I would like to add a little preface to this. I wrote this after hearing about the Supreme Court ruling on healthcare changes. I was (still am) a little upset about the ruling because I know the effect that has already had on my family and it will probably get worse. Our premiums and deductibles have gone up ridiculously since the law passed and I don't see the Supreme Court okaying most of it helping that situation at all. I imagine that we will continue to see our costs go up and our coverage go down. Who knows where it will stop. I hope that I do not offend anyone. I don't usually judge individuals for the choices they make (at least I try not to but I am just human) because I do not know all of the facts. The two most important factors that I do not have are what level of effort is your best and what you have been prompted to do by Higher Powers. My business as to why you made major life choices are the same as to why we only have one child who is almost three. That would be none.
That being said, please don't be offended. I do not assume you have no self respect because you take government aide.
And here we go. This is what commented on an article related to the healthcare ruling.
I
feel like I am swimming upstream. My family is in that unfortunate
spot where it would benefit our lifestyles for me to quit my jobs (yes
plural and both decent paying), stay home with my child, my husband not
work his extra job, stop paying for insurance,
and just sign up for every government program available. We would
qualify! We would be able to spend more time together as a family, have
more kids, and get out of debt faster. BUT, it is NOT going to happen
as long as we can help it because we have more self-respect than that.
What is wrong with this country? Why do we encourage dependence and
discourage hard work?
I
am in my late 20's. My husband and I are working SO HARD to be
self-sufficient. I think that living with a modest amount of debt (a
reasonably sized mortgage and maybe a car payment) without requiring
support from the government should be a realistic goal. It seems to be
getting harder though and I find it most depressing. On top of the
price of EVERYTHING going up every time you turn around, it feels like
the some (probably well intentioned) people are making it more difficult
all in the name of protecting my future. PLEASE STOP PROTECTING MY
FUTURE!!!! All I want is the chance to succeed by my own hard work and
choices. I know that comes with risks, but I take more pride in a hard
earned failure than in a "success" that is handed to me.
Please! If I choose not to have insurance,
then that is my choice. If I get sick in the process, then I should
suffer the consequences of either massive amounts of debt or a lack of
health care. (We do have insurance and pay
dearly for it because we think it is important for us.) If I choose not
to save for my retirement, make poor decisions in how I choose to
save/invest, or even just have plain old rotten luck, I keep working
until I can afford to quit or am otherwise forced to. Society needs to
be compassionate. We cannot forget those among us that are suffering
despite all efforts, but we also need to be conscious of that line
where, once crossed, we go from being caring to enslaving ourselves in
hopes of happiness and security. Look at history. I do not recall a
single society that was enslaved (literally or by a form of taxation)
and happy with their overall situation.
3 comments:
What about car insurance? Are you upset that you're required by law to pay that?
And healthcare costs have been going up. My premiums have doubled in 8 years—NOT because of the legislation (which I support for a host of reasons), but they have been going up, because of people abusing the system. So I got sick of my super high premiums and switched to a high deductible plan that's a fraction of the cost a month. Because it's about managing your care. If more people did that, were super conscientious about the services they used, the system would be in better shape.
As for grifting the government, you have me completely baffled. How is that encouraged? Yes, it's EXPENSIVE to live and EXPENSIVE to have a kid. That's life.
But people need the opportunity to have health insurance. And until this legislation, that's been a problem. Employers have been cutting benefits, making it harder and harder to get insurance. So what about people who want insurance but didn't have a way until now to get it?
Our healthcare system is broken. It needs to be fixed and it's going to take legislation to do that. And feel free to look at Europe and Australia to see what they do with insurance. We're the only developed nation that doesn't have universal healthcare—and we pay much more than any country in the world for healthcare.
I completely agree with you Annnah. I think that the more the government is involved in my life choices, the worse off I am. Let ME choose for myself already!
Since Obama Care, my insurance premiums went up 100% last year and 50% this year. My co-pays went up 100% (so they doubled) and my coverage went down. Oh yeah, I love paying more to get less, that is my favorite.
I'm more than a little peeved that Obama Care was not overturned. It is hurting everyone who isn't already living off the government.
When I had my baby last year, I paid around 2500, out of my own pocket, even with insurance. My sister-in-law, had her baby last year with medicare and the government paid 100%. So, if I quit my job and let the government pay for things, I guess I might be a lot better off when it comes to healthcare. LAME!
The system is broken.
Your first comment sounds like Ian posted it. It brings up some of the same arguments that Ian brings up minus the examples of Taiwan and Switzerland and how happy they are with there health plan. I know Ian didn't post it though because; 1) he would not ALL CAPS words. 2) he has not had premiums to go up for 8 years and 3) he would put his name behind his american opinion, at least I would hope he would.
When we have these family discussions no matter the topic my argument most of the time is "FREEDOM!" (I'm a girl and therefor allowed to ALL CAPS words) I find it hard to believe that such a country as America that was founded based on freedom could possibly approve of what is going on.
If those in Boston got upset about England Taxing Tea imagine what they would think if there own country was taxing them for freely choosing not to buy insurance! I do not think I am exaggerating when I say they would allow all hell to break loose.
I will be honest and admit to the world of Annah's blog that we as a family have benefitted from the new health care plan. I once had dumb student insurance that barely paid for anything and am now back on my parents insurance that just happened to pay 100% of my maternity care for our baby we just had in may. I am embarrassed to admit it to people, and normal fallow it up with "How sad is it that a grown married woman is still living off her parents to this extent?" but what is important to remember is I had the freedom to choose that. Just as I had the freedom to choose to go on my parents insurance I could have chosen to stay on student insurance, I could have chosen a private insurance. But I could not have chosen to just not have insurance at all. That freedom has been taken from me under the name of taxation. And after I graduated I probably would have preferred that option over others, and in consequence I would have been stuck paying for every cent of my wee babe.
Its not that our healthcare system is broken. Our healthcare is fine its the insurance system that needs help and I think most of America would agree with that but what is going on now is not the solution.
I love America and that simple fact we have the freedom to even talk about this the way we are and have different opinions.
I conclude my comment the way I conclude our family discussions FREEDOM! FREEDOM! "with both fists waving in the air" We were put on this earth to choices. To have our chooses made for us in the efforts of everyone being happy was Satan's Plan.
Love, Emily
Then End
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