Insurance Rant

I'm in a unique and very potentially scary situation. I went out on disability from my job in March of 2010. With the help of my parents, I was able to afford the ridiculous expense of the COBRA insurance. It started out at over $600 a month, and for the last six months it has been over $800. I would not have been able to afford it without their help.

I was horrified to find out a few months ago, that my COBRA terminated at the end of February of 2012, but Medicare did not start until September of 2012. That would be six months of no insurance for someone who has a chronic debilitating disease who takes medication alone that is over $2000 a month. That's not counting the quarterly doctor’s appointments. Plus all of the items I purchase out-of-pocket for my own care, and the aide and the physical therapist that my mother pays for. I was overwhelmed with the thought of what was upcoming.

But then a series of remarkable, beneficial coincidences occurred. In January 2012, the State of Delaware legalized civil unions. Janet, my partner of over 20 years, found out that her employer’s insurance allowed her to add a partner after a civil union.

Well, I guess it's no surprise that we were civilly unionized on January 21, 2012 and I was added to Janet's insurance as of February, 2012. Now I am covered at least for this month by both types of insurance… It seems like feast or famine.

But what happens if you don't have a loving partner, if you don't live in a progressive state, or if your loving partner’s insurance won't take you up for coverage?  I've asked several people who should know like doctors, and health care professionals, but they say there's nothing available to help those people who fall through the cracks. There's something elementally wrong with this but I don't know what the average person can do about it. Someone does!

And then there's Rick Santorum; if he wins the presidency, he has promised to void all civil unions. Then consider Mitt Romney who says essentially that the majority of uninsured and unemployed are that way because they haven't tried hard enough. I worry about me and I worry about my country… But I digress.