Now is The Time to Push For Universal Healthcare Reform
36+ million unemployed Americans may now also lose their medical benefits
The United States is the only rich country that doesn’t have Universal Healthcare.
Medical care coverage is a Catch-22 in the U.S. If we want medical insurance benefits, we must either, Option A: Work at a job that provides medical coverage, or Option B: Pay for it out of pocket.
Option A: You must be healthy enough to work. If you lose your job, you lose your health insurance.
Option B: You must have enough money to pay the premiums for medical insurance. Individual coverage and COBRA (the continued medical coverage you can use if you lose your job) costs several hundred dollars per month in premiums alone for one person. Most people are unable to afford Option B.
Healthcare in our country is a corporate-run, for-profit entity. High premiums, high deductibles and large out-of-pocket costs are the norm for the working class. And our premium and copayment costs increase every year. If someone is diagnosed with a health issue, it will take hundreds to thousands of dollars out of the person’s pocket for treatment. If that person is not working to cover the medical bills, they may end up losing their life savings.
