A List and a Phone Number

Thanks to everybody who posted comments about health coverage. We’ll definitely be looking into many of the options that you brought up. For those of you worse off, I can’t tell you how sorry I am and you are definitely worth posting about, even for the people who sound like my mother.

I think some points of clarification are in order.

  1. We have insurance. We are covered. Including Leta. This is retroactive to the first of this month.
  2. Chuck is not insured.
  3. It is expensive. We still have a few other options that are yet to be explored, but I felt it important to get even expensive coverage, because in between pimping my dog and playing on the computer all day, I actually care about the well-being of my family.
  4. I posted about being denied hoping to get some suggestions about how to save money and still be covered. Ironically, one of the companies who denied us is participating in advertising with a company that rhymes with schmoogle.
  5. I did not and do not ask for any of you to pay for my insurance or my health care. If you feel that way I have no response. I left my day job fully aware that I had excellent benefits. This was one of the reasons it took me so long to leave.
  6. I expected to have a conversation about the sorry state of insurance coverage and health care. If you live in the United States and work, you pay into several federallly funded health care and social programs. Recipients of those programs would love to talk to you. I pay into those same programs. Sorry for the buzz kill.
  7. COBRA would have been $1,100/month (part of the excellent benefits). We chose a state plan. We could not immediately get the state plan without first being denied insurance. We had to apply for individual coverage and be denied before that option was open to us.
  8. I'm taking responsibility for my decisions. Looking at the comments, I think a lot more working people are in the same boat than not. All the platitudes and attacks in the world won't change this. I believe that change will occur if we educate ourselves and express ourselves. If you don't hold the majority opinion in a comments thread and feel the need to react because you are feeling vulnerable, I suggest either closing your browser window and/or turning down the Jesus.
  9. Health care around the world is jacked. Some countries do a better job than others.
  10. I don't live in one of them.
  11. Based solely on the comments of the previous two blurbs, Australia sounds like they have a good universal health situation.
  12. Ad hominem attacks towards me and complaining about this site in a comments thread is nothing short of making my day. So is your passive aggressiveness. LOVE IT! Blow me away with your powerful logic! Tell me I suck even more! Way to convince me that my opinion is wrong! Make me the bad guy!
  13. I did not make any insurance laws in the United States.

I’m going to take a page from GEORGE!:
Complaints? I’ve used the proceeds from the Chuck calendar to staff a call line: 1–800-EAT-SHIT.

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  • Marcus

    I admit that it was brave for Jon to leave a crappy job with (the all-important!) benefits to strike out on his own.

    If I were in a similar situation (married with a child, all of whom, including my self, have had past medical issues) I think I might have stuck with the crappy job just for the benefits.

    But that’s just me.

    One more thing, what does this have to do with anything:

    “But if I had to pay $2000 each time I wanted to watch a movie with my mom or celebrate a birthday/wedding/birth with one of my friends, it would get a little hard.”

  • Ginger

    Marcus — yeah, I didn’t understand that $2000 comment either. Thought it mighta been left over from a comment on one of Jon’s previous posts. *scratches head*

  • http://www.unitedforpeace.org jessica

    Ginger & Marcus — I think (if I’m connecting the dots correctly) that hibiscusfire (#17) was acknowledging that living in Australia, (ye lande o’ [mostly] fine health-care, according to Jon’s unscientific assessment from reading the comments) would be awesome, except for the part about it costing $2K every time he (she?) wanted to head back to the USA to visit the fam/friends.

  • http://mssisyphus.blogspot.com MsSisyphus

    “But if I had to pay $2000 each time I wanted to watch a movie with my mom or celebrate a birthday/wedding/birth with one of my friends, it would get a little hard.”

    She means that the $2000 airfare from Oz to USA everytime she wanted to have human interaction with her family would offset any health care savings she might get by emmigrating.

    (psst! It’s cheaper to fly back and visit from Canada and almost as nice! Plus, we have *real* seasons.)

  • Marcus

    I thought she might have been referring to airfare but I didn’t want to assume anything.

    Airfare from the USA to anywhere in the pacific rim/SE Asia would be expensive. Especially if you are flying your immediate family (Jon, Heather & Leta for example).

    I know that in the early 1990’s my dad did a bit of work in Indonesia (our family almost moved there) and every time he flew there or back home he spent at least 12+ hours cooped up in a Boeing 747. My point is that besides the cost of the plane ticket, the travel time would be quite long.

  • http://www.nothingbutbonfires.com Nothing But Bonfires

    So on top of Heath Ledger and Tim Tams, the Australians ALSO get excellent healthcare? This seems unfair. There should be some sharing, at least.

  • http://vindauga.typepad.com Lisa V

    My BF just got hired for a part-time job at a university. She will work 20 hours per week, after her part of benefits is deducted from her paycheck she will take home $280 a month. Ridiculous. She has to work basically just to pay the insurance. Yeah, we don’t need a national health insurance.

  • http://www.crazyforher.com CrazyForHer

    Jon & Heather,
    First of all — I have a couple crush on the two of you. What an awesome family and a wonderful lifestyle. Being able to stay at home with your family and do the things that both of you do so well is a major accomplishment. But will all decsions in life they bring along their share of delimas and this too shall pass.

    Don’t be discouraged by negative comments about the choices you have made. They are your choices and you have to live with them. I think that the negative commenters are confused about your motives. They do not understand that you are asking for advice and not a hand out.

    I visit your sites because I enjoy the writing and of course the wonderful photos that you share with us each day. Others visit your site because they disagree with your choices and feel they have a right to interject their opinions that in no way help you or your current issues with finding healthcare.

    Bottom-line: These people are jealous of the fact that you get to do what you love. They just don’t understand that you still face the same problems that we do despite the fact that you and your wife are blogstars.

    Maybe you could offer a company advertising in exchange for affordable health coverage. Now that is an idea worth persuing!

  • http://the.lostrealm.com/ Lionfire

    Australia’s system is quite good, and I’m very happy to pay my taxes for it, but our government is constantly making noise about how they really need to make it more like the “really successful” American system.

    Maybe I should get them to call your support line.

  • Marissa

    I think this is a fabulous topic to discuss — especially across the world. I still don’t understand how anyone thought Jon wanted the readers to pay for his insurance.

    As for pimping out Chuck — he’s a model, people, and he doesn’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 or ice cream.

    There are millions of people selling stuff on the net and making money off of other people — go preach to Amazon​.com owners or even the people on eBay for begging you to pay their bills.

    Jon and Heather are NOT bad, they are just human. Last time I checked, humans are still allowed free will and with free will comes both good and bad decisions.

    I wish I was as perfect as you who make the judgemental decisions without ever putting your life, your decisions, your consequences on the line.

    You must have a hard time getting out of bed every morning and being ultimately disappointed with all of the imperfection in the world.

  • Chuck

    Your two columns on health insurance in the US were completely correct, reasonable and I cannot fathom why or where anyone would critique you for them.

    Something must be done, you are right. I have no ideas, only an uninsured family.

  • http://cowjumpmoon.blogspot.com S

    Insurance is so complicated these days… I think this was a great topic. I just hope that I don’t have to worry about it. I feel bad for the ppl that have to be self-insured as those said companies are just bending you over more or less. Good luck with finding a good company that takes care of you and your family.

  • http://www.laughitupfuzzball.com Fuzzball

    Isn’t it common knowledge that being a stay-at-home parent isn’t a full-time job? It’s not, you know…

    It’s TWO full-time jobs!!! I’ve read that housewives/househusbands work the equivalents of 80-hour weeks. Just a thought to those of you who were poopoo-ing Jon’s job/life decision as “easy”.

    Okay, I got that out of my system.

    I’m really sorry that I couldn’t offer any help on the healthcare issue, Jon. Sad to say I’m woefully ignorant of anything other than what my firm offers me…which ain’t much. ;)

    Kiss the Frog Princess and the Chucklet for me. I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas!!!

  • http://www.essentialoutlet.net Chika

    I’m not political enough to have an opinion on this topic. Moreover, I do not live in the United States, so I would be in over my head if I even attempted to address this issue.

    The only reason I’m posting a comment at all is to say WOW YOU RULE.

    Thanks.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/13066032 Walking Contradiction

    schmoogle.

    Sorry, but for some reason, that cracked my shit UP. Yeah, I’m mature.…..

  • minxlj

    Hey, it’s your blog and you can post about whatever the hell you want, so it’s all cool. Anyway thanks for sharing your thoughts on all of this — people need to share their opinions on things like like, otherwise where will it end? Like you said “How do we make a change? How many of us will it take?”

  • Carrie

    It’s actually kind of sad that you could insure Chuck at a far cheaper price than any other member of your family. Speaking of Chuck, please don’t stop pimping your dog! There is nothing I want more under my tree this year than a Chuck calendar.

  • Nobody

    I can’t take it any more. I call bullshit on the suggestion that Australia provides even basic healthcare to any significant portion of its people solely on a 1.5% income tax. There has to be a larger government subsidy in there. C’mon, if the US spends 15% of GDP on healthcare, how can anyone do anything significant for a tenth of that? Where are the other 14 percentage points going, paperwork and plastic surgery for hotel heiresses? If the Australian government isn’t subsidizing that out of some other tax revenue, then either a) the service only goes to 10% of the population or b) it’s handing out aspirin and putting people on 60 day waiting lists for appendectomies.

    If someone can demonstrate that the Australians are serving more than 50% of the population with decent service and funding it solely with a 1.5% income levy, I’ll post a sonnet to Karl Marx right here in comments.

  • Nobody

    BTW, I haven’t touched google on this. And I would LOVE to see if anyone will take the other side, with a sonnet to Adam Smith as a stake.

  • Marissa

    That’s so true about pet insurance — both cats are insured for under $25/month — and they allow pre-existing conditions.

    Too bad they don’t accept Frog Princesses

  • http://thefathousewife.blogspot.com/ Strizz

    Now I have to go and read the comments, heh.

    I think the whole sucky point is that if you actually have a job and work and don’t depend on the government for much, if anything, then you usually have to pay out the ass for health coverage, have none at all, or have to get knocked up to get some.

    But considering our government is broke and in such a sad state (yes, laugh now) how could we expect them to help us out.

  • http://thefathousewife.blogspot.com/ Strizz

    Ok, sorry me again. Just wondering to myself if we all ate an apple a day would this even be a problem? Produce, people.

  • Meg

    No doubt you’re a whiney bunch over there in SLC: mormons, bush, motherhood, etc. HOWEVER: I READ IT. I come here everyday and read what you write — my choice. So, I’m not understanding the personal attacks via comments. In my opinion, the people who offer personal attacks are just out in the world itching for a fight anywhere they can find it. Their families must be miserable.

  • Ashik

    On a related note to the discussion about “everyone can get healthcare in this country, it will just be expensive,” I’ve seen people with a life threatening emergency refuse to call 911 because of the fear of the cost.
    I honestly don’t think anything can be done on any sort of local, grass roots level, until we start electing people to federal public office who are actually aware of people who make $17K/year at Walmart and care about them as much as they care about attendees at their $10,000K per fundraiser plate supporters.

  • jill

    Get a job at Costco. That’s what I did.

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