Comments about ‘Laid-off Utahns could lose coverage’

So, Utah can expect another 325,000 people without health insurance.

That actually coincides with the additional cost, estimated at over 110% in premiums that the health insurance industry predicted will go up in the next 10yrs.

Notice, I didn't say that 110% increase was not predicted by the goverment. That was the health insurance industry.

Before any reform.

What a story! What an eye opener! Now lets get a public option (peopl's option) on the health care systime. The money is needed more for health care than for the Bush Wars in Afganistan or Irack!

Do we as followers of Jesus Christ care a bout the poor, the sick or aflicted? Not in Utah. I'll bet I cannot get one person in Utah to respond and say that we need health care for everyone.

We are very strongly against abortion and rightly so. But after they are born we don't care if they starve to death or die of some illness or killed in a stupid, unwinable war.

How sad. Money, Money, Money for wars and death but none to give life to the poor, the sick and the children.

Please prove me wrong. Lets have an uprising and help pass the public option in the Health Care Bill!

The simple fact is we need unskilled also semi skilled laborers in our economy. These people matter too, and they have families.

As neat as the free market is, it is failing here. These people typically don't get insurance in their jobs.

Just as society benefits by educating all children regardless of their parents ability to pay, ... what is wrong with ensuring that all workers and their families get decent health insurance?

This will give us all peace of mind. Even though I have a good job now and can take care of my family, I am not certain I will a year from now, things can change.

If we were a poor country, I could more appreciate the arguments that we just can't afford this, but as it is, I don't.

Lets make the sacrifice so all of us, not just those lucky enough to have a good job, can at least get care when they get sick, without the prospect of lifetime debt or bankrupsy, or worse, not getting the care they need.

The reason most people do not take advantage of this program is that it is just too expensive, especially if you have just lost your job for whatever reason. This was mentioned in the article. I have been offered COBRA with a few of the jobs I've had, but have been laid off due to reduction in force. Obviously, since I had even less money, it was impossible to pay for the premiums. I am not in favor of the currently proposed "fix" of our insurance and medical situation, but something definitely needs to be done to make insurance more affordable for the average wage earner.

COBRA is indeed too expensive for most people out of work or between jobs. The article, though, points out that the temporary subsidy that reduces COBRA costs made them more affordable.

Health insurance is evil. The system either needs to be completely socialized or become direct patient to doctor pay (with subsidies for the poor). Health insurance needs to die, but Washington has been completely bought off by the industry, so it won't happen. We get timid measures from the left and paranoid rants about socialism from the right.

This article isn't accurate. It says COBRA would go away under health care reform.

Not true. In fact, COBRA might even be expanded. The House health care reform proposal, H.R. 3962, would allow people to keep their COBRA plans until 2013 or 2014 until they can purchase insurance through the "Exchange" or until they get a new job offering coverage. COBRA is generally limited to 18 months currently.

The COBRA provisions would be helpful to those with an illness or expensive medical bills with higher costs than the expensive COBRA premiums.

Thank God my wife is Japanese and we can return to Japan and participate in that country's market-based, reasonably priced, single payer healthcare system as I have a pre-existing condition and can't get coverage on my own. My heart goes out to others who do not have the option I have.

I have studied the Japanese health care system and it is really good. It should appeal to both sides of the isle. The only people that don't seem to love it are Dr.s becuase they can't get rich there - but they make a good living and they do have excelent Dr's.

We have to fix it somehow but we should have insisted on campain finance reform first because the insurance companies are buying a sweet deal for themselves.

I used to live in Utah and am currently living and working in France. Having a republican bias it was enlightening to find that people here care about each others welfare and that every child has health care. People are not dying on the streets with European healthcare in fact the French live modest rewarding lives, enjoy spending cultivating relationships and love their children. I spend less time worrying how much a treatment is going to cost and whether I can afford it and more time living and enjoying life. I have heard so many negative comments about European healthcare but the bottom line is people are being looked after, yes taxation is higher and its a price I am prepared to pay. Not every parent can be trusted to make the decision between a plasma TV or healthcare insurance for the family I am sorry but thats the reality.

Time NOW for Healthcare Change

THE PUBLIC OPTION will be what gets us out of this mess.

We can then change our politicians if they do not take care of it.

The Private Health Industry is corrupt and we have no power over changing their board members who remove benefits and deny coverage to insurance payers.

A public Healthcare option would give the Family a Choice to be Happy and live whether rich or poor!

Who says we have to have insurance? If we closed all insurance companies as fraudulent and no one had insurance what do you think would happen to health care costs?

It would force health care costs to spiral down to where an individual could afford to go see a doctor at a reasonable fee.

There are 3 reasons health care is expensive. First is those needing health care who never even bother to question the costs. Second is the third part insurance companies. And third is the industry who is profiteering off the sick with outrageous costs, over billing, and fraudulent charges.

The first responsibility of good health care are the people themselves. If costs have escalated it is their own fault because individuals and government let it happen.

This corruption in the medical system and individuals fears and intimidation are the reason we can no longer afford health care.

When will we learn. We complain about the broken system, then attack any proposal to fix it. The GOP cares nothing for the people.