Thursday, December 3, 2009
When Brian Platt asked Sara Grines to marry him seven years ago, they already knew they wanted to have children.
Six years later, Henry William Platt fought his way into the world after 21 hours of labor.
“He was so beautiful,” Sara said. “It really was amazing.”
In anticipation of his arrival, the Platts set out to find their newborn the best health insurance they could afford. But after months of searching, they couldn’t find one.
Sara said the insurance companies told her they couldn’t insure a newborn because there was no medical history to base the rates on.
The Platts couldn’t add Henry to Brian’s student health insurance plan with the University — it would increase his annual rate from $915 to $4,169.
Out of desperation, the Platts added Henry to Sara’s health insurance plan through her job as school psychologist at Eudora Elementary. It cost an additional $500 a month. They had to keep Henry on the plan for two months until they could get him his own plan. Henry now has his own insurance plan with a $124 premium and a $500 deductible.
Combined, the Platts pay more than $4,000 a year in premiums.
“It’s sad that one person can’t have a job that would provide for a family,” Sara said. “It goes to show what the priorities are in our country.”
Sara said she’d like to see a public option become available after the health care reform.
Brian said he hoped to see affordable health insurance for everybody.
“I think everybody should be entitled to accessible health care,” he said. “Health care is a basic need should all be entitled to.”
— Edited by Tim Burgess
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