OK. I've moved to a state where there is "statewide healthcare" which really just translates into "it's against the law to be uninsured." Now, I want to start this by noting that I'm all for a more universal health care system, it's just that the one here is bad. I am experiencing this first hand. Welcome to my saga:
1. The first point of importance is that I have been offered health insurance through my employer. "Great!" you say. "That is wonderful news!" Hold up there, Positive Patty. While I'm not going to quote numbers here, let me just say that the cost of this health insurance is 39.4% of my salary. Let me say that again.
39.4% OF MY ENTIRE SALARY!!!!!!
That is, to say the least, ridiculous. Especially when one considers the fact that I have student loans aplenty to pay off-student loans that I took out in order to go to school and be a productive member of society (so I don't want to hear it from the "look at all of those students borrowing money they can't afford" folks. That's crap.)
2. Point number two. R's work DOES have an option for me to go on his insurance. We looked into it, but the ridiculous thing is that the cost skyrockets from his individual plan to adding me on. It's nowhere near the cost of insurance through my work (with R it would cost half of what it would cost for just me through work) but still. Expensive. So we decided to search for other avenues.
3. I started looking for insurance on my own. I found some plans that would save us money, as my work plan is completely out of my price range and the plan at R's work would still cost us a decent amount of money. I found a plan that looked pretty good, with no deductible, plenty of doctors in the area, and decent benefits (like 1 eye exam a year, 1 dental exam a year).
Guess what?
I found out today (because the website for the state that I had been using doesn't tell you this anywhere) that I am ineligible to enroll in an individual plan because I am offered health care through work.
4. See point 1.
Thus is my health care saga. It's ridiculous, seriously. Thank God for R's policy, otherwise I don't know what I would do. Live off of ramen noodles and electric heat, I guess.
Please, Obama and Congress. Fix this. This kind of thing is ridiculous. Ridonkulous, even.
4 comments:
I was so lucky to have it with Tufts while I did. I have had crap coverage this year, and now I have none (waiting to see if I'm going back to school in the spring first). and Emily's school insurance didn't want to cover anything. she's switched a few times.
it is awful.
Yeah it's insane. The problem with MA is that it's against the law NOT to have insurance, so I couldn't even wait it out. On top of everything I don't know what my student loan payments are going to be like, which makes budgeting a little weird.
What are you going to school for? An MLS? Personally, I think you would be invaluable at a university library, since you know something about everything.
thanks! I've applied to start at Simmons in the spring to hopefully focus on archives management and/or preservation, working with historic collections. shouldn't have a problem getting in, but my recommenders were last minute, so I'm still waiting to hear...
yeah the loans are rough, too. I reconsolidated and now have applied for the new repayment standards based on income, since Emily lives on loans and I don't make a ton. that should help.
Good luck with the Simmons thing! One of my supervisors at the YDS library started her MLS there my 2nd year. I think you'd be really great at it, Matt. Seriously.
And the loan thing. Sheesh. I have no clue what mine will be, although I know for at least one set of loans I'm on the income based thing...or the graduated one. They didn't have it a few months ago and just reintroduced it or something. We'll see I guess.
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