When I look at those numbers, many questions are flooding in my mind. Is it health insurance in reality important? During the recession, more and more employees struggle for their lives. In order to save their mloney for other life expenses, they chose to drop out from the health insurance.

Of course, there is no obligation to have a health insurance, but without it, I am sure you will transform vulnerable. Also you will live under the fears because you regularly worry that you may get hurt or sick. I used to have California Government aided Medi-Cal health insurance, but I was forced to drop out about three time ago for ununderstandn reasons. Then I lived without any health insurance for almost three years, I was just thinking that if I take care myself better, and bog down any sickness, I dont need any health insurance. But an unplanned incident happened last year has completely changed my thoughts.

On September 19, 2008, at around 11:30 am, I got out from the San Francisco Shopping Center after I perused at something I wished to buy in there, at the moment I stepped out to the sidewalk adjacent to the shopping center, my atrocious experience began. A wild white male approached from anywhere near Powell Street BART Station Exit to me, he looks like a homeless person, and then the crazy man yelled at me. I didnt also understand what he yelled. That crazy man then punched my glasses with his closed fist, and he punched me so hardly, my glasses broke immediately and fell on the street. Not only were my glasses broken, but also my left eye just above the eyelid was cut by the broken glasses, and bled… You may know that the San Francisco Shopping Center and the surrounding areas are one of tourists hot spots in the city, so lots of people, residents and tourists witnessed the incident. Many wonderful walk-by people, security guards from the shopping center, and street merchant gave me some chief treatment on my mar and helped me to call an ambulance. A Mandarin speaking street merchant gave me her chair to rest, and then a security guard from the shopping center gave me a bag of ice to heal my wound. All of them were trying to make me consider better; what I could do at that time is keep calm, dont be panic. A few minutes later, check and ambulance arrived, a police officer asked me some questions about the incident, and then I was sent to the Chinese Hospital for further treatment, about half an hour later, I was let loose from the hospital.

About two weeks after the incident, the hospital sent me a medical bill for about 300 dollars, as I didnt have any health insurance. I really could not come up with the money for for that medical bill, so I tried to call the hospital to see if I could be exempted. That medical bill was really incredible! I still remembered my treatment that day was only a adolescent amount of ointment, and that cost me 300 dollars! Is the hospitals ointment made with gold? Anyway, I called the hospital, I tried to explain the difficulties to pay the bill, but the woman who answered the phone thought I wont pay the bill, and said: “You have to pay the bill no matter what!” Oh my god! I didnt point out not paying it, but I just asked about any available alternatives to pay, like installments. frankly, I didnt want to owe your hospital anything, if I could afford, I would rather pay you immediately!

My proper friend pay the medical bill for me about weeks after I called the hospital. That was such a horrible experience; I also learned that I cant live without health insurance after the incident, health insurance is specifically important for everyone live in the U.S., especially for many unexpected occasions. I settled to sign up for an affordable health insurance plan about two months ago and my policy was taking effect a few days ago.

Even though I am not sure that I will be assaulted again in the future, I should feel much better and not living in fears as I have health insurance.

Are you still thinking health insurance is unnecessary?

* Press Release on April 1, 2009, “As Congress debates health care reform proposals in President Obamas financial statement, new report documents the impact on health coverage of NOT implementing health-care reform”, UC Berkeley Labor Center. You can download the full report here.