My Experience with Our Current Health Insurance System

The health insurance system can be very hard for a lot of people. My family and I were a part of those millions of Americans that didn't have health insurance. Most of the health insurance systems only want to have people that have money already, and or are already healthy. Another reason that so many millions of people don't have health insurance is because they have a preexisting health condition, and the insurance company doesn't want to take on these people because they cost more. The health care insurance system should be available for everyone, and it should matter.

In our case, my husband has Asperger's, which is a type of autism. Also, my son has mild Cerebral Palsy, and my husband and I have weight issues. This makes it hard finding health care on the free market, extremely hard. Luckily, I do a home childcare business, and recently in my state of Oregon, day care owners can join a union. So now I have health insurance.

Unfortunately, because my husband is a "contingent" worker and has no health insurance through his job, this is our only choice. It's not the best choice, but at least we have something in case of an emergency. Still my husband has been having breathing and sleep issues lately, and a sleep clinic isn't covered. My son needs some specialists to deal with some small issues, and those are only covered up to $750 a year.

We're Catholic, and we understand the fear some Catholics have of increased genocide under universal coverage with abortion coverage; but we're here right now and we're struggling. Yes, all human life between conception and natural death deserves protection; but that surely includes us as well. Health care should be a right, not a privilege. We need protection. We need to not be victimized anymore by rich insurance companies who take our premiums, then refuse treatment when we need it. They say it's a free market, but it's not- it is a fraud, and we need something better.