[quote name='dohdough']So stripping what little social safetynet we have left is the same as trying to expand it to help more people?
Before is not now and you're directly benefitting from someone else's labor which gives you access to a group policy discount that you would otherwise not have access to on your own. If your period of unemployment came closer to his open-enrollment period, then it would've been less than 10 months, which doesn't even matter that much when you tried to get on it to begin with, but were denied probably because you're gay when straight spouses and children aren't subject to enrollment periods. This is the exactly opposite of doing it on your own and so what if you bought insurance on your own. Do you think that everyone has the resources to do that? Do you think that you should be one medical emergency away from being financially ruined? Do you think that makes for an equitable or even stable society?
Again, in states that don't recognize domestic partnerships, what should those couples do? Pound sand and just deal with an inequitable system?
edit: Hell, even YOU were treated unfairly and now that you got yours, everyone else should get
ed?[/QUOTE]
Well, because we live in NJ if we had a civil union (NJ allows them) then perhaps we could have gotten on it sooner. We didn't have one then (or now) so I really can't say if I was able to get on it at the time.
So, what else should I have done? Moaned and cried social injustice.. or.. get myself insurance until I can get on his? I chose option 2. Also, it seems (sorry if I am incorrect) that you may be more of a democrat/liberal, and you guys really need to stop telling all minority groups (like myself) that we have been screwed and everyone else is being unfair to us. I never thought any of that was unfair. I just decided "I better get myself insurance so I don't have to pay $300 a month for Advair"
Believe me, I am not for the system. I just think the mentality that our health is something other people should cover is a bit absurd. No, we shouldn't be financially ruined because we had a heart attack. No, we shouldn't say "I can't afford to go get this sore throat checked out". Etc. Etc. Etc.
On one hand I kinda like that eventually insurance companies can't deny people...but yet, because everyone will have insurance, why are our premiums going up? Once again, why are the people who choose to do the right thing and learn the value of a dollar conned into paying more for the people who view HBO, Apps, jeans, bars, etc over their own personal needs.
Oh, and no. Not because "I have mine, screw you".. but what am I supposed to do? Pay more for my insurance just so others can get it? Again, sorry that my partner and I work for a living, and sorry that we save money, and sorry that we take care of ourselves. For a couple living in NJ who combined make less than $50k a year pre-tax we do fairly well because we live within our means.
We have a new car we will be making payments on for the next 3 years. Obviously that car is insured. Our rent is somewhat high ($975). We have cell phones. We have internet. We both have WoW accounts. It costs me $120 a month to travel to and from work on the train. He drives to work and gas prices have been absurd.. so it's always different on how much he spends per month. Roughly $100.
Despite this, we still can afford payroll deductions for our health insurance. We still can afford to drop money in the savings account. We also both have payroll deductions going into our 401k. We can still afford to eat out and "live a little". We are even planning a vacation for a week in July.
And again, we do NOT make a lot of money considering we live in tax happy NJ.
But, that doesn't matter. Because we took the time to evaluate our lives and make them affordable, other people shouldn't have to. Other people should bring home $400 a week and spend $600 a week -- on mostly stuff they WANT -- and let's feel bad for those people and call them victims.
So.. how about we start enforcing people to man up and take responsibility for themselves before we just feed into the tears of the world. Yes yes there are some true sad stories and I'll never deny it. It's just funny how it seems like "everyone" is a special case.