I was a Sicko
JUNE 30, 2007 Listen to this Story
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Sarah Gustavus was burned by $2500 in medical bills. It was about three years ago, and she actually had health insurance at the time. While working a second job to pay it off, Gustavus decided she didn't want insurance anymore. But now that she's become attached to her status as an uninsured rebel, people have been trying to convince her that she should have health insurance. And not for the reasons you'd think. She tells us her story.
Notes from Independent Producer Sarah Gustavus
My idea was to make people really talk to me about health insurance for a change. I've gotten lectures from strangers at the bus stop and pharmacists, but it was always along the lines of "what if you get hit by a bus?"
I know I could get hit by a bus, or get cancer, but I don't feel like having insurance would really solve all of those problems. Affordable plans have high deductibles. I had insurance for a little over a year and had almost $3000 in out of pocket medical expenses. That's a lot of money when you're a freelancer and recent college graduate.
This story helped start my first decent conversation with my dad about this issue. Turns out, he's having the same problems. He used to have a good job counseling people with drug and alcohol addictions in a Texas prison. When the state needed to cut back on expenses, he lost his job. Now he drives around on two-lane country roads and interviews people who want to take in foster kids. His private insurance is hundreds of dollars a month, with a $5000 deductible. I don't want to be an extra burden on him, but I always feel like I could use $100 in my pocket now, instead of spending it on insurance. It's a dilemma I'm still trying to solve.
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- Music Bridge:
- I Kissed the Dirt
- Artist: Guitar
- CD: She Kissed Her Bobtail (Onitor)
Comments
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From Grapevine, TX, 09/05/2008
This was an excellent story. I really enjoyed it. But more to the point, it accurately described the attitude among many young people towards health care. The concept of insurance is supposed to be based on the concept of shared risk. The idea is that a large pool of people pay and only some get sick. The Insurance companies have destroyed that concept and frankly, are incapable of restoring it without help, for the very reasons Sarah describes. The competitive nature of the insurance business makes it imperative that they cherry-pick the healthiest customers. Government regulation is the only way to set this back into balance and is an appropriate use of government. Nice job, Sarah!
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