When I originally decided to write a blog I decided to make it as informative as possible for people who need the services of a personal injury lawyer. I vowed not to use it as a soap box for the issues of the day. Well, there are too many issues that are just too important to me and the clients that I represent for me to be silent any longer.

Health Insurance

Many of my clients either have no insurance or are underinsured. By underinsured I mean they have high annual deductibles of $5,000.00 or more. Even in the most mild auto accident case an emergency room visit can cost $3,000.00 to $5,000.00. For those without insurance and for those who are underinsured this could lead to a complete financial disaster. The medical bills for more serious automobile or motorcycle accidents can quickly exceed $100,000.00 in just a matter of days. Without the help of my law firm or others who specialize in personal injury law these clients would be complete ruined financially with no hope of ever getting out from underneath the weight of their medical bills.

There are those who would argue that my clients chose to be uninsured or underinsured so it’s their fault. However, the majority of my clients are middle class working families who either simply cannot afford health insurance or are stuck with insurance that is inadequate. None of my clients would choose to be uninsured if there were affordable alternatives.

My Experience

It just so happened that while the healthcare debate was occurring this summer I was purchasing a new healthcare plan for my family and all my employees. As a small business owner, I am not required to provide health insurance for my employees but I have chosen to do so because it is the right thing to do. So while the tea baggers were screaming at town hall meetings across the country I was trying to find the best health insurance for me, my family, my employees and their families.

Finding “the best” health insurance has become next to impossible. Just a few years ago my firm had great health insurance with very low deductibles and minimal co-pays and no caps on medical coverage. Every year our health insurance company would substantially increase our rates, raise our deductibles and co-pays even though none of us had any major illnesses. Today, there is practically no such thing as a low deductible and co-pays are ever increasing and there are severe caps on medical coverage. I ended up getting what some Republicans would consider a “Cadillac” insurance plan that according to them should be taxed. But in reality it is a solid plan with a moderate deductible (I wanted lower but I had no choice) and moderate co-pays. Neither my family nor my employees should be punished, as Republicans would like to do, because I want the best coverage.

The Public Option

Republicans would argue that because I had a choice of insurance companies the free market is working. Well it is not. Each year my choices diminish, prices go up and the coverage shrinks. If the free market was truly working it would be the opposite. That is why we need a public option as part of any healthcare reform. We need a real competitor to level the playing field.

The Democrats in Congress have declared that any healthcare reform must include provisions that stop insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. They also want to make it mandatory for all people to have insurance coverage. The insurance industry has agreed to these terms but have steadfastly fought against a public option. The reason for this is clear for all to see. If healthcare reform passes, the health insurance industry will see millions of additional people added to their insurance pool. It is true that they will have to insure people with pre-existing conditions but the millions of healthy people who will be added will more than off-set any costs associated with pre-existing conditions. So this equates to a net gain in the billions of dollars with no mandates on providing better coverage at more competitive prices.

That is why, in my opinion, we need a public option. A public option would keep the insurance companies honest and encourage them to out perform the public option by offering higher quality services at better prices. That is what the free market is all about and if Congress and the President pass healthcare reform without a public option it will end up being the largest corporate give away in the history of the United States with little benefit to average Americans.

Call your congressman and senator today and demand that they include a public option.