As we are basically best friends, I assume you know Husband and I just had a baby.
I also assume you know that I would rather be a stay-at-home-mom than work outside the home.
I've been crunching numbers for weeks, trying to find a scenario where this is possible.
Last Friday, I was pretty sure I'd found it.
By cutting things to the bone, I could stay home and raise my own child.
Until I realized that I'd forgotten something.
I hadn't added in the cost of health insurance.
After further research, I discovered that getting on Husband's insurance plan at work would cost approximately one-fifth of our income.
Yes, one-fifth.
If we actually decided to use the insurance, we would have a $30 copay and a co-insurance of 20%.
Oh, and a $750 deductible.
So, instead, I drop my baby off every day with someone else.
And I come to work.
Out of my paycheck, 40% goes to the babysitter, 25% goes to insurance, 15% goes to taxes.
That leaves me with a neat 20% to spend as my little heart desires.
Usually I do something fun and exciting with it.
Like buy food.
Or pay for electricity.
It's pretty awesome.
Barack, Husband and I are trying to be good, responsible Americans.
We pay taxes.
We're trying our very best to meet all of our financial obligations.
Neither of us has ever taken a penny of government assistance, even though we could easily find a way to work the system.
I guess the reason I'm writing is not because I want sympathy.
Lord knows there are millions of other Americans in the same pathetic position.
I'm writing because something has to be done about it.
And since you said two years ago that you were going to do something about it, I figure now would probably be a good time to make good on that promise.
I hate to tell you this, but even if universal healthcare looks good on paper, it will never work in the real world.
Please find a way to make insurance affordable.
Especially to those of us who barely ever use it but know we have to have it just in case something bad happens.
Thank you.
And word to your mother.
10 comments:
Erin, I so wish he could read this. And I wish that all American's could REALLY understand this. I understand - for see - I'm 53 yrs old - and I've seen the downslide. It was not this way when I was your age - WHY is it this way today for your generation? Is it because of my generation? If so - I'm sorry. Shame on my generation!
Do you think us 50 - 60 yr olds could have paid the high house payments - or rent, car payments, utilities, HEALTH CARE, GAS, grocery cost, etc., etc., etc. that your generation pays? HELL NO!!! Excuse the curse word - but "hell" must come before the "no" in that written statement of mine.
And what drives me nuts - is when ANYONE from my generation says, "The salaries have changed." OH MY GOODNESS - that's a line of BULL!!!! They have not changed that much!!! What has changed is the GREED!!! :( For sure a reason to frown.
But ... look up always. I'm trying to. :) My reason to smile!
I voted already. Hope everybody else will,too. It is time for us to stand up as Americans and fight for what the Great Americans did in so many wars. Mr. Obama is ruining this country and his promise of hope and change has gone in the garbage. Well, he has made some changes but they can go in the garbage too.
As for our generation. When we arrived home from Okinawa and Eric's time was done in the Army, we found out we were pregnant with Kim. After serving his country for three years, do you think we could get help from the government? Absolutely not. We had to sell every US Savings Bond that we had taken out of his pitiful salary. So much for trying to save for the future.
We could get insurance when Eric got a new job, but because I was already pregnant they would not cover the bill for us. Every penny came from our pocket.
As for salaries--In 1974, in New York, Eric made $800 a month. Take out taxes, insurance, small car note, rent that was $390 a month and what do you have left over? Not much. I stayed at home and we just did without. I remember our first Christmas in the states. My father was standing at the front door with a live Christmas tree because we couldn't afford it. Relatives bought clothes and shoes for our 2 children. My dad picked me up every Monday. And, with two children in tow he drove us to my parents' house so I could use their washing machine and dryer.
I agree with Thearesa. The problem nowadays is not the salaries, not the normal expenses for a family. People don't want to do without what their neighbors and friends have. Yes, it is greed. Do we have HDTV? No. We follow the old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". We keep our old TVs and when they go, we will get a new one.
So, do as the prophets have said, "wear it out, or do without".
Sorry, I guess I spoke my true feelings. I hope that is OK.
Barak Obama will not help. He and his progressive friends are the problem. I feel they work for the devil. They are following his plan just as it was presented in the pre-existence. They want us to be dependent on them so they have control of us. They want to force charity on us (taxes, taxes, taxes) as they use our money for what they think is good. Just like Satan wanted to control us and force us back home. It's really nothing new. It is all part of the eternal war.
Dear Erin. I have only one thing to say.
True dat! You were exactly right.
YIKES to some of those comments above! Its EASY to play the blame game! The only reason I'm able stay home is some help here and there from the 'Rents and a drastic lifestyle change= small, cramped home, super old & well-mileaged cars, nonexistent dining out, and lots of homemade you-name-it ex. adding ruffles to the end of pants so my girl isn't wearing highwaters. baking and making for gifts, etc. We constantly penny-pinch and eek by. If you ask me whether its worth it, I'd say YES in a heartbeat.
SOOO true......we have no copay but we have a $1500 deductible......hoping we never make it to 1500 yet paying it is killing us......double edge sword for sure......
Wow to all the above comments. I agree but disagree also. I stay at home, and have from the start. I knew that paying for a babysitter would take most of my paycheck if not all. I have three small kids, I babysit two little girls to bring in more money, I sell my old stuff I don't use anymore, I do what I can to survive. We pay more than $350 for insurance a month, we have a $25 copay and a $1,000 deductible EACH. And my husband just told me the other day that insurance is going up this year. REALLY?? Damn people!! Insurance SUCKS but we have to have it. I think more people are going through what you guys are then you know. I know a lot of wealthy people that have to pay a butt load for insurance and they complain about it daily. I just try not to think about it because then I get mad and hate the government, the insurance giants and everyone else involved in it all. Good luck you will find what is best for you and your little family.
I'm kind of appalled by the above comments. The health insurance costs aren't Obama's fault. Anyone saying so apparently has a HIGHLY selective memory. Health insurance premiums are the fault of a poorly run industry, another industry that is not regulated and decades of the government turning a blind eye to the destructive practices at play- including running medicare and medicaid without necessary and critical oversight to keep it in budget.
Rates have been increasing by astronomical proportions for the past 15 years! The most recent hike isn't Obama's fault but the greed and corruption that is rampant in the health care providers pocket. Why in the world are insurance companies allowed to be publicly traded? So they answer first to stockholders pocket books? Seriously- why isn't anyone asking the real questions but instead blaming Obama? He tried to get a good health care bill- he's a pretty smart guy. If you want to point fingers look at Congress! When the Republican's didn't bring anything to the board, the democrats did what they wanted. But I am not blaming the democrats for this- the republican's dropped the ball. Why weren't they doing their job? Why the same talking points and hyperbole and lies about what was in the bill that wasn't actually there? I wanted a bi-partisan bill that reined in the health insurance industry, providing ways for small businesses like mine to pool with other small businesses to get access to decent coverage. I would have given over my first born child to buy the same coverage that federal employees can buy.
I WANT to pay for health insurance. I just don't think I should have to pay $700/month (more than my mortgage) in premiums for an HSA plan with a $2500/$3000 deductible! That's $11,400 per year if I have to use every bit of coverage I have and completely out of pocket. That is how much I am paying to have my baby.
I know my monthly premium will be going up to $850 after we add the kiddo in February. But hey, those insurance company stockholders are making bank.
Keep the discourse sane you guys. There are real problems in America and there are real solutions. This partisan stuff just muddles the arena so when we think government doesn't get anything done- we are soooo right. Its because we don't do our research and we allow it to happen. The republican line doesn't actually work (remember we went from a balanced budget to the mess we are in now under Bush, that's fact.) And neither does the democrats line (we need to reign in spending but this anti-tax movement is kind of crazy since our federal taxes haven't been raised and really who wants to cut healthcare to the poor and old? Seriously?)
Becky - I happen to agree with you. Apparently that didn't come across in the way I wrote this letter.
I, for one, really, really don't mind paying for health insurance. But, like you said, even with my husband's company paying half the premiums, our insurance premiums are $600/month - only slightly less than our rent. Something is wrong there.
Rather than universal health care, I am for regulations and price caps for the health insurance industry as well. As president, Barack Obama can get that accomplished - if everyone would get together and stop politicking!!
I don't count myself as republican or democrat. I count myself as an American who honestly does want what's best and fair.
Sigh.
I didn't mean to start a political discussion. In fact, the little bit of contention this has caused has given me a stomach ache.
I'm just trying to create a scenario where I can afford to stay home with my baby without having to go into debt to do it. Health insurance premiums are one of the only areas where I have no control over how much we have to spend and because of health care costs, it's one thing I can't afford to cut off the budget.
Rondi, I really enjoyed your comments about the way you guys lived at the beginning. I can come up with an insatiable wish list for myself, so when I am reminded of all that I have been blessed with, it puts things in perspective. Thanks!
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