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Linda of Kingwood, TX (Denied insurance for pre-existing condition Lupus)
I worked and paid for private health insurance for over 12 years. At the age of 32 I was diagnosed with Lupus two years after giving birth to my daughter. At the time I was diagnosed, I was covered under my self-employed husband’s health care policy. Each year the rates of the insurance was increased by 10 to 20%. My husband attempted to get more economical insurance coverage from various companies with poor results. He and my daughter was offered coverage however due to scoliosis surgery he had when he was 12 years old, his back was excluded. I was denied coverage by all insurance companies.
Eventually my husband was able to find an HSA plan with Humana that had a $10,000 deductible for he and my daughter. Texas has a high risk pool that I was forced to get my insurance from. Unfortunately this insurance is 3 times that of my husband and daughter.
It is sad that in a first world country like ours we do not have a comprehensive health care system where we can all pay for sensible insurance coverage. It is simply unfair that insurances can selectively pick only healthy people. I am sold on us having a single payer healthcare system. It simply makes sense. We are all one illness away from being uninsurable.
Sadly, Linda's story is just one of millions. I wholeheartedly agree that single-payer, national, non-for-profit health insurance is the only way to go. Yes We Can!
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My heart goes out to Linda for fighting against this inhumane system. I second the call for single-payer, national, not-for-profit health insurance for everyone who's paying taxes through their nose. It's time for change.
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It’s a great point ...we are all only one illness away from being uninsurable. Luckily in Australia we don't have to deal with that reality – I think rather than a largely private insurance system, a largely public one makes much more sense. Under home or car insurance, an insurer wouldn’t be able to deny cover because your house had been hit by lightning ... why is health insurance different?
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Great point made through a sad story, Linda. The health insurance situation there is very much unacceptable. I think a greater focus on prevention initiatives could take the pressure of health providers, lower costs, and make unavoidable diseases like lupus less of an issue.
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