I never cared much about health insurance growing up. It was always there, but I was never one of those kids who was always breaking something. In the military, it was always there too, but I never cared much about having it. I mean, who wanted to go to those military quack doctors anyway; you go in coughing up blood and they send you out the door with some tylenol. Now, really! Unfortunately, like with all things, you never realize how much you rely on something until you lose it.
Luckily for many young adults, even after high school, their parents can cover them as long as they are attending college. But what about after college? What happens when you get that job that doesn't offer health care because: you don't work enough hours a week, or they just can't afford it (and neither can you!)?
Since I've become one of the 47 million uninsured Americans, I'm missing it dearly. Heck, I'd even go back to those quack doctors! I've been fighting off ear infections for a month now, I'm overdue by 2 months on my second immunization of Gardasil and I haven't been on birth control in ages. Even these small and fairly cheap medical expenses can add up to too much for a young 20-something trying to make it by living off of ramen and free internet.
So what about the young adults who actually NEED their health insurance? My "adopted" brother Beau has only one functioning kidney. He takes 2 evening classes at a local community college so he can stay on his fathers health insurance and get the weekly dialysis and numerous daily meds he needs to stay alive. For a time period he wasn't on his fathers insurance, and a few times he wound up in the emergency room, then intensive care, because he had missed his dialysis. He couldn't afford it.
I wish I could know what's going to happen to Beau next year when he turns 22: the age most insurance companies stop declaring a person a dependent of the parent. How will my brother ever be able to afford his health care on his own? Should he die because he can't? Should anybody?
I say it's high time we took care of all Americans and institute Universal Healthcare coverage.
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I too am a young 20-something who is part of the 47 million people who don't have health insurance. I got a full-time job in the fall working as a long-term substitute teacher replacing someone who was out on maternity leave. But as a substitute teacher I could not join the teachers' union and therefore did not qualify for health insurance.
I'm lucky that I don't need special medications or medical treatments or frequent doctors' visits. But I don't support Universal Healthcare coverage. This is something that sounds great and looks good on paper, but in practice I don't think it would work. It would get beaten down and abused. I'm afraid it would turn into a crutch for too many people, similarly to welfare. It might also turn into the same kind of thing as social security where everyone gets it, even if they don't necessarily pay into it. It could also mean that everyone would get a little bit, and no one would be able to get all of the services that they need.
For now I'll take my chances and hope that I can afford health care soon.
If it would be good why not. Healthcare in our place is not getting a heavy attention by the government that's why lots of people cannot afford to bring their selves to hospitals even in public hospital.
-Jan
Self-Improvement Advice
I will be one of those come October when I turn 21. If I had been able to get into medical school, my mom's insurance would have covered me til I turned 21. As it is, my PAs are trying to get me in for all my checkups and such before I turn 21 so I can at least leave the insurance with good health. I don't know if any job I'll get will have benefits to it or not... we shall see.
~C
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