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When Mr B & I marry*, I lose my current health insurance.

Since the Ex and I were married for more than 20 years while he was active duty military, I got to keep my military health insurance when we split. It's run by the government, and sure, it has its weak points (what insurance plan doesn't?) but did I mention it's insanely cheap? Like (I'm almost embarrassed to admit) less than $500/year, including prescriptions?

I know!

I've had this health plan for nearly thirty years. Hell, I've had the same primary care physician for over ten years, which is practically unheard of in military medicine. And I'm giving it all up for Mr. B.

What we do for love, huh?

So for the first time ever I am faced with the task of choosing a health care plan. Yes, I realize that I am lucky to even have a choice. Today I decided to wade in and see if I could make some sense of the plans and premiums.

OMFG.

Let me just say, I am so sorry. I had no idea how much health insurance actually costs. I've been living in my little idyllic government-managed health care bubble for a long time, but now I get what all the fuss is about. According to my co-workers, in the three years since I started this job, premiums have gone up 37% while the coverage has steadily been whittled away. And we have a VERY generous employer who believes it's important to make sure their employees have good coverage at an affordable price. I know many people who aren't that lucky by half.

I'm not nearly informed enough in the particulars of the current political foofarah to go on a rant about why we need health care reform, especially from my privileged point of view, but the anecdotal evidence I've heard from people who can't afford (or can't even get) coverage, or those who have had certain treatments denied by health insurance companies lead me to believe that it may indeed be time for something to change.

But people seem to really hate change, don't they? Even when the current state of affairs is pretty much unsustainable.

I just don't know, folks. Sometimes I wonder how we're ever going to get anywhere.

And that's as close to a rant as I'm gonna get.

* 82 days, 23 hours, 39 minutes, 31 seconds, give or take, not that I'm counting.