Comments on: Freelancers Need Universal Health Care Too

By: Dawn

Dawn — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:11:04 +0000

When I got divorced it was the health insurance I missed the most. I’m self-employed and have Lupus, which is a red flag to every insurance company to not insure me. My state (WI) has a high risk insurance plan for people like me. Twice I applied for it, twice I was rejected for not sending in the premium. Along with the rejection letter (both times) was a check refunding my already paid premium back to me. You gotta love the “efficiency” of government in action.

By: tc

tc — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:54:43 +0000

Uninformed, close-minded people like “dunroamin” are one-half of the roadblock to UHC. The other half is held up by lobbyists for private health insurance companies who take as much as possible and give as little as possible.dunroamin asks some moderately clueless questions, followed by some thoroughly clueless pot-shots at UHC in Canada and the UK. In response to the question about who pays and how much do we get: (I realize that the following phrase will elicit girlish screams of terror from anyone who has ever watched Fox News in earnest, but) “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” In response to the implication that Canada and the UK have such awful problems with their UHC systems that a simple glance would show clearly why it is a terrible idea: this is false, a straw man argument, and a favorite claim of right-wing talking heads.Take a look at this collection of handy charts etc to see just how backwards such claims are. Anyone reading this: please do share this link with others. http://www.flickr.com/photos/28400609@N02/sets/72157619960566626/

By: saron

saron — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Great article and so relevant. I am a freelance designer and many of my friends are in the same boat. Am I supposed to work for some corporation for the rest of my life just for health-care…..it does discourage self-employment, as well as, many other types of jobs. We need a solution.

By: judahstevenson

judahstevenson — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

We have to begin the transition away from the terrible system we currently have somehow + sometime, but it is so very important that people be aware we will still have much farther to go, especially if all we are doing is creating a “play or pay” system (like Massachusetts). To have any legs at all, universal access must include healthcare for the self-employed, and as your article points out, there is much more to this problem than can be fixed by a phrase. Great article. Thanks.

By: bchiger

bchiger — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I recently became self employed, this article brilliantly illustrates one of the greatest overlooked problems in the health care debacle.

Health care is an everyone problem, not just poor people. We need to develop solutions that fix it for everyone!

By: dunroamin

dunroamin — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Utopian ideas about "universal" health care leave out some of the most important parts: Who pays? Oh of course, the rich...

How much health care are we entitled to? As much as we can afford...but who decides this?

Where is the incentive for health practitioners to invent, to excell, to take risks? Just look closely at health care in Canada or Great Britain to see how well "universal" health care works. Or better yet, listen to the complaints about the Veterans Affairs health care system to see what happens when government gets involved.

By: Settia

Settia — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

As one who is self-employed and is unable to get regular health coverage, I think this is a very important story to tell. Anyone who has had any kind of health issue, even minor, in the past five years, won't be covered. In Calif. there is guaranteed health coverage, however there is a long wait and it's about $400 per month for an individual and the coverage is minimal. A serious: why bother unless you have serious health issues.

In regards to the Utopia posting:

- The rich doesn't pay for health coverage in a universal system - the population does through taxes. And if you think the rich pays the majority of taxes you are gravely ignorant.

- Health practioners to invent and excel? This isn't about inventing and excelling. It's about providing access to ALL - not just those fortunate to have employers who provide this for them.

Canada and England do not have perfect systems, but the U.S. is fatally flawed in having absolutely no system for the general population (that is those not on Medicare, etc.). I lived in England and got sick (and likewise during a trip to Ireland) and was able to go to a doctor free of charge (in Ireland the cost was $15). Here, that same 15 minute visit would have cost me $250. So, yes, let's see what happens when the government gets involved.

By: jeanninewalston

jeanninewalston — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Bravo on this important article! I’m a thirty-something freelance writer and cancer survivor. I can personally attest to the detriments of expensive and profit focused health care in this country hindered by costly insurance plans with high deductibles as well as limited coverage. I left my 9 to 5 office job in early 2004 for the freelance world to be diagnosed with a cancer recurrence one month later. I now pay almost $500 monthly (with a $1,500 deductible) for a bare bones individual plan focused on America’s allopathic medical model. I lived in Europe and clearly witnessed the freedom people have there through universal health care. Europeans have affordable access to health care and education: two hallmarks of democracy. America is a young country, but when will we catch up??

By: jcrest

jcrest — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I was forwarded this article from someone who had just read a similar post of mine on BetweenTheBlogs.com. I'm a freelancer and this year, since my wife has MS, we will spend close to $30,000 on health care. We both have individual policies. The time for political rhetoric is long over. The time for action on the part of the politicians is now. If not, then all that will be left is the squishy splattering sound of those who were barely hanging on as they lose their grips and fall to their financial demise.