We are Christians, consider ourselves conservative, and have been registered Republicans for 34 years. So you'd think we would be Glenn Beck's perfect "tea party" people. But we're not.
We believe there should be socialized medicine, or at least a public option for us all to choose to pay into and receive health care insurance.
We didn't always believe this. We watched Fox News faithfully and believed everything they said--until we had to research a new insurance plan for our daughter, her husband, and their four children.
You see, eight years ago, our grandson was born with a form of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. It took five months to get an MRI and finally get a diagnosis.
Then after a few years of treatment and several surgeries, the little fellow was finally declared cancer-free. He will need annual testing until he's out of his early teens.
That's when the problems with health care insurance began. The cheapest policy we could find was $1,600 a month, just for him, but it would not cover his pre-existing condition.
The rate quotes for policies that would cover the family and him for simple care as well as for his pre-existing condition came in at an average of $30,000 a year.
Soon, his dad realized he could not seek his potential and be a good capitalist; he'd have to earn less and be careful not to earn too much, so his children would have coverage via the Virginia FAMIS [Family Access to Medical Insurance Security] program.
It wasn't that he didn't want to pay for insurance, but there is no way he could risk the lives of his children. So now the taxpayers keep these beautiful children covered.
Tell Congress that we need them to vote for a public option. We are not free-loaders; we want to pay for our care. But the insurance companies have ruined our economy and have also made it impossible for many to even have coverage.
Your premiums will go down if you don't have to cover the uninsured or underinsured. Even better, you can choose to lower your premiums by half when you switch from your current policy to the public plan.
Gary and Janet Loeffler
Orange