<p>dstark, yes, they can outsource all customer service to India, pay them nothing, pay execs uber salaries and laugh at us.</p>
<p>Sad…</p>
<p>LasMa “You’ve probably had insurance all your life, as I have. There are tens of millions of Americans who have no idea what that feels like. Can you imagine having to decide whether you could afford to take your very sick child to the doctor? Can you imagine being bankrupted by medical bills? For families to whom these scenarios are all too real, the ability to finally get insurance is no small thing.”</p>
<p>Ok, there are a lot of people without insurance, however it’s less than 15% of the population of the US. Considering about 25% of that 15% are illegal immigrants, the number is really about 10%. Now, yes, that is still a lot of people, but of those 10%, a LOT of those people have ACCESS to insurance and do not take insurance for many reasons, mostly because they simply don’t want to pay for it. Yes, everyone should have insurance and part of the ACA addresses that, however, I think people are under the impression that this is a bigger problem then it is. </p>
<p>kayf–your health insurance company outsources it’s customer service to India?? Really, are you sure??</p>
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<p>I have direct experience with this. I co-own a small business in the industry where offering health insurance is not standard. However we offer it and pay 50% of the premium, because I think it is important for people to have access to health insurance. Less than half employees purchase the insurance. They are mostly single guys, so I am pretty sure that they don’t have access elsewhere. I also have to hear them rant about how they didn’t even use enough of that insurance every year when the premiums increase. Sometimes I think of gifting them a dictionary for Christmas. </p>
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<p>Right… Who needs personal responsibility, when we insist on importance of societal responsibility.</p>
<p>I actually had one of the highest payed employees in my company (making around 70K in Midwest - not bad for a job that does not require any college degree) who did chose not to buy insurance. One day he fell in the bathroom and broke his leg and required a surgery. When he came back to work he quickly enrolled into health insurance, and was shocked that his surgery, that already occurred (!), was not covered. </p>
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<p>On the other hand, that is just wrong. I am glad the new law will fix it for you.</p>