Awhile back*, I posted about my daughter’s premature birth, hospitalization, my concurrent job loss, and…..health insurance. I tried to explain to non-U.S. readers exactly why the loss of a job meant the loss of healthcare and probable bankruptcy. We take that for granted in the U.S.—that in the event of a serious illness like cancer, in the event that one doesn’t have a spouse, parents, siblings, or a trust fund, that one will probably go bankrupt. That for most of us, serious illness or injury means the loss of a job. And the converse, too—that the loss of a job means crossing one’s fingers and hoping one doesn’t get sick or injured, because one will be left without a means of getting treatment. The two situations go together here like thunderstorms and rain.
So, when the illustrious Lauren of Feministe sent me this link, I wasn’t surprised at the findings. As costs have gone up, the number of uninsured people has risen exponentially. This graphic doesn’t even delve into the problems of rising deductibles (hence, a bigger bite of the paycheck). The 7% cost given for the average Illinois worker with family coverage is I’m assuming the pre-tax income cost—not take-home pay.
Here’s another interesting graphic with a timeline, on job losses and unemployment rates. Notice any similarities to the graphic on health insurance? How about this one on bankruptcies?
Over 60% of bankruptcies in the U.S. are the result of medical bills, and three-quarters of those people had health insurance at the time of their diagnosis.
The public option is still polling strong, so where is the political courage? WTF?
*wanna read a story much worse than mine? Check out “How I lost my health insurance at the hairstylists”.