We need to take care of the Unemployed in Healthcare Bill

Hello folks,

One significant group of people fall through cracks and have an extremely hard time, regarding health care.

Due to our current financial environment, a huge number of people lose their jobs every month. What are they supposed to do about health care? Sure, there is Cobra but, unless you got a good severance plan, you are probably hurting financially when your paycheck stops coming. And Cobra requires you, as an individual to pay the premiums that were previously often included as a benefit. (When you no longer know where the next check is coming, is that the time to be paying a huge Cobra premium?)

There is an even worse situation out there, often in the Computer fields: People who are part time contractors, where their job did not even include benefits. My prior job at E-Net (software firm in the San Francisco area) fit that category. So my health care was to hope that I can stay healthy!

When my job ended April 8, 2009, I went on Unemployment and then found that the amount you make under Unemployment is too much for Medicaid! By definition, when you are on Unemployment, you are ready and able to work each day and making an active search. Illness or injury therefore poses a problem.

The solution, to be part of our Health Care plan, is to allow people who draw Unemployment to get Medicaid. There can, of course, be the other existing tests, to make sure the person doesn't have other financial resources. But just drawing the amount the Unemployment provides is currently a show-stopper for Medicaid, but should not be.

Please make Medicaid an option for those who lose their jobs!

Thank you,

Kenneth Parker, Seattle, Washington