Our professor explained that we were wrong but this question was not going to be included in the grade calculation. He went on to explain that people consider healthcare a necessity because everyone wants to live and will pay anything to extend their life and the lives of their family. The supply and demand logic did not apply to issues involving a person’s health.
Another pet peeve is the idea that no one should want a governmental bureaucrat to make decisions involving their health. Does that mean we should be willing to allow an insurance agent make those decisions? The decision should only be made by a person and their doctor. In 2006 I had a four branch coronary bypass. When I failed a stress test in his office my doctor ordered an ambulance and sent me to the Massachusetts General Hospital. I did not ask him about the adjacent community hospital or the idea of getting competitive bids from some other Boston hospitals. I relied on my doctor’s professional opinion.
I worked 40 years for two consulting engineering firms that paid part of my health insurance premiums. While I was employed and in a large insurance contract with a large age range the premiums were reasonable. Yes, my employers issued requests for proposals periodically and my insurance providers changed every few years. All I was told was the fact that our new prover on January first would be III Insurance and I would have to select another primary care doctor if my doctor was not in the III Insurance network. Fortunately, my doctor just issued a few expletives and told his administrators to join the III Insurance network.
In 2003, I retired at age 63 and was dropped after the 18 month cobra requirement. As a 64-year old individual insurance companies were willing to sell me an insurance policy to bridge the gap to Medicare but the premium was much higher. A single 64-year old person is a very high risk insurance pool.
During my engineering career and today most consulting engineering firms are non union and do not provide employee pensions. I live on Social Security, Medicare, the supplemental heath insurance that I purchase through Blue Cross Blue Shield and the money I saved over the years for my retirement.
Thank you for reading my letter concerning the healthcare controversy. Yes, I am praying for a single payer healthcare program. Several insurance companies received 40 years of premiums from me and my employers and just said “thank you” when I retired but issued a few expletives at Senator Kennedy for passing the cobra extension which meant they were at risk for an additional 18 months. My employer said thank you for donating back the 800 hours of unused sick time.
Very truly yours,
Mav
neilsagan says
Sen Enzi delivers weekly GOP address, TEXT VIDEO