99ers and The Long-term Unemployed, The Elephants in the Economic Recovery Room

Good job Ellen! Thanks for putting yourself out there!!

The part about ignoring the elephant is so true. I would think that most of us don't have insurance any longer. When the exchanges come into play, how are most of us going to pay the premiums? I don't know how they can just keep putting off these issues, it's only going to get worse without getting us back to work.

Sad, but how true! When my Cobra ran out A YEAR AGO, I had to wait the six months uninsured to apply for "Healthy Indiana Plan" (HIP - get it?) and be uninsurable by private companies (I more than qualify...) After another 90 days, I got response IN not taking anyone without dependents under 18!! So, I'm 'with you' Ellen on all counts! We are, and always have been imho, in God's hands.

I never had the opportunity for the COBRA subsidy because I was laid off prior to that piece of legislation. By the time the benefits administration consultants that handled the organizations COBRA contacted me, I would have had to pay over $1,000. The single plan was $525 a month and I could not afford it. Of course the agency I had worked for had no problem with cutting my benefits the first of the month after I lost my job.

I had been seeing a cardiologist and undergoing tests to find the cause of severe hypertension at the time and had a kidney cat scan for suspected renal artery stenosis two days before my benefits expired. I never got the results because the specialist was too expensive and treatment would have been impossible. I didn't want a pre-existing condition diagnosed while I had no coverage.

Of course today, now that my feet and ankles have swollen to the point they look distorted over the past few months, I pretty much can guess what the outcome of that cat scan was.

Like Dr. Rand Paul said, affordable health care makes doctors and other medical professionals "slaves".

Im sorry to hear that Ellen and Desperate. It seems so unconstitutional to me for healthcare not to be free. Health is life and without healthcare how can one truely be a benefit to themsleves and their fellow man. I hate how money has seemed to corupt even the simplest of mechanics that we have going for us as humans.....being humanitarian. Anyway thanks Ellen for Stepping up, Desperate for sharing and Suri for sharing.

I, like Desp was laid off before the Cobra. Through my company, the plan would have been around $500 as well. I am lucky, in NJ I do qualify for Medicaid Part G, but it is Dr. only, no prescriptions, diagnostics, specialists or hospitalizations. But every little thing helps.

These are the stories I want to copy and print and send to the white house every day until they help us.

No health insurance w/ any medicaid for many of us, including me, is what it is, and just deal with it since initially out of work back in summer of '07. Sad but true, and instead of livin in some subsidized 'slum' government housing, which is near impossible to even get due to waiting list and other loops etc...., 2/3rd's of my monthly UI goes toward monthly rent, plus do not qualify for any type of school grants due to current educational credentials. If I could go back to school and/or even pay 30% of my monthly income for rent that would be an ASSISTANCE, however nobody cares about 99ers that are in this category, yes thousands across each state, but nobody has yet to listen to us enough over past year.

Without affordable health care many millions of individuals are not receiving medical treatment which will be life threatening and millions of doctors and medical establishments will be bankrupt!! This is just so FUBAR!! (F'd Up Beyond All Recognition!!)

My guess is it's the corporate way to deal with the baby boomers/to-be. Just 'trim' the roles of those at the prime of their careers, income, and benefits plus too costly on health insurance?? This is what my DH experienced and what we see continuing in our area. Local hospital 1,900 emp LAST WEEK CUT 112 JOBS due to too many uninsured!! These are terminations, no call back EVER! Turns out it was mostly head nurses and dept heads with highest pay & benefits = individuals all over 20 yr emp (like my DH). How tidy and convenient with not an iota of moral responsibility??

I HATE hearing how healthcare is so good and SAFE?? Our other large hospital one city over did the same last year but their cover was "they were creating jobs by constructing a new cancer center" with 20 short term construction jobs?? Are you serious??

This scar on the morals of our nation is getting longer and deeper... I am lost in despair and must regroup.