A Big 'Duh!' for This Headline

A big 'duh!' for this headline: Most forgo buying own U.S. health insurance

Reuters wire service reported recently that nine out of 10 Americans who tried to buy their own health insurance failed, "either because the price was too steep or because they were denied coverage due to a current medical problem."

This report is not news to anyone living with cancer or another chronic illness. Getting and keeping health insurance (and then getting our insurance to pay the bills) is one of the biggest problems facing people living with cancer.

Read it: Most forgo buying own U.S. health insurance

I've been living with cancer for eight years now, and have managed to keep health insurance throughout that time. That doesn't mean it's been easy, my illness and the cost of treatment and insurance have brought me to the brink of bankruptcy twice. My medical insurance, through a state "high risk pool" in Washington state, costs me about $12,000/year at present, and I'm due to hit my lifetime max of $1 million in about a year and a half.

I figure I'll start dealing with that drama in about six months or so.

@ Jeanne Sather 2006

Comments

[Tina Christiansen]

Unfortunately, our country still doesn't put affordable health care as a priority. Those of us who have it and are healthy don't realize that there are limits to coverage, and that we are only a layoff away from losing it -- or self-paying and possibly choosing between health insurance and all the other costs of living. Considering where the government is choosing to spend our tax dollars instead, it's a bad situation that no one is addressing. I wish I knew the answer. I do collect stories of where we are failing to try and open the eyes of those who don't understand, but it's still a "I'm covered so I don't care" attitude in many cases.