It may be easier to convince people now than during the Clinton administration. Most of us are, know, or are related to someone who has lost his job and insurance by now. The attitude of "I got mine, to hell with everybody else" is not so easy to hold onto if you or one of your children becomes "everybody else." We would all be better off if we were on Medicare and paid the premiums ourselves. At least, Medicare doesn't waste the money private insurance does by hiring people to find "reasons" to deny claims.

I enjoyed your article on the already insured. I have another angle that needs to be looked into. What about insurance companies that raise the premiums when the person gets a serious illness. I have cancer, the insurance company that I've had for years raised my premim 38% this year. My husband and I own our own small business. We are in a group insurance program. So when my premium went up, his went up the same amount. He has never put in a claim to this insurance co. I feel they are trying to get rid of us, and they said I would never get any other insurance company to insure me. What are we to do? I am 61 and he is 64, If he goes to Medicare, I lose my insurance.

Re: Diane Nelson You have my sympathy, Diane. I faced a similar problem before the health insurance portability act was passed (Clinton administration). I wanted to change jobs, but because of a "preexisting condition" I would have had to COBRA my insurance from my old job for twelve months. I was not able to change jobs because I couldn't afford the premiums. Generally speaking, I have the same view of corportations as Andrew Jackson: You can't kill a corporation because it has no heart and you can't damn it to Hell because it has no soul. Young, healthy people really need to pay close attention to their health insurance.