anyway, I just thought I would give readers an idea of where I’m coming from when it comes to healthcare and insurance. If you want more information about the healthcare law and what it really means, check out this book, The Truth about Obamacare. I voted for Obama, but that was before I woke up to a bucket of cold water in my face with the passage of the healthcare reform bill. I won’t make that mistake again.