More insurance horror stories....

Ours was a "near miss".  In the spring of 2007 Kelly was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.  She had just started a new job, but her diagnosis came during the 90 day probationary period before her insurance became effective.  What to do?  Fortunately (?) she was a disabled veteran and was entitled to treatment through the VA.  To their credit, the Dallas VA immediately got her into surgery, then promptly  followed up with radiation and chemotherapy.  Their facilities are first class and the doctors are the residents and professors at the UT Southwestern Medical School.  She received excellent care, responded well, and is cancer-free today.  Without the VA we'd be many hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and probably bankrupt.  *whew*


Several weeks ago I was with K at the VA for her bi-annual check-up.  While she was being seen I began visiting with another veteran waiting his turn to see the oncologists.  He told me that he had been fighting cancer off-and-on for over 10 years.  He once owned a successful small business and had insurance for himself and his family.  When he was diagnosed with cancer he utilized his insurance for treatment.  Trouble was, his policy had the standard $1M lifetime policy limit.  Within just a few years he had maxed out his $1M limit and his insurer said, "No more.  Bye-bye."


No longer able to work and completely uninsurable he went through his savings and eventually sold (or lost) his home, and he and his wife began living in a small motor home.   His wife worked but on one income they barely got by.  Being a veteran and now destitute he went to the VA for help, which is where I met up with him.  


I think it's safe to say that his story could be anyone in middle class America today.  You can have a good job, insurance, savings, and do all the right things, but a single catastrophic illness or accident can immediately and permanently condem you to poverty.  That's why I say something MUST be done to address problems like this.  I don't have an answer, but we must all pull our heads out of our asses the sand and face it. 


Here's an idea:  You've heard of not-for-profit hospitals?  Why not have not-for-profit insurance companies...sort of like co-ops?  They could be in the market along side traditional insurance companies just like member-owned credit unions compete with banks.  Does anything like that exist today?


S