This letter is in response to a letter written by Jeff Bridge regarding health care premiums.
Jeff stated that he was paying $1,139 a year for a policy with a $2,000 deductible. I don't know Jeff's financial situation or age, but I would be very happy to have a policy that was that reasonable.
My wife and I are both 57 and covered by a policy where she works. She has nearly $6,000 deducted from her paycheck each year for her and I both with a $6,000 each deductible. Any pay increase she has received over the past 10 years has been gobbled up by increased health insurance premiums, and we were told that if she would decide to retire before 65 that those premiums could increase to $15,000 per year.
Health care in this country is far too expensive and that is because it is an industry that is more concerned about profits than caring for those that are suffering. It has recently been stated that one-fifth of our personal income is spent on health care and that will increase to one-third in the near future. It will be almost impossible to change this pattern so our only recourse is to try our best to stay healthy.
Our representatives in Washington and Indianapolis are to blame for allowing the health care industry and all other industries affiliated with it to become so powerful and prosper. And now they may allow that same thing to happen with our education system and other services that we currently depend upon.
Our governor spoke a few weeks ago in Ohio with his arm in a sling from shoulder surgery. In that speech he called my teacher wife an "elitist". I can't stop wondering what his health insurance premium and deductible are and who is footing that bill.
