Back to School Means a New Insurance Year

Along with new resolutions I'm reminded that it's time for our family to pick new insurance. If you are lucky enough to have great, and affordable, insurance through your employer - count yourself very fortunate. Remember, too, that no one wants to take that away from you. I've had great insurance through previous employers and I'd love to have it back.

But currently, while I'm home with the girls, dh is working for a small, private school that doesn't have very many full-time employees. The insurance that they offer for our family of 4 would cost us half of dh's take-home salary per month. This is almost as much as our mortgage! Seriously!

So, last year we went out on our own and got insurance but we hit an unexpected snag. The girls and I are covered together but dh had to get his own plan because we didn't realize, until after we'd accepted our plan, that because it was the same company as we'd had before they wouldn't bid against themself in insuring dh. So he wasn't covered for several months until we figured this out - while standing at the pharmacy trying to fill a very costly prescription.

Still, we have insurance that covers the basics and the high-end stuff but nothing in between. I don't get dental or vision or even my prescriptions covered. Luckily we've only needed to go to the doctor for 'routine maintenance' and that is all covered. I've had to make do with less frequent trips to the dentist for myself but I have excellent dental health and it hasn't made an impact yet. However, now that Comfort, and soon Joy, will need biannual check ups I'll need to budget those trips in, too.

All this to say that think what you will about things that politicians say to one another from stump speeches and the floor of Congress, but this is the second time in my life that I've had little or no health insurance and I'm not even 40 years old.

The first time was when I was just out of college and not yet employeed full-time. Dh was in grad-school and he had insurance through the school for $25/ year. To add me to his policy would have cost us more than we paid in rent each month. Why? Because I was considered fertile and an insurance risk. Women of childbearing age are expensive to insure. As women, and many of us 'Moms', I think it's important to remember that everyone deserves access to adequate health care. Don't let this issue fly over your head or ping around you like a tennis match. We've all seen the what the economy has done this past year and know 'that for the grace of God...' - so make sure that you put your two cents in when you can and help out everyone. Even those who don't have a voice.