Paul

Uninsured for 22 years 13 weeks
Age
51 to 64
Occupation
consultant
Employment Status
Employed Part Time
Reason Lost Insurance
Self Employed
Family Income
10K to 24K
Family Size
1
Uninsured Family Members
1
General Health
Acceptable
Being Uninsured Makes Me Feel
Angry

I've long realized that health unsurance is a scam, so started a health co-op for the uninsured in 1997. Members paid $100 to be covered for 12 categories of everyday emergency, anywhere in the world, to specified maximum amounts. Members own their own free clinic, providing holistic and standard care. http://www.ithacahealth.org

Because it competed effectively with corporate unsurance, the state tried to shut it down, but we resisted effectively. Last year, the federal government refused us tax exemption, making the system liable for back taxes unless the membership component were ended. So a new fight begins: the League of Uninsured Voters (LUV) rallies the uninsured to demand the best care http://www.luvpower.org

I'm also author of Health Democracy http://www.healthdemocracy.org/book.html