Trying to use up my "15 minutes of fame"...

This is a bit belated, but this past May, I went to Washington DC to shoot a commercial with a production company hired by FamilesUSA to highlight various families struggling with the crippling financial burden brought on by COBRA insurance after losing their jobs.

Here is the spot I am in, I bet you can figure out which one is me:



I want to make one thing PERFECTLY CLEAR. I do NOT blindly endorse the current idea of universal health care as promoted by the Democratic party in their similar commercials, nor do I blindly support the current President's ideas on the matter. I also do NOT blindly support the Republican ideas either. My goal in participating in the production of the commercial was to do something about COBRA coverage because the way it currently is and the levels of expense are simply WRONG. And it was better to use up my "fifteen minutes of fame" in this manner than make an idiot of myself on Jerry Springer or one of the dumb reality shows.

My stance and opinion is very simple. The current system is BROKEN, and COBRA coverage is beyond the financial means of most of this country's current group of "victims of the economic downturn". Let me throw some numbers at you...keep in mind, in your own state, the situation may be worse, or perhaps even better. I'll have to validate these numbers later, but in general, it goes like this....

Of the total people eligible for COBRA coverage after losing their jobs, less than 10% take advantage of COBRA coverage due to the staggering cost. In my own situation, my monthly COBRA premium was TRIPLE my monthly out-of-pocket expense when I was employed. Previous experiences mean I understand that part of my health care coverage was financed by my employer, I have BEEN an employer during my attempt at this thing called a life, but TRIPLE?!?! I remember what my employees cost me, so where did this extra expense come from? Hmmm, let me see...I'll bet it has something to do with GREED.

And I'll bet the greed is coming from the insurance companies, who, of course, want to assist you in any way possible to insure as much of your $$ makes its way into their coffers.