From the Democratic Underground

The folks on democraticunderground.com are discussing my search for a Canadian husband, as reported in the Seattle P-I.

My favorite post, so far, is this one:

While the snicker factor is obvious, this does bring up a veryimportant aspect of our whole health care "insurance" mess in this country. And that is, why are so many Americans dependent on the status of a romantic relationship for access to and affordability of health care?

I've been uninsured since last August (employer is small, can't afford insurance). I will not be insured until after my fiance and I are married on November 23 and I will then be eligible for coverage under his work policy that just started. If something major happens to me before that, I'm up shit creek. Millions of others depend on a spouse or significant other for coverage. Why should that even be remotely the case? That's bullshit, plain and simple.

She raises a good point: Why should so many of us be dependent on our romantic relationships for health insurance coverage?

I have a good friend who was divorced about a year ago, and she hasn't had health insurance since. She's working, but her employer doesn't provide coverage, and she can't afford it.

Of course, my search for a Canadian husband was intended to spark discussions like this one, so I'm delighted. Even if there was apparently an off-color joke on the board that was deleted before I got to see it.

Read the discussion.

At the P-I
There's an even livelier debate going on over at the P-I's bulletin board. Pretty polarized though. I don't think anyone is learning anything from this discussion. A whole lot of name-calling goin' on.

Read the P-I discussion.

@ Jeanne Sather 2007.

Comments

[The Liberal Democratic Party of the United States]

Call GOP contributor Rite Aid at 1-800-325-3737 and tell the person to get the CEO to get the GOP to enact HR 676 Single payer universal health care and repeal Medicare Part D and place the drug benefit in Medicare Part B covering 80% of drugs with no extra premiums, no extra deductibles, no means tests, no coverage gaps, and remove the means test for Medicare Part B and until that happens, you won't buy ANYTHING from Rite Aid.

[Sara]

I also like this post from a favorite blogger, Redneck Mother:

Universal Healthcare as a Talent Incubator
http://redneckmother.blogspot.com/2007/06/universal-healthcare-as-talent.html

especially when read as part of a series of reflections by her on the thoughts the movie Sicko stirred up in her, including thoughts of all the ways way the insurance system ties us to all kinds of badness including crappy jobs and bad marriages.

Lots of good thoughts in her June archive:

http://redneckmother.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html

[laurie]

Ugh. I couldn't get through the discussion at on the PI board. This Canadian with metastatic breast cancer knows that what the conservatives are saying about the Canadian health care system is absolute bullshit.
The system isn't perfect but it is not true that if you are older, you are left to die...this kind of thing makes my blood boil.
Thanks for being so brave and for sharing with us.

[debutaunt]

I carried my husband on my insurance plan for 4 years after we separated. When I was dx with leukemia, I cut off the gravy train and got a divorce (mainly since I didn't want him to get stuck with huge medical bills if I had them). He's my kid's dad, but was a crappy husband. Still, I knew he needed insurance.

I'm not a gold digger, but heckya, I'd be a benefits digger if need be. (found out I still have 1.2 mil remaining - looks like I'm good to go for at least another year hopefully)