Wednesday, February 17, 2010

iPhone Wednesday #3 - TL(h)C

I took this with my iPhone at the Toluca Lake Health Center. It's a nice facility. I go there instead of someplace in Pasadena because my coverage is through my unions, SAG and AFTRA. It's good coverage. I wouldn't mind paying less for it but it's reasonable as health insurance goes. And I'm one of the lucky ones, just being eligible to buy it in the first place.

My husband isn't so lucky. He's with a certain California insurance company that's attempting to raise his rate almost 30%. We got the notice from them about two days before we read about it in the New York Times.

Do we need changes in our health care system? Don't get me started.

15 comments:

Pascal Jim said...

A very small office??

Tash said...

very cool photo. you use your iPhone so well!
I've got really great health insurance - as long as I stay with the same company 'til MediCare kicks in.

Anonymous said...

Clever photo. So I'm assuming you can't get J on your policy? Blue Cross couldn't have given health care reform a better shot in the arm. The arrogance!

Virginia said...

Ever notice that the folks that are hysterical over the idea of health care reform are the privileged ones that have excellent insurance......and a job.......for now?

This is a Teeeriffic shot today P. I wish I'd taken it.
V

Petrea Burchard said...

Ha ha, Jim, just a small window.

I know, Tash. You're a prisoner of your job. I don't have a contract with my current client. If I lose them I'm screwed.

Hiker, I could pay to put J on the policy but since he's not a union member the cost is astronomical.

Yes, V, that has sort of come to my attention. Either them, or the poor fools who watch and believe Faux News.

Bellis said...

We Brits are so baffled by all the protests against having a federal healthcare system. The peace of mind of not having to worry about getting ill is priceless, and I don't feel that UK doctors are sending us for unnecessary tests all the time just because the insurance plan pays for it. We can also join private healthcare schemes to jump ahead of the waiting lists. Many companies offer it as a recruitment incentive.

WV fackfug - my message to Anthem for proposing that outrageous rate hike.

Petrea Burchard said...

One more reason to be an Anglophile, Bellis.

Vanda said...

I'm a firm supporter of iPhotography.

I used to have pretty good insurance, have Cobra now. Don't get me started...

Trish said...

we had great coverage with the last job the spousal unit had---the one who hasn't worked in over a year. COBRA is ridiculous, but it is paying for most things---including my $10k+ run thru the ER a few weeks ago with food poisoning, of which my portion is +/- $400. But when COBRA runs out, we're screwed. I'm uninsurable in the "free market". HIPAA is a joke---they have to cover you, but they also "get" to charge you and not cover much.

I posted to FB about the crisis and 2 friends who are married to one another & both have stable jobs and one small child BOTH ripped into me about how "they" don't want to pay to cover slackers, and how "we" don't need universal care. We got into a huuuge argument offline about how nice it is for them to say that, when they have no worries about employment and no major health issues. But---what if one of them or the kid got cancer and/or laid off? Still didn't get it...of course, when our congregation had a poverty simulation a few weeks ago---these two were no where to be found...hmnnn.

I'd be happy if the money we are wasting for congress-folk to get unlimited healthcare and to debate were spent on covering people, ala the UK, with the option to buy into private care as they do. So much less stress would exist were we to take that off the table of worries...oh wait, the drug companies might not like that---then we wouldn't need the sleep aids, the anti-depressants....

sigh.

Bellis---LOVE the WV...mine was militia...humnnn

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Lovely image throught the Saint Gobain glass tile.

In Italy we have free healthcare. It's not perfect, but it's free, for everyone.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

I'm Blue Cross and have crossed into the more expensive age bracket/racket. We had to wait for Mr V to get old enough to get coverage. Before that it was county, trading art and compassionate MD friends who gave him breaks.

Cafe Observer said...

Too bad you can't get your husband on your plan. I guess that's a way your plan saves costs.

Insur companies and others raising their rates/prices, government raising their tax rates/fees, others asking harder for donations. Even the homeless now say, "can you spare a dollar?, instead of "can you spare same change!""

What is the answer?

Ms M said...

Love the pic!
I fortunately have good health ins through my work. My husband pays for an independent policy that has a huge deductible. If he were to go on my work policy, it would take almost half of my take-home pay to pay the premium. I'm all for health care reform; people shouldn't have to go bankrupt because of having a serious illness or injury. I wish we had a health care system similar to the UK...

Petrea Burchard said...

Trish, I have just one thing to say: there's no such thing as a "stable job."

Ming the Merciless said...

We definitely do! We need major overhaul on the entire health care insurance thing.