A “tragic ruse”
Monday, January 12 2009
Jane at Health Populi links to a study of COBRA premiums and unemlpoyment benefits. The study suggests that COBRA premiums on average cost about 84% of what unemployment benefits typically pay. The implication is that most people would not be able to afford COBRA if their only source of income was unemployment benefits, and would thus forego coverage.
True – relatively healthy people would probably skip COBRA. But for those of us who are sick, health insurance is mandatory. The times when I’ve lost my health insurance – like now – I have had no choice but to purchase COBRA coverage, whether that meant spending down my savings, borrowing from my parents, or just doing without other things. It’s simply not possible for me to survive without some sort of insurance coverage. In fact, given the particulars of Crohn’s disease, I am better off foregoing food than I am without my medicine. Quitting my meds is tantamount to suicide – a slow, agonizing, disgusting suicide.
COBRA may seem like a cruel joke – and it kinda is – but it’s much better than the alternative: nothing. Before COBRA, losing your job meant you were screwed: no insurance, and no way to buy it. This was always dysfunctional, as far as sick people were concerned, but nobody else started caring until recently. Now that healthy people realize how important insurance is, and how expensive it can be, we’re starting to see studies like the one above, decrying the high expense of COBRA. But to most sick people, this isn’t news. We know the system is broken, and we’re glad the rest of you decided to tune in.
