A CNA Talks About Health Insurance
Posted by Heather on March 25th, 2009 / 
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In an article about the costs of health care, a CNA speaks up about how the facility she works for canceled insurances for it’s staff. It’s a lot more common then people think, and it will come back to bite everyone soon enough.
WASHINGTON (AP) – American workers – whose taxes pay for massive government health programs – are getting squeezed like no other group by private health insurance premiums that are rising much faster than their wages.
While just about all retirees are covered, and nearly 90 percent of children have health insurance, workers now are at significantly higher risk of being uninsured than in the 1990s, the last time lawmakers attempted a health care overhaul, according to a study to be released Tuesday.
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The problem is cost. Total premiums for employer plans have risen six to eight times faster than wages, depending on whether individual or family coverage is picked, the study found.
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For the Ramer family of Denver, Iowa, it’s already too late. Husband Jim, a truck driver for a road-building company, died of a heart attack in 2005 at the age of 59. He was uninsured and trying to cope with diabetes, a chronic disease that requires prescription drugs and follow-up medical care to keep under control.His wife, Cindy, 58, works full time caring for mentally disabled people as a certified nursing assistant. But the nursing home that employs her canceled its medical coverage several years ago because it had become too expensive. Ramer is now uninsured and hasn’t had a regular checkup in about three years. Instead, she goes to health fairs for bone-density measurements and other screening tests.
“I don’t think it’s fair that I’m caring for people and helping them with their health care, and I don’t have adequate, affordable health care of my own,” said Ramer. “I’m not asking for a handout. I’m just asking for something I can afford, and won’t have all these restrictions that they’ll cover this and won’t cover that.” Ramer says she can afford to pay about $100 to $150 a month.
It’s sad. She wants to take care of herself so she can do her part to keep health care bills lower, but because she has no insurance she cannot afford preventative care. As mentioned in the article, her taxes pay the costs of health care for others. We need to fix this problem.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:20 am
i know what you mean,i pay 200 dollars a month from ins and 1000.00 deductable.and drive 52 miles a day to get to work.
March 30th, 2009 at 10:40 am
52 MILES??? Holy crap! I commute 10 miles and complain about it.
We don’t have insurance where I work. Well we have one of those medical savings accounts, but that’s not helpful to those of us who earn 10.00 or 12.00 an hour.
Health care access needs reform. Insurance companies need to be reigned in. Costs need to be more affordable- I’m not asking for a handout either. I just want decent coverage that doesn’t bankcrupt me.