To summarize, the article is saying workers are increasingly priced out
of the health insurance
"market" . 61% of private sector workers earning less than $15 /hr
chose NOT TO ENROLL in their
employers health insurance plan in 2005, according to federal labor
statistics. The latest case
in point is Twin Cities janitors whose household premiums amount to
$500/month (national
benchmark average is $226 for 2005). This is further direct evidence of
an unsustainable health
care "system".

As a result, Minnesota's HMOs and some of the "insurers" you see on TV
such as Aflac and Esurance
offering stripped-down insurance or not even insurance; "mini-medical"
plans, "limited benefit" scavenging
for bits and pieces of what was once comprehensive coverage for many.
Aflac only pays $200 to $300 per day for
a hospital visit (per their website), yet the mean CHARGE per stay is
currently about $18,000. HMOs are now going
after young healthy adults age 18-30 for $67-$100 per month, excluding
maternity coverage because childbirth is
number one of the top 10 principal diagnoses in U.S.hospitals. 18-30 yr
olds are seldom hospitalized for coronary
atherosclerosis, pneumonia, congestive heart failure, chest pain, MI,
cardiac dysrhythmias and others in the top ten,
except number 10, depression and bipolar disorder. The latter two are
considered pre-existing conditions
for which coverage is routinely denied.

This is why we must continue to organize for one big common pool. A
good first step would be forming or enlarging,
not dismantling, health insurance pools, including our own grassroots
pool.

joel

Joel Albers
Minnesota Universal Health Care Action Network
612-384-0973
joel@uhcan-mn. org
www.uhcan-mn. org
Health Care Economics Researcher, Clinical Pharmacist