You see, my husband and I own our own business. Just in case you are just cruising by my Blog, I have uncontrolled seizures and can't work. My husband has created a business which he enjoys so that he can take care of me and I can help often as I can (which lately, thankfully, has been often!). This is a great thing for us--we have owned our own business in one form or another our entire married 'life'.
What is not so great is health insurance.
Please, don't turn me off! I know we are currently overwhelmed with phases like "Obamacare" and "Insurance Reform" and other nifty 'words' which happen to be all 'buzzing' on Capitol Hill. For the record: I don't know a lot about Obamacare--what I do know makes me uneasy BUT that is NOT what this is about it. This is about ME and MY FAMILY.
You see, we are 'those' American's most of the Capitol Hill people yell and scream about. We have been without health insurance since my husband and I were 'let go' over 4 years ago and quite honestly, our coverage was spotty before that (when we didn't have a 'J O B' --being paid by a company that offered insurance and we paid out of our checks--and were self-employed we didn't have coverage). Add in the fact that I have a 'chronic disorder' which may never be in "Remission" (which means I don't have to take medication to control it) and my 19 yr old son has a different chronic disorder, which isn't in remission and might never be and you have a "Hot Steaming Health Insurance Mess".
We have paid cash for the last three years because bottom line--I couldn't afford to pay $600.00-1,200 a month for health insurance that wouldn't cover our pre-existing conditions for at least a year at best. (I also missed out on the announcement they couldn't deny my son coverage for pre-existing before he was 18 and missed that "inclusion" boat by 3 months...yes, I take full responsibility for that.) while making sure we did get the medication and health care we needed. Yes, I paid my bills (sometimes I put them on layaway and have some help with medication costs through drug mfg. thank goodness or, honestly don't know where we would be).
Now is a different 'ball of wax' as the saying goes. My child is attending college and has an athletic scholarship. I researched and was (what I thought was blessed) with an insurance that won't, as the agent put it, "Pay for a tummy ache but will for all sports or college related injuries"....well, lo and behold! The information was given to me through a college representative!!! That is NOT right. Added to that (after hours and hours of research, phone calls and even a few heated arguments today) there is NO SUCH THING for most all health insurance companies! If you have a student athlete chances are an injury will not be paid for by traditional companies--even if we could get basic coverage from those companies.
SO, what am I suppose to do? Pay for coverage that will slap a big ol' 'EXCLUSION RIDER' on us (if by some miracle we aren't automatically kicked out during pre-screening) for his Ulcerative Colitis and risk that he MOST LIKELY won't be covered if he is injured during practice? While of course, trying to pay tuition and all the other related college costs?
Of course, I will also for at least a year, continue to have to come up with out-of-pocket money for our current "health needs".... while trying to research exactly how the new Obamacare will help (or hinder, which is what I'm afraid) my current coverage and small business....
As you can see...that would be why I'm a "little Lollipop triple dipped in Psycho" today!
Wish me luck for tomorrow as I pray faithfully for a resolution before September 15 which he has to have so he can keep his scholarship....
I believe.
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