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**fgfblog** · 06-24-2011, 05:45 AM

My brother had throat cancer 18 months ago. Luckily, the cancer was localized, removed with surgery and the follow-up chemo and radiation treatments seem to have worked. He had health insurance through his job, but he was out of work for nearly six months and the disability insurance did not cover his bills. He had to borrow money from his retirement account, an account already devastated by the 2008 crash. He'll turn 61 next month.

When his wife divorced him ten years ago, he lost all equity in his small home. They refinanced, but now his loan in upsidedown as home values in Florida have fallen dramatically. His salary has been flat for three years and his company -- he's worked for them 27 years -- quit matching his 401k in 2009. He earns less than $35,000.

Last week he slipped in some water in his home and injured his back. He refused to go to the doctor because he hasn't met his $500 deductible and told me he could not afford it. I took him to a walk-in clinic and paid the $85.

Near tears, he told me, "I've worked all my life. This is America. If you work hard all your life, this isn't supposed to happen. This is America."

Since getting laid off a year ago, my wife and I have been paying COBRA while getting our new small business off the ground, but we're only able to afford that much with the federal subsidy that was in place at the time I got laid off. That subsidy ends in a couple of months, so we'll be going without insurance for awhile until we can pick up something through the Affordable Care Act in the next year or so. Hopefully nothing major will come up between now and then.

06-24-2011, 05:45 AM	#4
fgfblog Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 377 Senior Member	My brother had throat cancer 18 months ago. Luckily, the cancer was localized, removed with surgery and the follow-up chemo and radiation treatments seem to have worked. He had health insurance through his job, but he was out of work for nearly six months and the disability insurance did not cover his bills. He had to borrow money from his retirement account, an account already devastated by the 2008 crash. He'll turn 61 next month. When his wife divorced him ten years ago, he lost all equity in his small home. They refinanced, but now his loan in upsidedown as home values in Florida have fallen dramatically. His salary has been flat for three years and his company -- he's worked for them 27 years -- quit matching his 401k in 2009. He earns less than $35,000. Last week he slipped in some water in his home and injured his back. He refused to go to the doctor because he hasn't met his $500 deductible and told me he could not afford it. I took him to a walk-in clinic and paid the $85. Near tears, he told me, "I've worked all my life. This is America. If you work hard all your life, this isn't supposed to happen. This is America." Since getting laid off a year ago, my wife and I have been paying COBRA while getting our new small business off the ground, but we're only able to afford that much with the federal subsidy that was in place at the time I got laid off. That subsidy ends in a couple of months, so we'll be going without insurance for awhile until we can pick up something through the Affordable Care Act in the next year or so. Hopefully nothing major will come up between now and then.
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