I’ve been blabbing on about the current US debate on healthcare reform for quite some time now, so I went to the Blue Cross North Carolina site to check a couple of random rates for a family of four approximately my age.
For my wife and myself, with two kids included (one under 12/one over), living in Davie, Greensboro, with a $1200 deductible, 100% coinsurance would cost $894 per month or $10728 per year. Given that teacher salaries range from only $40,000 to $60,000 pa that would be an expense accounting for upto 1/4 of my salary.
Obviously, there is a deductible element and co-payment to take into consideration. While national health insurance schemes lack the finesse of many private schemes, paying upto 1/4 of someone’s salary is outrageous just to receive decent healthcare.
No one is saying in the debate that you HAVE to have national health care, if you don’t want to use it. There are still private doctors and hospitals in both the UK and Taiwan. But not having adequate health care for your country’s citizens is amazingly negligent, when millions of people CAN’T afford even basic care.
Oh, and I forgot to add: "You can choose to purchase maternity or dental coverage with your health care plan." In other words, both of these are additional expenses on TOP of your bill.
Good luck with that, if you still oppose healthcare reform. In fairness, I’m not blaming BlueCross or indeed any other insurer, I’m sure they are doing their best to provide quality healthcare in a difficult environment. But, Americans, wake up… you’re living in a first world country but getting third world care for over 15% of your own people, ordinary hard-working Americans…!