CHECK IN HERE IF YOU DO ***NOT*** HAVE HEALTH COVERAGE OF ANY SORT!!!!

[Leftist Agitator]

I, for one, don't. Let's see how many of we DUers are in the same boat!

[EFerrari]

1. I don't either and it sure would be nice to go to a doctor today

for this flu. :(

[mdmc]

150. feel better

peace and low stress..

[EFerrari]

166. Thank you.

:hi:

[BobRossi]

243. No job, no health insurance.

The only "change" that has hit me directly.

[Vincardog]

309. No job, no health insurance. $50K in Medical bills and bankruptcy knocking at the door

[sentelle]

2. Does prayer count?

If not that I don't have.

and by prayer I mean "Please God, don't let me get sick".

[LynneSin]

39. Not even as a form of birth control

:hug:

[sentelle]

81. Gee

I'm sure glad condoms work.... not only as birth control, but also as preventative healthcare.

[mikelgb]

3. check

[Christa]

4. Check. nt

[Tikki]

5. Our 34 year old son; student/part time worker has NO health insurance...

of any kind.
First week of November he will stand in a long
line at the community center to get a free flu shot.

The Tikkis

[Howardx]

6. none here

need it.

[Quantess]

7. I don't have any coverage, but I need help for my messed-up knee.

MRIs are expensive!

[brewens]

214. A lot of people use Workman's comp as a form of insurance in your case.

Businesses take a lot of hits because of uninsured or underinsured people. Their only option is to claim a work related injury if they have a problem like a bad knee. If they pull it off they get Workman's comp and L&I pays for the surgery.
Someone gets hurt over the weekend and can't just afford to go to the doctor, miss work and pay for their own treatment. They have to tough it out, hide it and as soon as they get the chance, claim they just did it at work.
Happens all the time.

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. Who the fuck is unreccing this?

Are there really that many insurance criminal shills here?

[wicket]

29. The trolls have been coming out of the woodwork as of late

n/t

[DireStrike]

54. Could be people who unrec check-in threads

I find them very annoying and useless, but I've decided against using unrec except in the most dire cases.

Having posted in here, I should qualify that I have health coverage, thankfully. That could change at any time and I would be in serious trouble. I'd have to buy imported pills and stop treatment. It would be a burden for sure.... I might be ok in the end, but probably not as well off as I'd be if I'd always had coverage.

[harmonicon]

99. people who hate "check in here..." threads. (nt)

[pnwmom]

215. That's why I think un-rec should only be allowed for people with

a minimum number of posts -- just like you have to have a certain number of posts before you can start a thread.

Why should trolls and Rethug lurkers be allowed to un-rec threads?

[vaberella]

234. +1. Have you recommended that to the mods or Skinner.

It's a great idea.

[Skeeve]

9. not since 2000

Luckily, I don't seem to get sick or have had any major issues in the past 9yrs. (Other than meeting a drunk driver at 12:30am in 2004...metal staples in my skull for a few weeks - emergency room care).

[hfojvt]

294. life is pain?

Certainly not for the Great Skeeve.

I get sick several times a year, but not sick enough to need a doctor generally.

[krispos42]

10. Haven't you heard?

We ALL have the bestest coverage in the world! Just ask any Republican senator!


Simply walk into your local neighborhood ER, take a number, and try not to die in an area with high foot traffic until you get patched up.

[Starry Messenger]

11. None at all.

I haven't for years. Adjunct faculty who are teaching less than 3/4 aren't offered benefits in my neck of the woods.

[ipaint]

13. nothing.

53 years old and haven't seen a doctor since 1994 when I had ins.

[DollyM]

181. my husband teaches adjunct too . . .

At one time he was teaching 8 classes and they still considered him part time and adjunct, not entitled to benefits!! Community colleges are corrupt pieces of ****!

[Starry Messenger]

230. It's shocking isn't it?

The one and only time I had to go in for emergency medical care in the last few years (galloping MRSA in my left foot, red streak, etc.) the DOCTOR got on my case for not going having insurance. He thought I was just somehow too lazy to fill out paperwork or something. He was gobsmacked when I told him that most CC teachers who are not full-time or tenure track are denied benefits.

[DollyM]

295. meanwhile, they spend money on everything else . . .

The college my husband works at is raising money to build a Veterans Memorial. I keep thinking that it would make more sense to raise money to HIRE a veteran! But they are all about show and building projects look good. (They just finished putting up a half million dollar clock tower because the students obviously needed that to be able to tell time!)

[JNelson6563]

12. Checking in.

I got nothin'.

[Joe Fields]

14. My wife and I have no coverage.

[Bonhomme Richard]

15. Lies, all lies. According to republicans you all have health insurance.

Just go to the emergency room.
The shit they pile is way too high.

[Contrary1]

22. I think you may be on to something...

How's this for making a statement that would be hard to ignore?

Everyone in this country who has no health insurance show up at their local ER on the same day.

Carry an "insurance" ID card with this famous GWB quote: "...people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room."

I think a protest like this would be interesting, to say the least.

[icymist]

112. Right. Until everybody starts getting the bill.

:shrug:

[Contrary1]

198. Not for treatment, just as a protest of sorts...

My fault, I should have made that clear in my post. :blush:

[barbtries]

273. i think that's a great idea

:thumbsup:

[SOS]

94. The Republicans always forget to mention that the ER isn't affordable either

Yes, they will treat you, but get ready for that $15,000 bill and prepare your bankruptcy filing.

[hypocrisyandlies]

101. and then you spend the next year

paying for that emergency room trip. I'd rather stay home and suffer through it.

[tonysam]

16. None

None for a year and a half after I was wrongfully terminated.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

17. I had no idea we had so many "illegal aliens" as DU posters

Because I keep hearing the right wing say that is who makes up the bulk of the uninsured. Get outta here ya damn furreners!
I want my country baaacckk!!!

[HamdenRice]

18. I'm uninsurable under the current system in the individual market.

I'm very healthy, but I have several previously existing conditions.

[Quantess]

207. I have a question for you, or anyone else who is healthy with pre-existing conditions

Were you flat-out denied? Or do the insurance companies offer a scant coverage for a high premium, or...?

Just wondering. :)

[HamdenRice]

237. I should say uninsurable at a practical cost

It could be scant coverage at a high premium, excluding the one health area that I'm likely to need coverage for in the future.

[kestrel91316]

19. (raises hand) - I got priced out of the market a few years back.

[Peacetrain]

20. My brother Mike has no insurance... because of sleep apnea..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8590485

[CoffeeCat]

177. I have sleep apnea...

...and I read the story about your brother.

I am in shock, reading about this. Sleep apnea is a VERY serious condition that can cause death. However, I
assumed that if you tackled it, and got healthy--you would be fine as far as insurance goes. After all, he's
no longer got sleep apnea, so how can they deny him for a pre-existing condition that he no longer has????

That's just terrible and I suppose that I am screwed! I have insurance through my husband's company, and if he
loses his job, I'm sure I'd be denied. I just started treatment for it and I'm using the CPAP. I've had some
relief, but am not cured. It takes time.

Kudos to your brother for overcoming this serious condition. It sounds like he lost a lot of weight too. I have
found that it's easy to lose weight after you get your breathing and sleeping habits in check. He's done really
well, and he should be incredibly proud of himself. That's a tough situation to overcome!! The CPAP isn't
exactly the most comfortable thing to wear when you sleep. I feel like Darth Vader sometimes!

So sorry about the lack of insurance for your bro, but great news that he is doing so well. Amazing!

[Peacetrain]

319. I know, it can be a very debilitating condition if left untreated.

Good luck to you.. It is a hard thing to adjust to.

[raccoon]

250. WTF!!! These days, everybody and their mama is diagnosed with sleep apnea!

It's the ailment du jour.

If the insurance companies refuse to cover anyone who's been diagnosed with this...they're ruling out a LOT of people.

Which, of course, is what they intend to do. They only want to insure the healthy ones.

[Peacetrain]

320. That is so true.. I know at least 8 people who have been diagnosed

with sleep apnea in the last couple of years.

[asdjrocky]

21. Lost mine five years ago.

[juno jones]

23. Yep. n/t

[Vinca]

24. Self-employed and priced out of it.

Even the state's "affordable" progam is nearly $20,000 a year.

[Captain Hilts]

164. Same for my accountant. nt

[Snazzy]

201. exactly

worked for myself or with partners since about '95. Always a gamble. Imagine how many wouldn't be afraid of being entrepreneurs if one of our risks wasn't our health or financial ruin of our businesses and selves because of health.

[OneGrassRoot]

25. Nothing for the last eight years. n/t

[ThePantaloon.com]

26. Denied for Pre-Existing "Achilles tendinitis" (soccer sprain really)

Total bullshit. Thanks to Anthem.

[Quantess]

32. Oh, great.

I suppose that means I'd be denied insurance for having a messed up knee. I guess I'm screwed either way.

[ThePantaloon.com]

58. Insurance Companies are Vampires

[lib2DaBone]

27. Nope... cant afford it at any price

[tech9413]

28. I quit working in 2002, that was the end of my health insurance

Since then I've had a few medical incidents. Most I took care of myself, one ended up in a trip to the ER. That cost me $3K. If I were paying for insurance for myself I don't think that $3K would have covered me for a year and a half.

[county worker]

33. That 3K is something the repubs don't like to talk about.

Sure you can go to the ER but later they hound you to death with collection calls and letters if you don't pay or can't pay.

[Quantess]

53. Just $3000?

Not to belittle your medical dilemma, but, it sounds like you got out of the hospital with just a few patches, so to speak.

[hfojvt]

297. the ER is not the Hospital unless they check you in

typically they treat you and send you on your way. My bill was $800 and it should have been $300 if they hadn't dinged me for $500 for X-rays I didn't need.

[jus_the_facts]

30. Haven't since I was dropped from my parent's policy in 1985.

[brer cat]

31. None for ten years.

[TK421]

34. Here....no coverage since June

[TexasLady]

35. here

none.nada.zilch.

[TlalocW]

36. Self-Employed at 37. No insurance since the start of the millenium

I don't think I've had health insurance since 2001 or 2002. I worked as a programmer for a large corporation before layoffs hit (last time I had insurance), and then I kicked around for a bit trying to find a similar job but couldn't so I ended up working as tech support - first for Sprint before I got fed up with the manager and quit in a dramatic fashion before completing training for Yahoo to be one of the people who looked at new personal ads to verify they met Yahoo's standards. Right after training was completed, Yahoo decided they didn't want to use us so I got in another training group for DirecTV tech support. Went to work there but after a couple months got a job as the head programmer for a small website shop that didn't have insurance. From there, I moved on to contract work for another company, but they let me go after 6 months because the budget was coming up, and they wanted to juggle the numbers for their stockholders. I'm now contracting again for that small website shop.

So I'm not sure, but I don't think I really had any insurance just because of the natures of the positions I held and/or time spent at the companies I was at.

TlalocW

[Rhythm]

37. Uninsured in West Virginia

My only medical assistance comes from the Student Health clinic at WVU, where i am a non-trad student. This only covers minor stuff, though... anything involving lab tests, x-rays, or worse would go through the university hospital, and i am liable for all charges there.

Needless to say, i hope i stay healthy until i finish school, and finally land a job with insurance benefits.

[madmom]

38. My daughter, my son, my son's wife have no insurance. Son's kids are on state medicaid.

[wickerwoman]

40. Nope.

I have a bullshit pre-existing condition (a slightly irregular heartbeat often caused by drinking too much caffeine- which I did at the time).

My brother doesn't have health coverage either because he's self-employed.

[propagandagirl]

41. My 19 year old son has no insurance....

He graduated from high school in June, and because he did not want to go to college, our insurance dropped him.

[Missy Vixen]

42. We lost ours after my husband got laid off

We had six months of COBRA, but we couldn't afford the remaining period. (A nine hundred dollar-a-month premium tends to make that impossible.)

In the meantime, we're getting flu shots, and going to the doctor is out of the question.

[blogslut]

43. Present

I haven't had coverage since, well, I can't remember.

[GoCubsGo]

44. Hand raised...

Had crappy, high deductible temp insurance after I got laid off 2+ years ago. After 18 months of it, I realized I was throwing my money away. If I had something minor, I'd be paying for it out of my pocket anyway. If something catastrophic happened, they would cut me off, and I would wind up going bankrupt anyway. What's the point? I wish I had all that money back...

[DearAbby]

45. !

My husband included.

[closeupready]

46. I do have health insurance, and it's really pretty good, better than most people.

But I support a public option. I would prefer single payer, but at any rate, everyone needs to have access to health care.

[MilesColtrane]

47. me

[Sky Masterson]

48. 43 and uninsured..

..

[JoeyT]

49. None here

Self employed, haven't had it since I've been an adult.
I was foolish enough to take acne medication when I was 14, so I can't get it.

[Schema Thing]

50. check

[annabanana]

51. My son. . aged out of the family plan, and has asthma. . .n/t

[NRaleighLiberal]

52. Our 24 and 28 year old daughters have no coverage of any sort.

[Justpat]

55. nope

My insurance was cancelled when it was discovered I have a kidney stone.

The kidney stone has never been taken care of. That was two years ago.

[closeupready]

56. This is off-topic, of course, but I just wonder, what do people do when they get sick?

with 106 degree temperature, or vomiting frequently? As I say upthread, I've always had health insurance, so I wouldn't know what I would do if I needed health care and I didn't have insurance.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

69. I can answer that.

I used to get frequent sinus infections and bronchitis, accompanied by barfing up the mucus constantly and dehydration. I went to the ER and got ignored in one where the nurses were standing around doing nothing. Hubby tried to get their attention but it didn't help. So we went to another ER where they gave me a shot of phenergan, a shot of antibiotic and a shot of cortisone. They sent me a bill for several hundred $$ I was not able to pay.

This happened more than once.

[closeupready]

111. What a nightmare. I honestly feel when a job gets to be so demoralizing that

you can't even be there for people who are in physical distress (and I have also seen this kind of attitude in ER's I've been in), you need to get out and get another job. I really feel there is absolutely no excuse for that kind of rudeness.

[quakerboy]

184. Wait untill you feel better, then go back to work

[barbtries]

272. 106 degree temp

i'd call 911.

what i did when i did not have insurance, which was after my daughter died and i was out of a job: when i got sick (frequent UTIs), i would call my doctor, who knows me, and beg him to prescribe what i needed without making me come in. he was very very cool about that. also if necessary we would pay cash. my oldest son just went in to see him on a cash basis and he only charged him $33.

when my youngest son got a kidney stone at the age of 11 i took him to the dr's first then on to the ER. the hospital is still waiting for their $7,000.

i have never seen one of my children in more physical pain than that boy was with the kidney stone. his blood pressure shot up, he vomited, all from the pain.

[closeupready]

276. Oh, wow, that's horrible. My dad used to get kidney stones, but

hasn't had any for many years.

[Misskittycat]

57. No health insurance at all

[immoderate]

59. Ooh! Me! Me!

In all the years I worked and had coverage, I got one tetanus shot out of them. That's it!

That one time I got hit by a truck and taken to the ER at St. Vincent's, I was unemployed. Stitches and some road burn treatment, and I walked away, but I paid.

--imm

[gaspee]

60. None whatsoever

Been trying to get into the free clinic, but I never win the new patient lottery.

I have untreated high blood pressure.

[tabbycat31]

61. uninsured

[laughingliberal]

62. Me or my husband, either nt

[earthboundmisfit]

63. K&R, nothing for 8 years now

Luckily, I'm pretty healthy. But I haven't even had any of the annual checks women are supposed to have for nearly 9 years now.

[Grassy Knoll]

64. Zip for 2 years. n/t

[undeterred]

65. Checking in.

I saw my doc on Monday and told him that I had been unable to fill my prescriptions. He gave me a bunch of samples and will help me apply to the drug company.

Bandaids don't work for gaping wounds.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

66. None. :(

[Fumesucker]

67. Check & K&R

[The Midway Rebel]

68. Nothing since the late 90's except my prayers! n/t

[blues90]

70. none since 2004 , went away along with the job

[Manifestor_of_Light]

71. Not since 2006.

Husbo got laid off from his crapola job at a med school in 2006 and we decided to retire. I had given up on finding a job of any kind long before. We have three college degrees each.

I have several chronic conditions and have about $1000 a month in scrips (HBP, asthma, allergies, etc.) and I go to the internist once every six months for the blood work.

I also have two large neuromas (one in each foot) that make them numb, that should be removed, and a kidney stone. I drink lots of water.

[Roland99]

72. Check

$405/mo. to insure my daughter and I if I were to choose it. And then there's co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles....

[Spacemom]

73. I have no insurance and I'm diabetic

which means every day I go without treatment brings me one day closer to blindness, amputation and dialysis. I could treat myself with OTC insulin, but it would cost about $65 a month (and that's buying the cheapest I can find, from Walmart). And that doesn't include syringes or test strips which are outrageously expensive. My kids would like to eat this month, so I go without.

There are really times when I feel like my own government would just rather I die. :(

[truedelphi]

141. If you can get into your social services office and talk to a social

worker, you might find that you qualify for County medical insurance and assistance.

They have very much liberalized the amounts of money you are able to earn, before saying you make too much to qualify.

It sounds like this is a real option. Unless of course you own your home and don't want the County to seize it in return for the County help they provide. (A situation I can empathize with.)

But many people in your situation do not own a home, so maybe considering this might help.

[Spacemom]

152. We do own our home

I've looked and looked for services in our area. We're rural and there's just not much available.

[Marlana]

74. Not since 2002.

I'm probably un-insurable, too.

[Subdivisions]

75. None. I'm self-employed. n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

76. No coverage for 4 years.....

since lost job that provided it.

[Tuesday_Morning]

77. don't have insurance

and haven't for about 6 years now.

[justabob]

78. I've got nothing

If I get sick or hurt, I just have to suck it up. Yay.

[supernova]

79. I am uninsured and I have congenital heart disease

So, even when I do have coverage, I still have to wait out the dreaded "pre-existing condition" exclusionary period of anywhere from 6 to 18 months, depending on the company. Even then, they could decide that the care for my condition is not "usual and customary. I've lived with it all my life. I know exactly what the standard of care is for my condition.

I've been laid off THREE TIMES since 2002. As a result, between then and now, I've had maybe three years of actual coverage that I can use.

I need echocardiograms yearly to monitor my heart condition and see when or if it would be appropriate to talk about surgery.

I need mammograms because I have an immediate family history of breast cancer.

Fuck private insurance. I've had enough. I can't get the care I need from them.

If we get the public option, or medicare for all, I will get on that and NEVER LOOK BACK.

[Usrename]

80. I am a charity case.

A local charity picked up the cost of my heart surgery to repair a mitral valve. I'm completely broke and borrowing from friends.


on edit> Now they are after my girlfriends house because she's letting me stay here for free.

[theHandpuppet]

82. Lost my health insurance when Virginia passed its gay-hating laws

Had joint health insurance for many years with my partner and lost them when Virginia passed laws forbidding companies operating in the state to offer joint insurance coverage to unmarried partners. With MS and now no insurance, there's no insrance company that would offer me a policy we could possibly afford.

Homophobia KILLS.

[Divine Discontent]

88. absolutely horrible. I hope you got disability or are working on it. the bastards who take our

rights away without a thought will have plenty to answer for come judgment day (yes, I believe in one, and I'm glad in this case I do!), you should not have had that happen, it's heinous, inhuman and reeks of bigotry that smells like how the 1940's German poor were trained to hate the Jews because they had businesses and homes.


You had your medical coverage stolen - and that's just sickening.

[Divine Discontent]

89. checked in!

[theHandpuppet]

107. Thanks

I don't consider myself disabled (not compared to many other folks; my MS is in remission but there are lingering problems) and would be loathe to file for disability. There are so many people worse off than I am who can't get help. My neighbor is an Army combat vet who served in Vietnam and his body so crippled he is almost to the point he has to crawl. His wife tells me he is in such pain he cries in his sleep. Yet he can't even get disability because the SS office said as long as he could sit in a chair he is considered employable and doesn't deserve disability. Believe me, he has been trying for three years now and his body become more and more crippled and racked with unbearable pain. When I see a brave man like that who served his country and yet is denied any compassion it makes me sick. This country needs to do some serious soul-searching.

[kdpeters]

83. Not since 2004.

[KG]

84. no insurance, no job. which makes PO worthless to me.

PO is a steaming pile of shit.

that single payer was never on the table should tell you all you need to know about where the obama admins loyalties lie.

[demwing]

85. Does Transitional Medicaid Count?

Ihave a $700 out of pocket expense I have to cover before it kicks in EACH MONTH. Since I make a measly pittance each mmonth, I know I don't really have medical insurance. Barring catastophic illness, I will never use this program.

[Omnibus]

86. No insurance here.

Not since I lost my job, months ago.

[Laughing Mirror]

87. None

No coverage of any kind.

[beltanefauve]

90. Checking in

Haven't had insurance since 2003, when the job I had at the time cut back my hours in response to the economy then. I no longer worked enough hours to qualify for their plan. I had a second job, but their requirements were even more restrictive. And I couldn't afford the COBRA, either. Now I'm self-employed, so its out of the question.
I'm 49, and in relatively good health, but I'm not getting the mammagrams and pap smears I need. I've had a breast biopsy in the past, so I'm running a risk, not having the key tool for early detection at my disposal.

[miyazaki]

91. I got nothin'. n/t

[vinylsolution]

92. I work for The Liberal Store....

.... and I have no coverage.

The owners are millionaires, and yep - they have healthcare.

Go figure....

[philly_bob]

The SOB's cancelled my insurance when I needed operation.

Luckily, I'm almost 65 and can get Medicare.

[SOS]

93. Nothing

Can't afford insurance (self-employed).

[wildbilln864]

95. yep, that'd be me. nt

[shadowknows69]

96. Here!

[NightWatcher]

97. my medical plan...dont plan on getting sick

if so.....die quickly

[logosoco]

98. None here...

my husband and kids are covered through his work (which he pays a lot for) If we needed to use it , it would be hard to come up with co pays and deductibles. I was injured on the job 2 years ago (didn't report it because I thought it would heal on it's own!)It is keeping me from working (I finally had to quit my job because I could no longer do it with out severe pain). So, really the gov't is losing money here. IF I can get my shoulder fixed and go back to work I would be a tax payer again.

[hypocrisyandlies]

100. I graduated from college in May...

and still don't have a job. My parent's insurance dropped me right after graduation. No health coverage here.

[susanr516]

102. Uninsured 21-year-old son nt

[USAF Brat]

103. No insurance since 1994

I felt extremely lucky to have it when I had my sons. And that was the only time in my adult life I've ever had health insurance.

[2Design]

104. not since 1997 n/t

[4lbs]

105. Repuke response: Hey you slacker, how about you sell all your junk, become homeless, and then go on

Medicaid like a good little serf.

Don't wait for government-run healthcare to pass! We are against government-run healthcare! It is all evil.

So, go on Medicaid already! Now, excuse me while I check in with my doctor at the VA hospital.

[L0oniX]

106. NOT n/t

[lupinella]

108. *waves*

Insurance free and hating it!

[icymist]

109. At the moment, NO!

I'm inbetween jobs and when I work, I work in healthcare!

[BuelahWitch]

110. I don't

:hi:

[handmade34]

113. no insurance at all, of any sort here...

[Lilith Velkor]

114. Yo! n/t

[SandWalker1984]

115. We HAD insurance, until we needed to actually USE it

Like many, we had insurance but never used it except check ups or small things. Then a family member had a major health event. Long story short, they changed our coverage to crap and raised the premiums so high we had to drop our health insurance. We've been without coverage for several years now and always fear what will happen if someone gets really sick.

Insurance corporations really put it to the self employed.

Which makes me ask the question, what do you think they will do to us if we are all MANDATED to be their victims?

[RedRocco]

116. Im almost 45

and have never had insurance

[hfojvt]

299. not even with your parents?

I went to age 42 with no insurance until I got a full time job. It was a good thing too, because I was hospitalized less than a year later. What a drag it is, getting old.

[cornflake_31]

117. Sadly, I am without health insurance...

By trade I am a union sheetmetal worker. The construction field is non-existent and has been for the past few years. I used to have one of the best health insurance plans of all the trades here in Columbus Ohio, but after 6 months of unemployment my insurance ran out and the only way to keep it up is to pay an unbelievably high premium to stay on the plan.
Anyone who has ever had to live on unemployment knows that it pays the bills, but not much else. So now I and my wife are without insurance and my kids are on state medicaid.

[Liberation Angel]

118. None here - three kids with none either (two 20 year olds and a 15 year old)

It sucks and we have serious needs

but doctors are outside our range of income

I had it as did the kids through my spouse's employment, but layoffs killed that and we could not afford cobra.

[tiny elvis]

119. check

[Rincewind]

120. I do not have health insurance.

Neither do my two brothers and my sister in law. And neither do about half of my nieces and nephews. But that's ok, the insurance companies are making a fortune, and that's what is important.

[cravermi]

121. Lost coverage when job was eliminated in April 2008

[debannbull]

122. two of my three adult children do not. n/t

[Ysabela]

123. I had a lawnmower accident at the age of 10

I'm missing the big toe and half of the second toe on my left foot, and a nicked growth plate in my knee from the spinning back tire of the riding lawnmower. This nicked growth plate has caused my left leg to end up being slightly shorter than the other after 15 years since the accident, causing numerous back problems. This is the very definition of "pre-existing condition", and I'm unable to get health insurance because of it.

[GreenTea]

124. Zero - None!

[Skip Intro]

125. None here. nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

126. None. Can't afford it.

[ornotna]

127. I do but...

I pay over $276 a week for coverage for myself, wife and 2 children. I don't know how long I'll be able to continue paying out this kind of money. I just don't know.

[Tippy]

128. 6 People in my immediate family have no health insurance....n/t

[tosh]

129. Uninsured since 1987.

So far my med expenses are limited to routine checkups and an occasional minor illness, nothing that we can't handle financially. Last year mr. tosh had outpatient surgery. Even with that expense, we were just about even with what annual premiums would be *IF* we could get coverage.

Both of us are healthy but have "pre-existing" things that would probably keep us from getting coverage.

[ncliberal]

130. I have MS and no health coverage. nt

[me b zola]

131. Here

:(

[gabby garcia]

132. none.

can't afford it plus 2 of my 3 children have pre existing conditions.

[sandnsea]

133. Only due to state subsidized insurance

Otherwise I hadn't been to the doctor since 1992 and was very sick and didn't know it.

[jonmiller74]

134. un-insured since being outsourced in 2001

The company I worked for outsourced the IT department to another company (one with a 2 letter name), I've been unable to find permanent employment since and have been an IT contractor. Until this last wave of IT reductions, work had been steady but insurance was too expensive too afford. Now I'm unemployed, uninsured and hoping to find something before my benefits run out in December.

[toadzilla]

135. me!

[mntleo2]

136. diabetic-on-the-job-injured uninsured here ...

No meds, no doc, no nuttin'!

Cat in Seattle ;(

[Anakin Skywalker]

137. Right Here!

[mackerel]

212. I went without for 4 years. The new company I'm with

offers only for the employee, so I have it but my husband and kids don't. My kids qualified for medicare for only 3 months but they canceled the policy and never notified me. I just happened to call because I needed an updated card for the kids school and was informed that my kids had been canceled back in July. The reason, I was told I now make too much money now.

[Sanity Claws]

138. None

[the other one]

139. check

[Kip Humphrey]

140. Can't get coverage because of our pre-existing conditions...

Wife carried our coverage with her city job but had to quit because of her advancing Crohn's disease. My work's insurance company turned down coverage due to pre-existing conditions (her Crohn's, my 2 neck operations). Oh well...

[solara]

142. None here

:patriot:

[InkAddict]

143. Checking in n/t

[EJSTES2005]

144. My $5000 ( indv) A Year Deductible HSA

should count as the closest thing to not having insurance. I have a balance of $0.00 in my HSA savings acct due to a recent medical problem ( + still owe on the deductible from that) Luckily my wife was able to get a new job with a better plan for her and the kids. She now works for an agency that handles unemployment claims for the state we live in. Before she got those benefits we had a $10,000 annual(family) deductible hsa thru my job. Not only was our ded $10K a yr, our premium for the family add on was $204/Mnth. My employer paid an additional est.$200 a month for my premiums. My employer also use to contribute around $100 a month to the acct b4 the shit hit the fan. The annual paid total before the ins company would be liable for $1 was over $14.8K per year. After the ded was met they would cover 100% up to $1M total.................

[Richard D]

145. Nope

I spend whatever money I can on staying healthy. And no, it's not enough for insurance.

[ceveritt]

146. No health care

Checking in.

And hoping I don't need another stent anytime soon. I have three so far: one from 9-10 years ago, and the other two from about a year ago.

But why should I worry about that? Besides, hypertension is what'll probably do me in, especially once I can no longer afford the meds, which will be soon, as I'm also unemployed, and apparently unemployable.

Best of luck to all.

CE

[Kermitt Gribble]

147. No ins here. n/t

[teewrex]

148. Couldn't afford it anymore. Had to give it up. I'm waiting to hear if

I can get state medical coverage. Otherwise I can't even afford my cancer pills anymore.

[Capn Sunshine]

149. Lost ours when our COBRA expired

We were willing to pay for a separate policy, but Kaiser actually rejected us. I have high blood pressure, controlled, and no other issues; wife has zero issues.

So, wtf?

[kentestsgod]

151. I hurt. I need help

teeth,joints,hernia,no income,whatta ya do? SUFFER!

[AlienGirl]

174. Me too. I keep my own kind of "insurance" on hand for the day when it gets to be too much.

[rucky]

153. I just got a juicer. Does that count?

[XemaSab]

154. No health care here!!!!111

USA! USA! USA!

[Withywindle]

155. Nope.

I'm too afraid to get a checkup even out-of-pocket, because if the doc finds anything, lo and behold! pre-existing condition. Couldn't afford to get it treated anyway.

[Le Taz Hot]

156. We lost our health insurance

on October 1. At that time, my husband was cut down to three days a week. As of today, he was completely laid off. The official unemployment rate in this area is 15%, the real one's more like 30%. There are no jobs. I'm numb.

[Bertha Venation]

263. Le Taz Hot, I am so sorry.

It's not much, but :hug:

[Hutzpa]

157. None

here, just can't afford it self employed does that to you.

[FirstLight]

158. I guess Medi-CAL count?

I am on state cash aid, food stamps and yes, Medicaid i guess...
( though there is only one clinic in 100 miles or so and the ER is second rate rural hospital...)

but it ain't nothin- I guess we have been "lucky" to be poor enough to qualify

got 'downsized' in January, but even when working (at any job) I never made enough NOT to qualify. (that's under $20K a year for me & 3 kids)

[PSzymeczek]

159. Me, either.

Haven't for three years, since I lost my DoD job. The only prescription drug I take is my BP medication, and that only because it's a generic, and is $16 for a three-month supply..

[Autumn Colors]

160. self-employed & I got nada (nt)

[KBlagburn]

161. i dont

[Captain Hilts]

162. I don't. They'll sell me only 'short term' coverage because I'm unemployed. Short term is useless.

[intheflow]

163. No health insurance here.

:( I'm blessed with a strong immune system, but I sure ain't getting any younger.

[uppityperson]

165. Hi. Self employed, part time employee elsewhere = no insurance. nt

[Submariner]

167. I'm being fined $1012 for not buying into the mandated Romneycare Health Insurance Scam

I told the state to take that POS mandate and shove it where the sun don't shine.

Draft dodging cowards Bush and Cheney took away promised VA health care access for veterans without service connected disabilities, and then Mittens Romney sticks a knife in the back of Massachusetts Vietnam era vets for not having the health insurance that his brother draft dodging cowards took away from us. :crazy::crazy::crazy:

[gwsuperfan]

168. Nope- can't get it either

Preexisting conditions suck :-(

[woundedkarma]

169. *raise hand*

I don't have any coverage. I've got a list of health problems that's growing all the time. I worry that if my girlfriend and I got married and had kids, will I live long enough to watch them grow up?

[pollo poco]

170. don't have it

Lost my job- just turned 50- yipee!!

[shireen]

171. headcount, btwn 2:55pm to 10:30pm ... 169

I had to count ... at least 169. I counted individuals who posted, and when they mentioned it, their family members. Some did not give a number, so it's more than 169.

:(

[AlienGirl]

172. Do you count the public clinic with the sliding scale?

That's what I have.

Tucker

[BallardWA]

173. This may not count but.....

We own a small business and have what we call "the disaster plan". Insurance companies call it Major Medical. We pay $10,000 a year for a family of four and it covers NOTHING. Last year our additional expenses were $14,000. We would gladly pay 12,15, 18K per year into a public plan if everything was covered. GLADLY.

[LaPera]

175. I have no insurance, my wife has some through work & it covers near NOTHING!

We must have a strong Public Option for ALL now!

[tyedyeto]

176. None, nada, zilch. n/t

[bvar22]

178. None. My wife too.

Self-unemployed, living on savings.
Turn 60 this year.

[daughter of liberty2]

179. No heath coverage here.

like many others, its been years since I could afford health insurance.

[DarleenMB]

180. Might as well be NO insurance

As I have a $10,000 deductible and my monthly premium is now $317 ... BCBS raised my rates for the SECOND time this year. asshats.

[kurtzapril4]

182. I sure don't.

Could sure use it. I have MS.

[d_b]

183. Jack shit

:hi:

[DollyM]

185. no jobs, no health insurance . . .

My husband is diabetic and we went to the Dr. today for a foot ulcer he has been treating. Doctor wants to amputate the foot farther up. We explained our situation and he asked if we had seen the movie Sicko and commented that we need to do something about the health care situation in this country, then he, I kid you not, recommended that we move to France. I told him my husband was British and we were seriously considering a move out of country as this one didn't seem to have anything to offer, no jobs, no way to pay for healthcare bills, no nothing. It is so frustrating. On the way out, I noticed they had Fox News playing on the TV, I couldn't believe it. I think that is adding insult to injury.

[lildreamer316]

186. Check,and husband does not either. n/t

[nc4bo]

187. Check. nt

[catrose]

188. My son, 28

working more than full time as an IT professional. His company "can't afford it."

[Iwillnevergiveup]

189. HOLY COW!

This thread needs to be sent to The Powers That Won't...what an eye-opener. Younger son has no job or insurance and needs 2 teeth pulled next week - $470.00!

[catrose]

190. My friend & her husband

who own a small company (11 employees). I'm housesitting for their 3rd vacation this year, but they can't buy insurance for any price because of preexisting conditions.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

191. It's particularly scary, right now. I couldn't possibly afford health insurance. nt

[freethought]

192. I have my hand raised!n/t

[ClayZ]

193. We do not!

Here's hoping!

[liberalhistorian]

194. My husband and I don't, despite his having a decent

job; it doesn't offer any benefits. We've been looking into individual coverage but it's nearly impossible to find, given our ages (mid-40's-mid-50's), never mind that we're both in good health, have no major health issues and have never had a serious illness, or cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, none of that. And any policies we do find that might do us the honor of giving us a tiny sliver of consideration would cost over a thousand a month, which we couldn't afford, with astronomical deductibles before they'd pay a fucking dime. And just having insurance is no guarantee that we'd get needed care, either. We're okay right now, and are doing our best to remain in good health, but if one of us gets sick or injured before we have something, we are SCREWED.

[countmyvote4real]

195. Nada

I can barely pay my rent.

[quakerboy]

196. Not me, not my wife, not my sis, sis in law, MIL, FIL,

My parents only have it through a government retirement, and cousins only have it via ssi disability.

Out of my family of 29(siblings, parents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and same for my wife) only three have health insurance that is not government sponsored. Approximately half have no insurance whatsoever. Including me and my wife. I work a full time job, where I have been for over 4 years. My boss, the owner of the company, cannot afford insurance. When he bought the company he jumped through so many hoops trying to get us there, and there was NOTHING that would not have immediately bankrupted this small company. I know. I did the research for him.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

197. I'm still insured, but I am considering dropping it

especially after I figured out how much I have paid in premiums since moving here in 2003--for NO benefits.

I would be better off paying out of pocket and getting actual care than shelling out hundreds of dollars a month for NOTHING.

Next summer I hit a major birthday, when even this year's charts say that my $5000 deductible policy will become unaffordable.

I refuse to raise my deductible to $10,000. That would bankrupt me. If I'm going bankrupt (and it's not that bad---I had to do it during the 1990s when I lost a customer who had been providing half my income) I want to do it without having paid hundreds of dollars per month to the bloodsuckers.

In my dream world, everyone would drop their insurance and just let the system collapse so that America would be forced to come up with a more rational and humane system.

[barbtries]

287. i've had the same dream

we can dream...

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

199. because I'm a vet I could drive 2.5 hours to a clinic and be seen

Several years back I cut my thumb, went to the nearest ER and said I can go to San Francisco and get this taken care of. How much would it cost me here? They said, "Let me call the VA and see if they will cover it." After talking to several people and not getting any answers they said they would see me and bill the VA. They never said what the expense would be. Later I was billed $600 for one stitch and cleaning the cut. (the VA would not cover it) I could have driven the extra hour and not been charged anything. (I thought it was going to be more than one stitch from the depth and size of the cut.) I have had good service from the VA, mostly just check ups but they have pulled some teeth that needed extraction.

[OKDem08]

200. nada

[laconicsax]

202. What's health coverage?

Haven't had it for a couple years and for the last few years I did, I didn't really have access to care.

[Tinksrival]

203. My three adult children

I would like to speak for them.

[liberal N proud]

204. Our 22 y/o daughter will lose hers at the end of the month

The insurance company is dropping her because she is no longer a "full time" student.

Still in school with 2 classes left to graduate and hopefully she will not get sick and can get a job soon.

[im1013]

205. Nope, self-employed.

None for the kids, either.

[kevinmc]

206. not since 10-2001 .... n/t

[Gorobei]

208. The wife and I have been without it for over a year.

NYC job market is lousy and most of the stuff out there is contract stuff with no benefits.

[Budgies Revenge]

209. none here nt

[AsahinaKimi]

210. um...

no.

[pmorlan1]

211. None here

We haven't had health insurance since 2007 but I start a new job on Monday and will sign up for their group insurance plan.

[Swamp Rat]

213. none

for over 10 years

[Fire1sKid]

216. Checkin in!!!!

[onestepforward]

217. None since '98. Husband too.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

218. None. I'm self-employed and have nothing on myself

I haven't had health insurance in almost a decade and a half now.

I avoid a doctor unless I'm deathly ill or have a seriously broken bone. I've not went in for broken toes, fingers and a broke bone in my foot. All went well except the bone in my foot. That was horrific and still gives me problems to this day.

[LatteLibertine]

219. I do not

I am straight up "self-pay". God forbid I run out of money.

[LadyHawkAZ]

220. Check n/t

[demodonkey]

221. No healthcare for me. None, zip, nada. nt

[Turborama]

222. I am my health coverage, just stopped smoking and am eating more veggies & fruit - that's it

Oh, and drinking more water and stopped drinking alcohol.

[DesertDiamond]

223. I worked in the medical industry for years, hence will not let them touch me except

if I have an injury. I stay well with a raw vegan lifestyle and natural healing. but for those who choose western medicine i want them to be able to do so, therefor i support single payer.

[bridgit]

224. ^

:kick:

[Shaun]

225. Yet another no.

Haven't had coverage for about 7 years. At this point, I'm hoping to live another six years to get eligible for Medicare so I can go to the doctor and find out what I'm dying of.

[Nailzberg]

226. I have health coverage, but I may soon lose it.

My health coverage is provided by my union (IATSE) as long as I work enough hours. Problem is, more and more production companies are skirting the unions, so when I take those jobs, which I must so I can have an income, I am underpayed and no contribution is made toward my health benefits. I have about a month and a half before I'm buying my own coverage.

[ClearPresentDanger]

227. me neither

[keepCAblue]

228. Raising hand. Am self-employed, 53, with pre-existing condition...

Coudn't get health insurance if my life depended on it...

Oh, wait. It does.

Muther fuckers.

In August, got slammed with pneumonia and racked up $12,000 at the *county* hospital/E.R. for an E.R. visit and 2 days in the hospital. Just today got the itemized billing I had requested a month ago, to find that some drugs/fees were marked up 300-400%. And if I were insured, my $12,000 bill would be discounted 40-60%, but because I am uninsured, I am being gouged for my medical costs, i.e., being charged far more than what those with insurance are being charged for exactly the same services.

This is wrong and has to stop.

[oftheforest]

229. none, since 2001..

Although I do have Oregon Prescription Drug Program

[Greyhound]

231. Hello.

:hi:

[Fermentia]

232. Not me.

No health insurance here.

[vaberella]

233. I got nothing. Neither does my sister. n/t

[thelordofhell]

235. My insurance policy is an Apple a day....

Then pray nothing bad happens to me.

Thanks America

:sarcasm:

[Saphire]

236. check - family of four.

[Joanne98]

238. Me!

[TheUnspeakable]

239. check-this thread is heartbreaking n/t

[12AngryBorneoWildmen]

240. 20 Yellow Jacket Stings in July and....

a $10,000 bill for 24 hours of treatment including resuscitation three times, ER and ICU. I drove to Walgreens a mile away and barely made it (airway constricting). Young pharmacist gave me CPR and PA in the Take Care Clinic gave me an Epi Pen. Then the fire department and then the EMT/ambulance. I'm more than grateful. Had no insurance. I feel so guilty. Got bills from seven different providers and wrote back to them that I have no money and probably never will. Closed w/ "I sure wish we had a health care system like the rest of the civilized world." I don't answer the phone much anymore. But I'm feeling good.

[chazndav]

241. Check

Couple with no coverage

[peacefreak]

242. No job, no health insurance

for over a year now. Life is getting pretty scary.

[Tansy_Gold]

244. Nothing

But hey, I only have four years to go to Medicare!

I'm in reasonably good health with a minor pre-existing condition (hypothyroidism) that I can afford to treat. And I'm fortunate that with a modest self-employment income to supplement SS survivor's benefits, I'm not in desperate straits. But that could change in the blink of an eye.




Tansy Gold

[StarfarerBill]

245. Yo...

Intermittently employed and unable to afford insurance at the moment.

[rasputin1952]

246. Check....

Looking at the GOP prospect....I suspect I will die quickly, (and hopefully painlessly)

On edit...I have VA...:blush:

[Caretha]

247. Not since 2005

and neither does my 26 yr old daughter who is a part time student when she can afford it, and a part time to fulltime waitress, trying to make ends meet.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

248. None here

No one in my office has insurance, including my boss, who is an M.D. We're a non-profit, and stress healthy lifestyles and lifestyle changes--and have seen how insurance companies won't pay for procedures like testing for food allergies (it is more common than you think to have a food allergy be the culprit when it comes to chronic problems like digestive disorders or sinus problems/headaches, and more). So our thought is, what is the point?

[raccoon]

249. I was in that situation for about 10 years, early '90's to early 00's.

Now have an individual plan, FWIW, high deductible, won't cover pre-existing conditions, basically a catastrophe policy.

[Arkansas Granny]

251. No health insurance. I work for a small company which has tried to provide

health coverage, but we can't find an affordable plan due to age and pre-existing conditions of some of our employees. The only coverage I can find for myself that I can afford are plans with a $5K - $10K deductible before they kick in.

[rubberducky]

252. Hubby has VA, I have nothing .

[G_j]

253. nope

[NuttyFluffers]

254. no lo tengo. can't afford it after it ballooned way past $400 a month

by then it was almost as much as rent with roommates.

[never cry wolf]

255. Laid off in April, can't afford the Cobra

I have 10 years til Medicare, hope I make it.

[Autonomy]

256. I have coverage because I can't find a job

but I can't take just any job because going without coverage is not an option, given the medical treatment I am currently receiving. So the bar for my employment is raised in an economic climate that makes it hard to find work no matter how much you lower your standards. I don't have much hope of getting out of my current situation any time soon. Also, have tens of thousands of dollars of student loan and credit card debt that I cannot pay. I may have to declare backruptcy at some point, or go into default.

[wolfgangmo]

257. I own a low cost primary care clinic that does not bill insurance

As a result of not having the huge overhead associated with billing insurance we can afford to offer low cost care to those without insurance and those who want a knowledgable integrated functional medicine doc to help them. The irony here is that as a small business owner and as someone with a pre-existing spinal injury I can't get health coverage to save my life.

That's right - I own a clinic and I can't get medical insurance. Single payer or bust. My medical director has instructed me to look at the process of moving our clinic and staff to Canada.

[jotsy]

258. Add all five members of my family to that list

Its been nearly five years. Used to be that benefits were part and parcel to compensation in hubby's field but not anymore. Same with vacation pay or sick days.

[colbertforpresident]

259. Pre Existing condition

I can't get health insurance because I've had lyme disease.

[polly7]

260. God this is a hard thread to read.

Can I say how much I hate your insurance companies?

Hang in there guys, your change is coming.....

[leanderj]

261. None, Lost my job, COBRA ran out, been refused an individual policy

because I had a SKIN RASH!

[lxlxlxl]

262. Diabetic and insurance-less since 2001....

x.x.x.x.

[bc3000]

264. 3 jobs and no insurance

I work as a contract employee for three different companies which enables me to piece together around 25-30 hours a week. I am a programmer. Most of my paid work is in web applications and I specialize in implementing rich application interfaces with the ExtJS library.

I have no confidence that any health care reform will cover me. It will end up being a half ass measure that throws a ton of money at the industries currently holding us hostage and will end up increasing the eligibility for Medicaid by a few thousand dollars a year. I will end up in the same boat: too poor to buy insurance, not poor enough to get it for free.

I am looking into emigrating to a European country.

[Tsar_Bomba]

265. I have a job, corporation listed me as temp= no heath ins

tried to get it by myself it will cost me half my salary. I could afford it as long as I live on the street or don't eat.

[TalkingDog]

266. do my baskets of medicial herbs count?

BCBS and everybody who works for them can burn in hell.

[skippy911sc]

267. BCBS pushed my family out by increasing the cost to around $2000

per month. No one would take us so we joined the states family care plan. Best health insurance I have ever had. My son has a genetic disorder so there is no way he will ever get health insurance, privately. My wife was offered a job, but only if she did not need the insurance. This is were we have come...SAD!!!

[Shanti Mama]

268. None here.

I'm 56 and have two kids. I have enough small medical issues that I cannot buy insurance. As I was writing this I realized that I should buy it just for my kids, even if I can't get it.

[beam me up scottie]

269. +2 from the bmus household.

More if you want to include the critters.

[barbtries]

270. my son

a full time student, has no insurance since he turned 25. he'll be 26 in 3 days.

[Stumbler]

271. Aside from the ER, none at all.

[njlib]

274. I don't...

unemployed here and couldn't afford the COBRA, even at the reduced rate. Woke up today with a sore throat & runny nose, so I'm hoping it doesn't progress.

[Fendius]

275. I do not..

Haven't in years and still pay 42$ every time i need a new asthma inhaler... Always makes me feel swell about this country :sarcasm:

[closeupready]

277. Too many.

:(

[justiceischeap]

278. Zip, zilch, zero, denada! (eom)

[prairierose]

279. I do not have any health insurance....

I have three jobs but none of them have benefits of any kind. I am not a good corporate drone and so most of the jobs I have ever had were without benefits of any kind.

It is way past time for the US to join the rest of the civilized world in taking care of people.

[slay]

280. I wish I did have health care

I've got awful stomach problems but in no way can I afford the specialists that have been recommended. And for the record and any assholes who want to tell me "get a job" - I graduated college in 2008 and have never been able to get more than part-time jobs which don't offer health care. Many other people at the places I have worked were in the same situation where they were only hired part-time so the business did not have to give them health care. Oh and I have had no luck at all finding a job related to my degree - major in Sociology, minor in Psychology, concentration in Criminology. Seems that when the economy tanks - the poor are the first to get fucked when social programs get cut which is where I was supposed to be headed. :(

[democrat0986]

281. i have no health insurance

we need a public option and we need it NOW!

[gateley]

282. Me! And I have Hep C, high blood pressure, and have had my thyroid removed. nt

[EXneoCON]

283. Cancer and a heart attack, all by the age of 50...

Insurance? Surely you jest!

[datadiva]

284. Nope, 64 waiting for Medicare :(

[UpInArms]

285. no insurance for me or my family

:(

[Mabus]

286. Checking in for two, neither of us are covered

:bounce:

My husband got laid off and even when he worked we could only afford to cover him. Otherwise, since we've been self-employed, we've both been uninsured and paying out of pocket for medical coverage for over seven years now.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

288. My girlfriend doesn't

She has issues with her thyroid which she needs to see a doctor about and she can't. She works full time and we have talked about getting married so she can get on my insurance. It really makes me angry, not that we are talking about marriage, we have been talking about that anyway but that the fact that she isn't insured has to play into that decision.

[azureblue]

289. neither me nor my wife

both musicians with "pre- existing" conditions. We can't find a carrier and couldn't afford the sky high premiums, even if we did...

[stray cat]

290. how many would buy health insurance if the price were less than 5000 per year

for a good policy?

[closeupready]

292. That's $192/paycheck. That would break me, personally.

n/t

[hfojvt]

300. that's kinda surprising

I pay $148.97 per paycheck, and I only get half a paycheck as a semi-retiree.

[closeupready]

302. Well, if I had no bills, and if I didn't live in New York, and I wasn't saving for retirement, and

didn't have other misc. deductions, I could swing it.

But for better or worse, I do have all these expenses, I live on a shoestring, and I am not exaggerating that $192 per paycheck would break me. It really would. :(

[hfojvt]

314. ah, NYC

I cannot imagine living there. People everywhere, and mostly strangers. Houses unaffordable. Rents sky high. Murders and armed robbery quite common (or is that a stereotype? CSI:NY was joking last night that you are not a real New Yorker unless you have been robbed twice.) :scared: But Eric Altermann says it is the greatest city in the world.

[closeupready]

317. Different strokes, I guess.

From your profile, it says you live in Kansas. I actually know some people here in NYC who are Kansas-born and bred. Very nice people. But I could never make the kind of money I make here if I lived in Kansas. And I'm gay, so there is a vast interior swath of the United States which is a virtual wasteland for someone like myself, no offense. :D :hi:

[Hun Joro]

291. I have none.

[Thornleylv]

293. No nada nill

And both my kids work and don't have any!


:kick:

[lala_rawraw]

296. Checking In

w/ Lupus and no health care:(

[Desertrose]

298. Nothin'. Nada. Zilch.... neither of my two adult kids have any either.

Hangin on til Medicare.....still a few years away.

[smiley]

301. check

I have only had health insurance about 2 years of my adult life. It's been 15 years since I've been to a doctor.

[davidhilton]

303. none for years n/t

[david_vincent]

304. Voting for my sister

I have coverage, but my older sister is in her 50s, works as a legal secretary for a shark lawyer, and has no coverage of any kind. Her teeth are rotting while she stays past 9 p.m. on NEW YEAR'S EVE working to help her scum boss make over half a million last year.

[Sinti]

305. check n/t

[NobleCynic]

306. Check n/t

[Cass]

307. Checking in.

Self-employed and have a part-time job so no insurance. No way can I afford the premiums/deductibles on a private policy.

I self-pay for medical care I need which has been minor stuff, but don't know what I would do if I had any serious medical issues come up. Sometimes I worry about having to go to the doctor for anything more serious because it could end up being a pre-existing condition if I ever do get an opportunity to have insurance.

[SlowDownFast]

308. Check. n/t

[Shoedogg]

310. Job: Yes. Health Insurance: No.

It's a very small company and offers nothing in the way of benefits but I just can't afford it on my own.

Technically this could count as two 'no' replies - my wife is unemployed, so no coverage for her either.

[The Mugster]

311. I don't and it's scary.

Have diabetes and COPD.

[The Court Jester]

312. We used to have some

[Love Bug]

313. I was without for most of the year once I lost my job

but I finally qualified with a hardship enrollment for the VA. When I got their acceptance letter, I cried I was so relieved. I'm middle-aged and have a couple of chronic conditions that need monitoring and I was sweating how I was going to pay for the bloodwork and Dr. visits. Then the VA came through.

This thread is breaking my heart. It's CRIMINAL that American citizens have to go without like this.

[Artscbabe]

315. Either way you can go bankrupt!

If you don't have top of the line Insurance, with stop lose, low deductable etc. then you are screwed if you get sick and have serious treatment in Hospital. That's why I don't have insurance, because they will never pay enough to keep you out of debt. So esentially your just paying month after month year after year for some CEO, manager, agent to live off you premiums and when you need it they don't refund when they turn you down and won't pay what they sell you. To be under insured is a scam and a rip off. I know because I worked as an agent for about six months until I couldn't take it any more. I can't lie to people and that's what you have to do to sell them insurance. Deception is the name of the game, even the agents are kept in the dark about what the policy really provides or will really pay for. It's so complicated you will never know what hit you.......just like ENRON!!!!

[sixmile]

316. Nope

But that's the way the free market cookie crumbles.

[vkkv]

318. Nope, Self employed, too expensive.

Nope, Self employed, too expensive.
-haven't had insur. since I left a major label in 1993.

[blindpig]

check

Fuck the extortionists.

[blindpig]

321. check

Fuck the extortionists.

[Shagbark Hickory]

322. No coverage. If I needed non-emergency treatment, I'd travel to a country that has lower costs and

plan to further research where I can obtain low cost medical care in other countries in the event health reform is not passed and by health reform, I mean choice of a public option.