Open Enrollment and the Plight of the Domestic Partner

Well, the federal government has done it again. This year for benefits enrollment, I'm basically left with only one choice. Oh, don't get me wrong, my employer is offering two options for health coverage, but there is really only one option that is viable for us.

The two options, in a nutshell: First, what is called a high deductible plan with an attached health savings account. It sounds really good. The premium is half the cost of the other plan, but the deductible is much higher. The good part of this plan is the health savings account. You contribute to the account with tax free dollars just like a flexible spending plan, only if you don't use it all at the end of the year, you can roll it over into next year. You use the money in the account to cover medical expenses until you meet your deductible. The other plan has a very low deductible, $1,200 compared to $6,000 in the other plan. But there is no savings plan and the premiums are twice as much.

Which plan to take was a no brainer. I'd go with the high deductible plan with the savings account. Then I would deposit the difference between premiums into the savings account to pay for all those out of pocket costs. But then the light bulb went off. It wouldn't work for us. See, if you're covering a domestic partner on your health plan, the premiums for them are after tax. The health savings plan is before tax. The IRS doesn't let you use the money in the health savings plan for medical expenses incurred by your partner. So, if something were to happen to my partner, we wouldn't be able to use the money we had been putting aside. So now, I have only one choice - the high premium, low deductible plan.

When will the law of the land finally catch up with the new landscape that is the American family? Will I ever go into health enrollment and not have to consider the tax consequences of every decision I make? Will there be a time when I can look at my options without asking, "Does this apply to me"? I should be able to cover my family the same way that everyone else does. Where are you, President Obama? Where are the promises you made? I'm tired - and I'm not the only one.

Health Insurance Reform, Not Health Care Reform

There are lots of things in the Health Insurance Reform bill that Republicans and Democrats disagree on. Many Americans are dismayed just by the size of the bill itself. The enormity of the bill almost ensures that many have no idea what is really in it. Because the Democrats began this journey into fixing a broken Health Insurance system, they have a responsibility to let the American public know what is in the bill. One of the ironies of this bill is that while lots of people are against the bill as a whole, if they are asked questions about individual aspects of the bill, they are for them. That's an issue of education - of not knowing what is in the bill itself.

Most think that excluding a person from health insurance coverage due to a pre-existing condition is wrong. The current bill would correct that and prevent health insurance companies from discriminating because of pre-existing conditions. Health insurance portability is another hot button. Why can't I buy health insurance from a company in Nevada if what they offer fits my need better than the insurance offered in my own state? That's another issue that would be corrected. These are just two examples of items that on their own merit, most Americans can agree on, but when lumped into a huge all-encompassing bill, there is less agreement.

I do have to say, though, that as a liberal I am troubled by the general lack of support for a public option. I know that conservatives generally oppose any expansion of government, but if the insurance premiums deducted from paychecks start going to a government run public health care system instead of to a corporate, profit-driven insurance company, why should the average American care? The change would make it possible for every person in the country to have access to medical care. I find this possibility exciting. It's important to me that people be able to see a doctor when they need to and have access to preventative medical care which would help lower medical costs for the poor. This is much more important to me that the continuation of our current system that serves mostly to grow the coffers of public health insurance companies.

From my viewpoint, changing our current health insurance system would have no effect on the health care system. It would change who has access to health care, but not on the quality of health care itself. Our leaders need to find a way to get this message out so that the average person can understand. If an informed electorate is still opposed to the changes, then so be it. But I can't accept uninformed dissent.

We Really Need Omega-3

MSNBC has a really good article on a supplement we all need but don't get enough of.  It seems that before we started factory raising our beef and poultry, omega-3's were abundant in more of our food supply.  The grass consumed by beef and free range chickens causes their proteins to be rich in omega-3.  And the salmon we all eat to get that wonderful oil?  Seems the farm raised variety is being fed grain rather than some form of their natural food sources, causing them to be less rich in omega-3.  The really interesting part is that omega-3 is good not only for the heart and cardiovascular system, but for the brain as well.  And they seem to be pointing to the omega-3 oil as a way to stave off depression, fatigue, and whole range of illnesses.  Read the article for yourself.  But I think I'm about to start looking for grain fed beef, free range poultry, and more fish. The article is titled, Want to live longer?