A Raging Debate!

One of my favorite past times is to invade liberal blogs and spew common sense. Call me silly but one of my goals in life is to stomp out stupidity. Trust me, I have my hands full, and I confront it daily. This isn't just a hobby, it's a passion, I feel it's an infection gnawing upon the bowels of society. So as a civic minded citizen, I feel it's my duty to confront and expose it. In this liberal blog a mother was hailing the advantages of having her 26 year old infant covered under the family plan. And I replied.....


I too have children of this age group. First of all, there is a misnomer printed above. Your children are already allowed on parent's coverage as long as they attend college, till age 24. So any claim of hardship while attending college are bogus. Secondly insurance is a responsibility, not a right. This responsibility costs an individual of the 19 to 26 year old in my state, $200/month, very affordable. There are no limits for preexisting conditions, but while we're addressing this issue, the majority of 19 to 26 year old applicants are extremely fit, the few with preexisting conditions are the exception, not the norm. These additions to an insurance pool is what keeps the premiums down for the older, less healthy insured.

There is no need to keep 19 to 26 year old dependents on the family plan, unless they are attending school, and that was already available. If a parent is concerned about the irresponsibility of their offspring, it's simply a matter of them purchasing their policy for them. We didn't need legislation for that.

I don't care if you work at fast food or as a bartender, healthcare premiums for the young are affordable. While they prefer to have cable @ $80/month, or a 52 inch flat screen HDTV, or an expensive stereo in their financed car instead, it may require a sacrifice. Responsible adults call it delayed gratification. That's the theory where you downgrade your lifestyle to fit your income and still handle your responsibilities. What a novel idea! Walk to work, take a bus, turn off the cable TV until such time you've earned it financially.

Sometimes you have to drill your response home, this was countered by a reply from yet another mother who found her insurance only covered her children till the age of 22 while attending school, and the premiums were $275.00/ month. She asked me unbelievingly what healthcare provider I had, and here was the reply....

My healthcare provider is Priority Health. they cover full time college students till age 24 with proof of enrollment. Even @ $275/ month, insurance is affordable, that's 12 hours a week of part time work @ min wage. Any student with 3 to 4 years of college experience should be able to qualify for that kind of position easily. It's a wonderful opportunity to teach responsibility, bill paying, and other valuable life lessons. After all at 22 they are just about done with the college experience, and ready to enter the work force. Unless of course they are opting to pursue an advanced degree, which should suggest they begin to contribute to their own needs, as Mom and Dad's responsibility to suckle them has long since expired. Being that type of crackerjack student implies a wisp of resourcefulness, which should enable them to get a higher paying part time job, diminishing the need for hours worked.

I didn't get anymore replies....

God Bless!
Capt. Bill