Malkin on health insurance when she had to buy it: Must read.

[Hamlette]

A typical experience with the individual health care market:

I have commented before on the problems with central planning in health care. I certainly am not convinced that a government-run system is the answer, but I do agree with Krugman that there are serious problems with our health insurance system, particularly in the market for individually-purchased (non-group) coverage.

After my husband quit his job earlier this year (to become a full-time stay-at-home dad), we had a choice. We could either buy health insurance from his former employer through a program called COBRA at a cost of more than $1,000 per month(!) or we could go it alone in Maryland’s individual market. Given our financial circumstances, that “choice” wasn’t much of a choice at all. We had to go on our own.

We discovered that the most generous plans in Maryland’s individual market cost $700 per month yet provide no more than $1,500 per year of prescription drug coverage–a drop in the bucket if someone in our family were to be diagnosed with a serious illness.

With health insurance choices like that, no wonder so many people opt to go uninsured.

The mystery writer? Michelle Malkin. As I've said before, if a neoconservative is a liberal who got mugged, and progressive is a Republican who got sick.

http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2007/10/guess-the-autho.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Well Michelle I hate to say it, but good for you

perhaps you'll get it now

[Hamlette]

3. I don't think so. She wrote that in 2004

I'd LOVE to see her explain that after her own experience she went after this kid.

And she has CHILDREN?

Scary.

[Deja Q]

2. Like my uber-liberal aunt would say, "there's always a choice".

:shrug:

[Fleshdancer]

4. Your last line nailed it..."and progressive is a Republican who got sick."

It took me 10 minutes to figure out how much it would cost for my family to purchase our own health care. Is it too much to ask politicians, pundits, and anyone else invested in the debate to do the same?

My family took a huge risk by not having health insurance for four years. We made too much for government assistance and too little to spend an extra $800-$1200 per month. Sound familiar? Millions of Americans can relate. We're now insured (since last May) and the sheer relief of knowing a major hospital visit can no longer destroy us financially is an incredible relief. I hate knowing others are still stuck.

As for Michelle, well now she's starting to "get it". Wanting a reasonable solution to the health care problem in this country does not equate to being a communist. Michelle, welcome to the reality of millions of Americans who have been bitching about this problem long before you ever had to deal with it. Remember us? Perhaps we were one of your targets for ridicule and judgment? Regardless, welcome to the most frustrating club you will ever be a part of.

[pitohui]

5. i went without health insurance for 15 years

i could say a lot more about it but, in short, for a lot of people, there is no honest way to get insurance

it stinks

[Fleshdancer]

8. 15 years is too long.

You're absolutely right. There is no honest way for many Americans to get health insurance.

Do you know what it took for us to do it? We started our own company (risked our entire savings to do it) and eventually got to the point to where we were able to provide health insurance through the company. This, by the way, is far more affordable than families paying for health care on their own AND it covers a lot more. How f*ed up is THAT?

Our company is non-profit and although we don't have many employees, we are sure to provide the best health care possible for them.

[Hamlette]

6. actually, I didn't write it. Ezra Klein did. And Malkin's column is from 2004

so

She learned the lesson but now...has no sympathy for others.

(I can't tell you how many women in my office are working for the insurance. I work for the state and their husbands are self employed. How's that for "family values". They are all mothers and while I think they are better off working, they would rather not but insurance was just too expensive for them. BTW, I'm one of those women now. My husband doesn't have insurance through his work and I'm close to retirement age and could afford to retire...except for the insurance.)

[Deja Q]

11. Which is ironic, given our offshoring to communist nations...

With said nations claiming to pull great chunks of their populations out of poverty... for making products that last 20 minutes, contain enough lead to poison a child, or enough bogus ingredients to kill an animal. Never mind the toothpaste. Most of these incidents would eventually require a trip to the hospital...

Ironic...

[Rick Myers]

7. The neoconservative movement had it's roots in liberalism.

[Hamlette]

9. This isn't a neocon argument...is it?

I thought what made neocons different from run of the mill conservatives is their desire to "export" democracy all over the world.

This is about the cost of health insurance. All conservatives hate the thought of another "social welfare" program.

[brentspeak]

10. Neoconservatism has its roots in Trotskyism, not liberalism.

Many of the biggest names in the neoconservative were former Communist Party members: Irving Kristol among them.

[Hamlette]

12. and many were (and are still) Democrats

Richard Perle is still a Democrat (or says he is) and many of today's neocons met working for Scoop Jackson, Demo hawk during Vietnam. (We saw him about like we see Lieberman now)

[brentspeak]

13. Explain how "many... are still" Democrats.

Any sightings of Richard Perle at Democratic rally events that you can think of?

[Hamlette]

14. he claims he is still a Dem

Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Elliott Abrams, Charles Horner, and Douglas Feith were former Democratic aides to Scoop Jackson.

Perle is the only one who still claims to be a dem as far as I know.