By Pamela E. Apkarian-Russell

In New Hampshire there are 131,000 individuals without any health coverage at all. How many of these are self-employed and antique dealers has not been determined, but considering how many antiquers there are in our state one can guesstimate it is quite large. This does not count the ones that are on social security or have inadequate insurance, or are struggling from month to month to pay their own.

When the CEO of a major health provider received a 40 million dollar bonus it is not because he is looking after the well being of the policyholders but because he is denying them any and all coverage that any loophole in the law will provide. It is because rates are exorbitant.

Health insurance, for those of us who still have it, is a necessity and a cost of doing business. Now that we are not allowed by law to seek cheaper drugs in Canada, and Social Security, for those who have it, has been severely disabled by law makers who have all of their medical benefits for life paid out of our taxes, it might behoove all tax payers to look at what the Kakistocracy has done in the name of big business and corporate profits to the middle classes and to those in our profession. No wonder precious few younger people are entering the field and becoming lifetime professional antiques dealers.

With the doubling of property taxes this year, the incredible rate of gasoline and home heating oil sky-rocketing, and every other conceivable expense eating every last bit of profit, we might all find ourselves plummeting from the middle class into oblivion. Costs are up and except perhaps for the select dealers at the top profits are down.

Recently here in New Hampshire “America Coming Together“, a non candidate authorized committee which I know little about, mailed flyers and postcards to warn New Hampshire residents about the fact that the cost of insuring worker’ health had increased 11.2%. Well let me see… Two years ago our joint monthly payment to Anthem Blue was over 600.00, last year it went up to $881.42, and this year we are paying $1,088.25! This year alone per month the extra premium is $206.83! All this and Chris’s is only supplemental as he has social security! On top of this we are paying, above co-payments, over$300.00 for medicines. Are you in the same boat? Are you working at a maximum with everything going to the insurance companies and pharmaceuticals?

Health care for people who work? In this greatest of all nations where dreams do come true, nightmares do too. The alternative to healthcare or adequate health care could mean loosing everything you own. I have been using and am using myself as the “statistic” so that you know this is not some made-up information, like so many of our well-insured politicians produce to make us think we are better off today than a few years ago. I do this not because I want or need to disclose my personal finances.

Earlier this year when the new higher rates came in we seriously discussed dropping my insurance. It was either that or not only tighten our belts but think about getting out of a business we have made our living at full time for thirty-three years. I would have to get a full time job. What does one do? It was a difficult decision. We kept the health insurance and sold our piece of land in Florida to pay for it. On Sept 13th, while setting up for our own post card show in Fitzwilliam, NH, I became very ill and barely made it home in time to call an ambulance. I was rushed to the hospital for a totally unexpected surgery which I am still slowly recuperating from. What if I no longer had any insurance? It will be bad enough the insurance company is already complaining about paying for anesthesiologists! Can you imagine going into surgery without anesthesiology?

This could happen to anyone who is self employed, being pulled in for emergency surgery at any time. That is what emergencies are all about. It behooves all of us to do our homework and vote for the best candidate who is not of the opinion “Hey I have my insurance let these guys pay his or her own.” Yes, we should pay part of it but with health insurance what it is, it is it is like betting on a horse, which died, and the other horse, the one you aren’t allowed to bet on, has the track unopposed!

Knowing so many dealers who have little or no health insurance, it concerns me, that there are so many people in our state uninsured and oh so vulnerable. Most people just can’t pay the monthly premiums and our government sell out to the insurance industries, lobbyists, and drug companies, proves to me this is a nothing but a Kakistocracy. Our founding fathers would be so ashamed of how we have abandoned our beautiful Constitution. When people cannot afford, and I mean justifiably, medicines and doctors we have gone beyond the pale of logic, reason, and decency.

A friend in the antique business, now retired because of illness is one of these people who can’t afford her medications. The following insert is from her and may be of some help to some of you.

There are many people in the antique business who have low incomes and do not have health insurance. If you have a low income and cannot afford to pay for prescriptions you may be eligible for prescription assistance. If you need prescriptions for a chronic condition this may be the solution for you. (It is not appropriate for things like short-term prescriptions such as an anti-biotic.) The web site www.rxassist.org is an excellent source of information. If you don't have a computer, it is really worth the effort to get someone who has a computer to help you. Your local library, your doctor, or a friend may be quite willing to help you with this.

You just go to the site, www.rxassist.org and do a search for your drug that you need assistance with and it will take you to the name of the pharmaceutical company and the web site for that company. Then just go to the pharmaceutical company's web site and find the prescription assistance form on their site and print the form out. Then you just take it to your doctor and have your doctor fill out their part of the form, and write your prescription for you for a three-month supply, and all you have to do is fill out your part of the form and mail it with the prescription to the company. You should hear back from them about what their decision is (whether you meet the eligibility requirements) and if you are approved you would get your prescription by mail. Along with your prescription you will also receive the form for your next prescription order.

Remember that no matter how many antiques you have your health and the freedom to live and work are much more precious and indeed the rarest of all. Do vote and know who and what you are voting for.