Health Insurance and Career Choice

A major factor in making many career decisions is health care, such as obtaining or keeping health insurance. It plays out in many ways. Like me, you have probably heard comments like these:

“I would really like to start my own business, but I can’t afford to lose the health insurance I now get through my employer. Buying it on my own is just too expensive.”

“I made a mistake going into accounting, but I’m afraid to go back to school to become a counselor because my wife can’t get health insurance where she works.”

“I know I need to get this hernia repaired, but we have no health insurance. We can hardly afford the operation. And what will happen if I stop working as a carpenter, while this is going on?”

Is affordable universal health care coverage possible in the U.S.?

A report this week on National Public Radio gives me hope. “Most Patients Happy with German Health Care” describes one of the world’s best health care systems. And it does not fit the negative stereotypes often associated with systems like this -- high taxes, socialized medicine, rationed care, etc.

Yes, we can have universal health care. We don’t have to sacrifice job satisfaction and success -- our dreams -- out of fear . . . . Let’s work hard to ensure that this November we elect people that will make this possible!