The Health Insurance Crisis

This past week, a client shared with me the new health insurance rates her organization is facing beginning in November. This organization with a small staff (under twenty individuals) is being confronted by a 17% rate increase. Because there are staff with major medical issues, the board and the director decided that they had no choice but to bite the bullet and split the rate increase with the staff. The staff will be informed this week. They like so many Americans will face tough choices in the weeks and months ahead. Do they go to the doctor? Do they submit to costly tests? Or do they avoid the doctor's office. Many people are doing just that. Three weeks ago I had an appointment with my physician for a six month checkup. There are three physicians in this practice. Usually the waiting room is packed with patients. When I entered the waiting room, I found only one other individual waiting. The scene had not changed when I left an hour later. We all should be pressing our senators and congressmen to move the health bill along. We need health care for all Americans.