Before everybody runs cheering down the street for the affordable health care provider (Obama), put your thinking caps on for a few minutes. True story: I was driving to Dalton one evening with the windows down on my f150 and a small pebble bounced off the outside mirror and hit me in the eye. It was painful and I didn"t know if it did damage or not, so I went into the emergency room at Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton. After a few minutes the lady called me to the desk and asked if I had a job. I said, "That's a heck of a question to ask a 50 year old man!" To which she said, sorry sir, I didn't mean to offend you, but look at the people waiting here for treatment. There were about 20 to 25 people of various ages, some with their work uniforms on. She said that none of these people have a job. I had a puzzled look on my face, so she continued; "You see, the ER deductible on health insurance is $300.00. So everybody tells us they have no insurance because they cant afford to pay the deductible. We know they are working and have insurance, they chose not to use it." My point is simple. If you cant pay the deductible when you have insurance, how are you going to pay for Obamacare and the deductibles that come with it?
There is a huge crowd of people in this country that depend on Medicaid as their only source of healthcare. You cant take $50.00 a week out of their pay, they won't have gas money to get to work.
How much can you take from the working poor to pay for Affordable Health Care? The government elite in the 100,000 a year bracket and up make the rules. They actually believe that people dont have insurance because they would rather buy ski boats and trips to the Bahamas. There will always be some slackers in that catagory, but most people without insurance cant pay for it or the deductibles that will come along with Obamacare.
If you have insurance now, you don't need Obamacare. If you can't afford insurance now, you can't afford Obamacare either. Medicaid will be with us always.
Harry Presley
Chattanooga, Tn.
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In response to the opinion by Harry Presley: Your experience shouts at the need to make changes to our health care laws and the Affordable Care Act is a step in that direction. First of all, as a healthcare worker myself, I am appalled at the lack of confidentiality from your ER clerk. Why another person is seeking health care and what their means of paying for that care happens to be is nobody's business except the hospital and the patient.
I have been without health insurance for well over a year - not because I don't have a job and not because my employer doesn't offer it, rather because the rates for a small group are out of sight for many of us.
I recently applied for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act under the pre-existing condition portion. I received my letter of acceptance the day before the Supreme Court ruling. I dare say you can't imagine the anxiety I had awaiting the ruling. Please make no mistake, this is not free.
Can I afford my deductibles? I can certainly afford it much more than paying out of pocket. You see, there are also many of "us" out here who work and pay our way and don't expect something for nothing.
Perhaps when the folks who can afford healthcare and choose not to have it are fined, such scenarios as you witnessed will no longer exist.
Joan Williams