Do you think that people in Kansas are having a tough time affording health insurance? / LJWorld.com

Asked at Borders on September 15, 2004

“I think everyone is having a tough time affording health insurance. The health insurance I can afford doesn’t do much. It is only for extreme emergencies.”

— Gretchen Anderson, Kansas University graduate student, Lawrence

“I don’t think so. I don’t think it is any tougher than anywhere else in the country, anyway.”

— Michael Ingalls, bridge engineer, Lawrence

“It’s expensive, but not as expensive as the alternative. I wouldn’t want to take the risk.”

— Doc Carson, lawn company owner, Lawrence

“Yes. I know quite a few people who don’t have health insurance.”

— Leighton Watts, prep cook, Lawrence

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I'm living with pain and have been for months, as I wait for one insurance plan to expire and another to begin, because I can't carry Existing Conditions into the new plan. I can only hope that this condition isn't growing into an unmanageable stage because I'm waiting.

The new plan will cost my family about $550.00 a month. That's $6,600.00 per year. Quite a bite for someone on a modest income. Needless to say, I'm not amused.

Yes, everyone is having a tough time, except the insurance companies, who are raking it in.

mdecoste 8 years, 8 months ago

I think the whole country is having a hard time paying. Even with 2 insurances, there are still bills that aren't paid by them. Health care is expensive, drug prices are out of control, and the latest raise in medicare for the elderly and disabled will make it even harder on the citizens of this country to make ends meet. There has to be some kind of limit on what drug companies and health service providers can charge.

Savage 8 years, 8 months ago

cairo... Your also forgeting the the costs of running a hosptial and paying thousands of working professionals in our state alone that are VERY highly skilled... or would you rather have the peace corps take over... what gives?

what are your solutions to the problem besides taxing us to death!!!!

consumer1 8 years, 8 months ago

Insurance companies, just like other mega corporations have lobbiest wining and dining congress and representatives in order to continue screwing the little guy. Punkin is correct, shame on our leaders. Who can blame them though? They get GREAT benefits. Not only health insurance for thier families for life, but also great benefits from the lobbiest. Trips? stipends? expenses paid? Until we take back congress from the Lawyers and return it to the people we are not going to get an obligatory kiss after being screwed. Insurance companies dictate what type of medicine we take and what we don't take. The irony is, just like the commercial with that little wimp guy with long blonde hair saying "NO" to the customers calling up, our insurance companies have hired bachelor degreed people who determine what our health care needs are. AND !! the determining factor is the bottom line of the profit margin for mega insurance carriers. "just a wee bit radical" don't you think??

jonas 8 years, 8 months ago

Savage: Hey! One of those hot nurses coddling you was probably my fiance! Hands off!

Savage 8 years, 8 months ago

I already can barely affort to live my middle class lifestyle...a nationalized program would leave me stuck in my home broke like a prisoner... so I can help take care of who... YOU?

Punkin 8 years, 8 months ago

New employees of the State of Kansas are required to wait 60-90 days for health insurance benefits to take effect! It's shocking, really, that the State is unable to do better than that.

Moving or changing jobs can mean paying though the nose for COBRA or going without coverage and hoping for the best.

Health insurance access is a priority issue and one that Congress and our State leaders have consistantly failed to resolve, in large part because they don't have to worry about it--their families are covered!

SHAME on our leaders for leaving working people out in the cold when it comes to health care.

Savage 8 years, 8 months ago

MrCairo,

I hope you overcome your situation, but in all fairness to the system, the way it is currently set up I must make this statement.

Your Cost = 6600.00 per year Your actual bill may be = 100,000 to 250,000 ... no?

That not a bad deal then... right?

What makes people think they should have the right to the best medical care for nothing is beyond me.

Every time i was un-insured in my life, I just showed up at the emergency room and they hooked me up in a fair amount of time. case closed.

When I did have Blue Cross Insurance whick cost 300 - 350 per month, I must admit that even if I had a suprise condition, or emergency brain surgery would have been required from an accident... I would have been covered...

The helicopter flight would be PAID FOR! The moments notice emergency surgery would be PAID FOR! The coddling by hot nurses for a month would be PAID FOR!

If you dont have insurance... someone should get the minimun amount of legal care necessary for recovery... NOT all the PERKS and EXTRAS I should get for paying for MY OWN insurance policy.

One again I will state to those who have insurance and whine about the high premiums...

If you get jacked and rake up 50k to 250k or YES even possibly one million in bills for special surgeries.... most major carriers are cool and YOU ARE COVERED!

I dont want another 50 million Americans (who would get it for free, while I pay privately) taking up my doctors time (that i built a relationship with) so if Im lucky I can now squeeze him in once every couple of months.

I want doctors to get paid top dollar into the future for completing all the hard work to get there.

I want medical companies to be fairly compensated for coming up with new and innovative drugs.

I dont want people getting rich because someone has a rare condition that was overlooked and will now sue a good doctor and drive him/her out of business and themselves now become worth 40 million because they lost vision in one eye. and now that whole insurance districts premiums go up 3%, time and time again.

"free health care"...what a bunch of bs

peace.

mrcairo 8 years, 8 months ago

Savage, puleeeez, you don't have a clue.

This 6600.00 per year does not cover the cost of deductibles, about 2000.00.

And if 100 people are paying 6600 that translates into quite a profit. Do the math, if you can. Here, I'll do it for you, 660,000-250,000=410,000 in profit. That's with a mere 100 people. Now push that number up to 1000, or 10,000.

Get the picture?

Oh and since you've got your panties in a wad about free health care, if it's good enough for the Congress and the Senate then it's good enough for me. Any questions?

Savage 8 years, 8 months ago

Ok cairo... Your math is ok.. but it doesnt seal the deal. My point is that deductibles carry at least the 80/20 rule which is a heck of a deal no? Since when are companies not allowed to make a fair profit? I will agree with you on one point however, that the word fair may be open to interpretation. I am all for a re-structuring of health care policy...but not a free for all that will only increase taxes year after year. Im also considering the fact that 3 million illegals this year which at least 50 percect will tap into our social handouts only add to this problem. Besides that, I am aware that there are multiple problems to our every increasing deficit that cannot soley be blamed on the bush adminstration, but rather are a fact of human liberal minded nature. I think the real dilemma is that fact that just a stop to a docs office for a checkup without insurance will run someone 3 to 4 hundred dollars, but what justifies the cost for the doctors expenses? .... Clinics (rentals, mortgage payments), insurance for the doctors (outrageous), supplier costs (materials, bandages, advanced computer software, etc...). Until medical tort reform passes in the senate, there will be no true health care reform. Republicans are currently pursuing this agenda. Anyways I make 35k per year and only take home 3/4 of that currently. I am not willing to take home 50 percent of my gross wages so I can take care of every homeless person, lazy beatnik, unemployed (cuz there too proud to work for low wages in-between looking for the good job and not wait tables, mcdonalds etc...), and every other person who IS NOT working. The LAZY will bankrupt social welfare! They will destroy our economy if health care is nationalized. You also did not address the issue that my personal doctor may be too busy to see me after health care is nationalized. Wouldnt an intelligent person agree that a relationship with a doctor who knows my symptoms the best, is the best choice for me? No logical person can disagree with that, unless of course they just want to disagree for the sake of disagreement. There are too many unanswered questions to just blindly agree with your point. Once a descent policy is finally laid bare for all to see and analyze, only then will the beginning of health care reform be born in these United States of America.

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