Comments on: PA Direct Care Worker Raises the Profile of Uninsured http://hchcw.org/archives/pa-direct-care-worker-raises-the-profile-of-uninsured-direct-care-workers To ensure quality care for ourselves, our caregivers must have coverage. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:32:04 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Lynn M http://hchcw.org/archives/pa-direct-care-worker-raises-the-profile-of-uninsured-direct-care-workers/comment-page-1#comment-736 Lynn M Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:26:55 +0000 http://hchcw.org/?p=382#comment-736 Health care is one of the few areas of employment that has been adding jobs, while most other sectors are cutting them. We often hear that health care jobs are "recession proof" and it has been widely publicized that we are facing a shortage of nurses, therapists, assistants, and medical technicians and that the demand for these and other health care positions will only grow with the growth of an aging population. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career areas expecting the most growth are service industry jobs, with more than half in the health care sector. How can the health care industry expect to attract good candidates for their growing number of positions if they can't provide employees with something as basic as health care coverage? Health care is one of the few areas of employment that has been adding jobs, while most other sectors are cutting them. We often hear that health care jobs are “recession proof” and it has been widely publicized that we are facing a shortage of nurses, therapists, assistants, and medical technicians and that the demand for these and other health care positions will only grow with the growth of an aging population. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career areas expecting the most growth are service industry jobs, with more than half in the health care sector.

How can the health care industry expect to attract good candidates for their growing number of positions if they can’t provide employees with something as basic as health care coverage?

]]> By: Alex O. http://hchcw.org/archives/pa-direct-care-worker-raises-the-profile-of-uninsured-direct-care-workers/comment-page-1#comment-715 Alex O. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:02:08 +0000 http://hchcw.org/?p=382#comment-715 While I am thrilled for Karen that she will be able to get health insurance at long last, and get the surgery she needs to be able to keep working, and also deeply moved by the kindness of a reader who would be so generous as to pay for the health insurance of a complete stranger, I am deeply troubled that it came to this. We live in the wealthiest country in the world, and a working person must rely on the kindness of a stranger for their health care? It’s simply astounding. As Karen says, this is a solution for her, but not a system for the many thousands of other caregivers who currently lack coverage. We can and must do better than this as a nation. While I am thrilled for Karen that she will be able to get health insurance at long last, and get the surgery she needs to be able to keep working, and also deeply moved by the kindness of a reader who would be so generous as to pay for the health insurance of a complete stranger, I am deeply troubled that it came to this.

We live in the wealthiest country in the world, and a working person must rely on the kindness of a stranger for their health care? It’s simply astounding. As Karen says, this is a solution for her, but not a system for the many thousands of other caregivers who currently lack coverage.

We can and must do better than this as a nation.

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