Greedy insurers

Recently, I unexpectedly lost my group health insurance one year shy of qualifying for Medicare. I wasn't too concerned because I knew I could afford private health insurance as long as the policy carried a high deductible. That way, even though I would have to pay out of pocket for smaller health costs, I would be protected should a major illness or injury strike.

My husband is self-employed and depends on my coverage, so we both applied to a well-known insurance company that runs television ads featuring heartwarming stories about families they insure.

Because I had once complained to a doctor of low back pain, the company deemed me uninsurable, even after I presented the tests the doctor ran that showed there was no problem.

The company agreed to insure my husband but, because he takes cholesterol-lowering medication, it would charge him an extra 35 percent on the premium, even though at a $7,500 deductible it would never pay a dime toward that medication.

People who support the Affordable Care Act don't do it because they want the government to pay for their insurance. We are willing to pay our share. We just want a fair shake from insurance companies.

Mary Lehman

Cottonwood Heights