If I married some random dude today, he (and his kids) would become eligible for my health insurance

[Hello_Kitty]

Because he and I would be sleeping together in a state-sanctioned legal relationship. Now, the company I work with is cool so they offer benefits to same-sex partners (though not so cool for not offering them to unmarried heteros). OTOH, if my sibling or parent didn't have insurance and didn't qualify for state aid I guess I'd have to watch him/her die from a fatal illness because we're not fucking.

Yet another reason to get private insurers out of health care and decouple it from employment. Basically, if you don't have a good job and/or aren't in an officially approved relationship, you don't get health care. That's pretty fucked up, dontchathink?

[SoCalDem]

1. Amen.. It should be a feature of citizenship..for EVERYONE..equally

"people of means" could always buy "extra" (as many do in socialized medicine countries).

The next shoe to drop with "everyone in/single payer/universal care" is the real fly in the ointment, which is why congress considers it a third-rail.. Proof of citizenship/right to health care.

as long as it's pay-to-play, the government does not have to confront the thorny issues, and can cast aside the "unworthies" who cannot pay, without much thought, and "blame" them for not working hard enough to earn enougfh money to pay for their own health care.

Their costs can be smooshed into the amorphous funding we currently have.

[timtom]

13. "people of means" could always buy "extra"

My God! I was just expressing the exact same concept to my wife only moments ago!

Too weird.

(I was telling her to call our congresscritters and command them to get behind the single-payer system -- just like Dennis proposed several years ago).

[mimitabby]

2. good point

my son is too old to be eligible. It kills me, I worry ... if anything happens.

[Hello_Kitty]

3. I guess he needs to find himself a sugar mama.

Because that's the country we live in. You better be lucky enough to have a good job or attractive enough to get a spouse with a good job.

[XemaSab]

8. I know a bunch of kids who ran into trouble in college

Too old to be on mom and dad's insurance; too young to be working.

One gnarly outdoor accident later, and they're thousands in debt. :(

[beyurslf]

4. You could marry some random guy and not even live together

and he and his kids could be on your insurance probably. You could even live in different states usually.

In fact, you could marry and divorce some random buy every year and have them on your insurance for that year. In some cases, the divored men may be able to stay on the insurance.

[Wednesdays]

5. Are you looking for volunteers?

:shrug:

[Hello_Kitty]

6. I wasn't but now that you mention it...

What's it worth to ya, guys? :shrug:

[Wilms]

7. .

[Skittles]

9. discrimination agains single folk is SOP

[Captain Hilts]

10. Universal healthcare is why gay marriage is legal in Canada. nt

[SmileyRose]

11. You might doublecheck that.

someone who is bound to you by blood or marriage may qualify in your state if you can claim them as a dependent on your federal and state tax forms. My uncle did in the State of Georgia

[truedelphi]

14. Thank you for posting. Hope this info

Helps someone!

[Hello_Kitty]

19. But that's not my point.

Health care should not depend on your employment, your spouse, or your relatives.

[SmileyRose]

21. Oh I got it and I agree

Sorry, I was being a little obtuse and replied with a solution considering the system we live in rather than acknowledgment of what I also wish we had.

[timtom]

12. Absolutely spot on!

Thank you for an intelligent post.

[Quantess]

15. There are many jobs that do not provide health insurance

There are other jobs that don't cover your expenses after the premiums are deducted from the paycheck.

[Hello_Kitty]

16. Yeah, that's why I qualified it as 'good' job.

And those 'good' jobs are becoming fewer and fewer.

[Quantess]

20. Oh, tell me about it!

I have a masters degree and I haven't had a "good" job for...oh...about 5 years.

[musiclawyer]

17. And why can't the Dem leadership and POTUS say this

loudly, clearly and concisely as you have?

[JuniperLea]

18. If my b/f were my lesbian lover...

I could cover him with my company insurance, no problem. Max amount I'd pay is $135 a month. That is a monumental step in the right direction, but as a hetero, I'm told I MUST get married to the guy... or pay $650 a month for his insurance, after co-mingling our funds and getting a bank account in both of our names, so I can prove... something, I'm not sure what... and have his name on at least one of my utility bills... for my house, mine alone, in my name only.

I've seriously considered learning to speak Norwegian. One of the terms of getting citizenship is that you have two years study in the language, offered for a nominal fee in conjunction with any Norwegian Seafarers Chapel which are located in nearly every major port in the US.

Just saying.