family health insurance plans went from 9,000/yr to 18,000/yr during Bush's administration.  Health insurance is quickly becoming the average American's #1 cost, soon to exceed rent.
213004
Yeah... it's getting to the point where the majority of America won't be able to go to the doctor, because they can't afford insurance or the deductable, if they have insurance. \n\nI think it all comes down to... how much are you willing to pay to stay alive.. the answer is anything, so how does a capitolistic system work when you will pay anything for the service... it doesn't work... \n\nthe healthcare companies (both medical, insurance, both malpractice and health, and perscription companies) are all making huge profits... if you know anyone in the business, they are probably making more than most everyone else you know...\n\nWhen does the bubble bust... I think it will soon... especially if costs continue to go up like they have been.
62604
This can be tough. I work for one of the big insurance companies and in cases I have seen in the past where there was drug use, we were usually able to get coverage, however, at a higher cost. He may get standard(normal) rates but will have to pay a special ratings class charge for the first five years. It is usually an additional cost per thousand. If he is declined just find out how many years he would have to wait before they would consider him. If never, then he will have wait until he is 50 and he get a guaranteed issue policy from Gerber Life or Farmers and Traders or one of them. I think its age 50, not positive.
49589
I am a consultant who earns $75 an hour and have not had insurance for years.  It is not an issue to me.  The issue of the next election should be centered around governments interference in our lives.  Smaller government, less taxes & obliteration of family court.
348554
It depends on what you mean by cheap. That is, cheap could mean low monthly payments. However, if it doesn’t provide the financial protection you need or the access to the kind of care you want, having the insurance really won’t justify the lower payments. The first step in finding affordable health insurance is finding out exactly what you want from a health plan.\n\nBasically, health plans differ in three basic ways:\n\n•monthly price/annual deductible\n•access to health care (the degree to which you can visit whom you like and undergo medical treatment a specialist thinks you need)\n•financial strength of the insurance company\n\nAlso, the price of a plan is not simply the premium you pay each month. You also have to consider the annual deductible, as well as any coinsurance amounts or copayments. Additionally, the savings you can achieve through an HMO, PPO, or other managed care plan can be erased if you have to go outside the network for expensive medical care. I’ve included links to two articles that do a good job of walking you through making the best possible choice in health insurance you can afford that still provides the coverage you need.\n\nKaiser of course has a major presence in California, and Blue Cross Blue Shield is also a popular choice among Californians (they had by far the most PPO plans in the top 10 of the CR survey). You might want to write down all your concerns and then rank them in order of importance. It’s simple, I know, but I’ve always found it a useful way to make a tough choice.\n\nYou might also want to check out Consumers Reports and US News&World Reports Rankings to get some opinions about high-quality health plans (link below). I’ve also linked to a couple of online articles that do a good job of explaining health insurance and what to look for in a new health plan. The last link in the Source section is to the California Department of Insurance page on Health Issues: it has some good information on the rate of customer complaints for insurance companies and has tools to help you find out which health plan might be right for you.\n\nTo get a lot of information quickly, try getting in touch with local insurance agents through MostChoice.com. There’s no cost or obligation, and you can also view instant free quotes on health plans available near you. All you have to do is have your questions ready and tell the agents how much you want to pay and what kind of coverage you expect to get in return.\n\nYou can find it here: http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insurance.cfm\n\nHope this helps,\nBarnes@MostChoice
213010
I had to go shopping for health insurance recently and got a lot of quotes with all kinds of options. Private pay - like what your asking. If your not over 40, healthy, don't smoke or have any special needs, then our situations are similar and I can tell you what I was impressed with. Out of 8 bids from various national company's; The two best were Mutual of Omaha and American Family. MofO was very impressive with coverage, additional free benefits and low cost riders like glasses and dental. American family was the same with an added benefit of a high yield health savings account that can be used as a tax deduction. Both had low deductables with free well care or low co pay well care, and were well under 200 a month not including riders. Good luck.
505270
It's not - a universal catastrophic health care plan for all American citizens for one year would cost less than one day of our current adventure in Iraq.
509430
By law hospitals have to give life saving care even if the patient cannot pay.  There are already low cost health clinics all over the place.  People have the option of medical bankruptcy which does not effect their credit rating.  So pretty much those 45 million should start thinking of taking care of themselves in my opinion.\n\nAnd out of that 45 million, how many actually need insurance.  That s just 15% of the population, does a healthy 25 year old really need full coverage?  How many of those are exercising their right not to buy insurance even though it is available?  These are numbers that are not represented in a blanket number.
189268
Go to www.ibx.com and click "Find a Health Plan."  My friend has coverage for $115/month
551797
Well, look at it this way.  Insurance is all about grouping people together in similar risk groups, figuring out how much a year it's going to cost that particular group for claims, and dividing up the estimated claims projections between all the people in the group.   So yes, high risk people grouped together should pay the same high risk premiums.  That's why 16 year old kids pay a small fortune for car insurance, and a 40 year old man doesn't.  In general.\n\nYounger people pay less for life insurance than older people.  It's common sense.\n\nSo IF you can find a company willing to cover what we all know right now, will be A LOT of medical bills this coming year, yes, you should pay more than a healthy person.  \n\nPeople who have Aids are usually not insurable AT ALL on a new policy.  But yes, they should pay more.  Drunks, well, that's harder to prove, but they should pay more, too (detox costs A LOT!!).
530993
try http://everyonebenefits.com/40436527 it's $49.95 per month for an individual. It covers all specialists, prescriptions, labs, x-rays, hospital stays, etc. Pre-existing conditions covered. No deductible, no claim forms, and no waiting period to use your benefits. Contact me with any questions you may have.
47731
the US government has many low income health plans. find one in your area and apply! than your foot surgery would be cheap!
443901
No insurance is 'worth what you pay for it' until it's time to collect benefits.  Most lines of health insurance only pay about 60% of the total premiums toward benefits.  The rest goes to expenses and profits.
372125
The high cost of health care today is actually due to government regulations and the number of lawsuits that receive exorbitant settlements. These costs are then passed to the patients, which then makes them need either insurance or government assistance to pay for health care. \nIf both the federal and state governments would reduce regulations, red tape, and such then the cost of health care could also drop. But, people also need to understand that doctors and nurses, no matter how well trained or experienced, are human and do make mistakes. And there is also so much that we just really don't understand about the human body.
43145
No, we are not doing fine. Maybe America is on it's way out. The average government lasts 200 years. Do the math. However, Bush is doing fine, as are the other rich people in the nation. The gap between upper class and low class is widening and middle class is disappearing. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
432507
There are a few ways to find some good, affordable health insurance.\n\nYou could look in the yellow pages under "health insurance" and meet with an agent that specializes in health insurance. That person could give you quotes and review your options with you.\n\nYou could ask your friends and family members who they have their health insurance through and get a quote from their agent.\n\nOr, you could compare health insurance quotes online from a quote provider. That way, you could review the rates and plans without any sales pressure from an agent.\n\nHere are two leading health insurance quote providers:\n\n1) InsureMe - they give you the five best health insurance quotes from top-rated health insurers nationwide. To Request a free, no obligation quote, Go to - http://www.insureme.com/landing.aspx?Refby=613598&Type=health\n\n2) eHealthinsurance.com offers you side-by-side quote comparisons from a large network of health insurers across the country.\n\nMake sure to compare plans at different deductibles to see how much you can save on your plan.\n\nAlso, review all exclusions, especially an exclusions for pre-existing conditions that might apply to you.\n\nI hope this helps you find some good health insurance to meet your needs. Best of luck to you.
148523
America is the only industrialized nation in the world who does not have a national heath care system. People who aren't wealthy, don't have health insurance, and aren't poor enough to qualify for medicaid, get screwed.\n\nIsrael also has guaranteed housing, while we have homeless.\nDoesn't make sense to me...
211127
Bush is interested in his own gains after the presidency is over. It's obvious he doesn't care about the people. He's setting himself up to live high and mighty once he's gouged the people into degradation. He is a joke.\n\nOur healthcare crisis is nearly impossible and causes much of the hunger challenges in our country. Paying hundreds of dollars a month for insurance is taking the food off American tables. How much are you paying for healthcare? I think that if a person serves in the military for six years, they should get free healthcare for life for themselves and their dependents.  I believe that people should not have to send their food budget to the fat insurance companies out there who deny claim after claim. I think companies who hire temps and lay them off just so they don't have to offer benefits should be penalized. It's not just the president who's guilty of fleecing people into poverty. \n\nThe sad thing is, it's the WORKING people who are starving. There are plenty of programs out there to provide for those who are not able or do not want to work. They get free healthcare, housing, and food. If you choose to work a job, you lose that. I know of one particular mother who tried to work a job, but she just couldn't do as good as the system did for her.\n\nI also think high-speed internet should be available everywhere for free. Taxes should be flat on things you purchase only and not on income, food, or necessities.  I think number of votes should MEAN something. . . votes of ALL the people not state by state.  We are a young, messed up, and arrogant country. We have so many resources and yet we struggle. There is really no reason for it other than the fact that people who struggle are easier to bilk, control, and squeeze.