I am writing in regards to healthcare. I am 38 years old and have been self employed for 15 years plus worked a few fulltime jobs just to hold medical insurance since I could not afford to buy it. (This was when I had no children) I had my first child in 2007 and that year had bought my own group plan since I had cancer back in 1999 and could not be insured any other way...this cost me and my husband $700.00 month....well my baby was delivered 3 months early in addition to being admitted 2 weeks before I delivered for bedrest which meant I had to handover the operation of my business to my secretary. My baby was 1 lb 8 oz at birth and we spent 85 days in the NICU. After all was said and done the hospital bill was $500,000 and after adding the baby to my policy my payment went up to $1000 month. Then I found out that the baby due to her birth weight automatically gets medicaid regardless of income and it would continue for 1 year. When after we came out of the hospital the economy was taking a dive and our business was 50% and eventually closed. My husband worked three jobs that year and was laid off from all three and is now collecting unemployment. Now........I am pregnant again which I thought could never happen due to all of difficulties before conceiving my daughter and No I do not have insurance......but THANK GOD...the health Dept assisted my in applying for "Pregnant Woman Medicaid" and now I will be taken care of from beginning to end in addition my newborn will be covered at birth as well. I am sure the system is taken advantage of BUT I think I am entitled to this assistance. On the other hand, why should we have to wait until we are 65 to have free medical? Most 65 year olds who live in this stressful world have one foot in the grave and the government keeps pumping money to do useless tests on people who will die and the tests do not keep them alive. Help the young generation so they can stay healthy and when they become 65 won't have one foot in the grave. If young people are seen yearly by doctors and lead a healthy life the entire health system would save money in the end.
Another example is my mom...she paid for four years for medical insurance to Golden Rule United healthcaresince my dadunfortunately passed 6 months after he retired due to aggressive cancer and she was too young for medicare and she NEVER had one claim (She is a health NUT) this month she was bit on the hand by a cat and required IV antibiotics, 2 trips to the ER, two trips to urgent care and now the insurance company is not paying one cent of her $4,000 bill after she paid in all that money for years...next month she is on medicare, thank god for her. The insurance companies are robbing people!!!!!!!!!
Karen Canales
Port St Lucie