Affordable Health Care?

My husband and I keep facing more and more financial challenges, as we were just graced with new monthly premiums and out of pocket expense for health insurance starting in 2015.  Since the year 2010 the out of pocket expense has more than doubled per individual.  The monthly premiums has gone up twenty three percent.   People who have Cancer or any long term illness are feeling the crunch of the high deductibles and out of pocket limit.  We are penalized if we do not have insurance and we are penalized for using the insurance we have.  A representative from the insurance company stated that the big increase was due to the amount of company health claims.  I know that made my husband feel scrunitized, as we have had to use our insurance quite a bit over the last couple of years.

It is heart breaking enough to face all the challenges of cancer, let alone trying to battle the insurance company.   We have been really making a conscience effort to stay healthy and having our yearly physicals.  Although, we all know that all it takes is one unforeseen medical accident or illness that could wipe out an average family savings.  I can tell you that health care is not affordable.

I spent the last year myself with many health problems and the insurance company denied ninety percent of the claims, stating that they were not covered by the insurance plan.  It would be awful to say that my husband was lucky that his Cancer care was covered by insurance.  I say awful, because it is awful that anyone has cancer.    Yet we are amongst those that have been blessed that the insurance payed for his care once we payed the out of pocket expense.  The out of pocket expense now is getting out of control and too much for an average American family.

Our fear now is deciding who gets health care in the year that lies ahead.  No question asked, it will be my husband.  We will be hesitant to use the insurance other than for preventive care that falls under the one hundred percent paid for, such as yearly physicals, flu shots, and etc.  The affordable health care has left us not wondering if we will have to file bankruptcy,  but when we will have too.

So much for the golden years as we age. We will persevere and pray that we win the lottery.  For now we eat healthy, exercise every day and feel the blessings of how lucky we were to have had an affordable insurance plan.

Yes, Life is still beautiful and we are not letting an insurance company take it away!

Elizabeth :)