We were once part of the middle class and what happened ...
we grew older and companies were less inclined to hire those close to retirement. That would have been OK until my spouse was diagnosed with acute leukemia, AML, that had progressed from MDS, that necessitated a bone marrow transplant, more accurately a stem cell transplant. Fortunately we had retirement saving and family support. Weathering the storm we sold our home after our son graduated high school and moved twice within a year to try and stabilize our financial condition.
We thought all was well until a few months later when we learned that my husband had relapsed and he subsequently had another allogeneic transplant. Because he was four years since years his last transplant the risks favored another transplant, we are fortunate that his relapse happened later rather than sooner. Still it places us on more uncertain grounds for the future, but that is another topic.
We are very fortunate to have insurance, although his fortune 50 company retirement benefits pay a portion of the premiums we have been left to pay the annual out of pocket maximum for the past 6 years of over 55,000.
Still we are fortunate to receive the care needed which has amounted to well into 6 figures.
We watched the Repub debate last night and could not help but laugh at Carson's figure of 12K per year, that may be fine for a twenty something, but when an significant illness hits, all bets are off.
Try making that annual out of pocket several years in a row and still see if you maintain that middle class status or if you might be moving/sinking to some other class.
Our HC system stinks, many people cannot afford access.
We lived with several people at the American Cancer Center Hope Lodge in NYC for several months who did not have access to best care. The stories we heard could break your heart, but we became friends with several people through the first transplant and then the second transplant that we will never forget and continue to see.
I really do not mean to complain, we are very fortunate! But I just want to say that even with that advantage so many people are still sinking! We are lucky, and you imagine the less fortunate who can barely pay a subway fare for treatment.
My heart breaks for those who do not have access to the proper hospitals and treatments, and in addition did not always have the necessary cab fare.
Not everyone will survive, but some just needed a fighting chance.
I began this about the middle class and access to HC, but somehow my mind strayed to those we met along the way whose outcome was less fortunate.
= new reply since forum marked as read
enjoyable part of life. That said, people with good healthcare are a lot more likely to live to enjoy it. The ultimate all men are created equal and endowed with rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness issue.
As for HC choices, I know someone whose dad refused open heart surgery because he chose to leave his wife in the home they'd lived in for decades instead of selling it to pay medical bills. I'm guessing he wasn't a real joie-de-vivre type anyway, but he was in his right mind and eventually died. A monetary decision.
Slipslidingaway, I'm glad you guys are doing okay. I'm sitting right now in a little mobile home with pretty views in Florida. We bought it so my husband could fish all winter, but my own other reason was that I don't feel secure and like knowing if that things went wrong we'd have a tiny but comfy and pleasant place to go. If all else failed, it'd be one story 
, with okay utilities and no real winter heating bills, grocery, bank and bus a block away, fishing off the back patio. Of course, medical bills are my top 5 best guesses for the kind of "thing" that could go wrong.
I'm sure it is there somewhere
Thought he said something about Medicare spending and dividing it by those who receive benefits and came up with 12K, not sure what his HC plan is, I will not vote for him.
