Most of my girlfriends who have received a marriage proposal told me they had a sneaking suspicion it was coming. I, however, was completely blindsided when my boyfriend proposed marriage so that I could receive health care on his plan. I had never considered marrying someone for insurance. Love? Yes. Children? Sure. Health care? Not so much.
The proposal from Brian was all business. It went something like this: "We could sign a prenup, go down to City Hall and get a marriage certificate. It's just a piece of paper."
Talk about unromantic. I knew that people married for many reasons, but when did matrimony become a way to scheme our busted health-care system? I always imagined that marriage encompassed values like commitment, love, and companionship—not $30 copays and in-network doctors. I wasn't sure how serious Brian was, so I asked him to clarify his offer. "Is this something you'd seriously consider?" I asked.
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I knew part of the reason Brian made his offer. All of the news reports of layoffs and rising unemployment had left me worried about what would happen if I were next in line to lose my job, and with it, my health care. Like many of my friends, I had coasted by without insurance at times, but two years ago that option became impossible for me: I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The illness was unexpected, and a rude awakening to the exorbitant medical costs sick people can face.
It isn't cheap to suppress an overactive immune system; the injections I give myself every other day to slow down the progression of my illness can cost thousands of dollars a year, but the prices vary depending on one's insurance. I can't trade down or bargain-shop my way through the MRIs, steroids, doctor visits, and copays. And unless a brilliant scientist has an "aha moment" and comes up with a cure for MS, my life will be a series of costly treatments and doctor appointments
http://www.newsweek.com/id/216936?from=rssYoung love.................