Those who know me well know that when it comes to politics, I’m generally more concerned about the “little guy” than I am about big businesses. No hard feelings to the bigger companies out there – I know they provide important and valuable services to all of us – but large companies have the means and resources to look after themselves. I’m concerned about fair conditions for independent-minded people who want to work for themselves but don’t have the backing of a large company – these people also play an important role in business, but it’s a lot harder for them to survive.Most of the adult webmasters I have met in my twelve plus years in the industry do not fall into the “big business” category. Some are doing quite well for themselves – an inspiration to the rest – but many webmasters either hold down day jobs to pay the bills, or else just barely squeak through each month on a modest income. In fact, in an industry where looking successful is so important, it’s likely that a lot of the webmasters you think are successful aren’t doing nearly as well as believed.
So it’s with those independent American webmasters in mind – those who can’t stand the thought of being married to a 9-5 corporate mainstream job but who find thriving in the adult industry a challenge in 2009 – those webmasters should find news of possible health care reform a welcome development.
As it stands now, if you don’t work for a company that provides health care, as is the case with many independent webmasters, then you’re stuck choosing from a variety of plans for individuals that can vary from state to state. When I lived in California, for example, the individual plans there were not great but at least passable. Here in Texas though, individual health care plans are a big step down from what was offered on the west coast. Had my son been born in Texas instead of California, for example, my wife’s pregnancy would not have been covered – leaving me an average bill of $10k plus to go with the gifts of cigars and well wishing from family.
Just a few days ago, House Democrats presented an initial bill for comprehensive health care reform. While the bill is likely to be modified, amended and weakened by opponents to health care reform before all is said and done, and we all know who those people represent, here’s a look at some of the features of the bill which, if passed, could greatly improve the health care options for independent webmasters.
First and possibly most important, ALL insurance companies will be prohibited from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. This is HUGE, because it would mean you could switch insurance companies at will, no longer have to fear a temporary coverage lapse due to a late payment, and you’d be less likely to get stuck in a job you didn’t want because of fear you’d lose your insurance and be unable to get new insurance. It also takes away from insurance companies one of the common tools they use to try and deny coverage to policyholders that shouldn’t be denied.
Second, the Obama administration has instructed Congress to concentrate on promoting preventive care. In that regard, the House bill eliminates all co-payments and deductibles for all preventive care. In other words, you have no excuse to skip your regular physicals.
Third, a public insurance option would be created to compete with the private insurance companies. If you’re like me then you’ll agree that generally businesses price goods and services based not on how much they’re worth, but on how much they can get for them. Normally that’s a totally acceptable way to do business – but not so in the case of something as vital as health care. A public insurance plan will help keep private insurance companies from being able to collude on health care costs – either they play fairly, or risk losing more customers to the public plan. Ideally this will have the effect of reducing the cost and increasing the attractiveness of private health care options – in addition to providing a public alternative for those who need it.
Back to the case of that independent Texas webmaster who isn’t satisfied with the various individual plans that are offered in his or her state – now there’s a choice.
On the other side of the coin, obtaining health care will be mandatory – although federal subsidies will be available to people who make less than $88,000 per year if the House Democrats’ bill passes. Since no denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions is being added into the mix, mandatory coverage keeps people from waiting until they’re sick to get covered.
In addition, if you operate a company that pays out more than $250k per year in payroll expenses, you’ll be required to provide health care to your employees – or else pay an additional tax every year. This won’t affect most adult companies, but some certainly will be impacted. I definitely understand how some very small businesses might be wary of increasing expenses – and in fact it could very well result in the loss of some jobs if a company is barely able to meet its payroll now and does not provide health care insurance.
But health care isn’t a small issue. It could very well be the defining issue of our lives.
I’m not being overly dramatic when I state that this issue will decide again and again if countless people live or die. This issue will decide again and again whether health problems will financially destroy American families. This issue will decide whether or not it’s okay for companies to get rich at the expense of peoples’ very lives, something that is outlawed in most European countries. It will decide whether American families can pass their accumulated wealth on to their heirs, or whether they’ll be forced to pass it on to the health care industry.
I can’t think of anything that we can do as a nation that would be more important than this.
The health care industry might very well have some adjusting to do if the proposed health care reform passes. Every now and then conditions change in business that force an industry to adapt to survive – the adult industry knows that fact very well because we’re living it right now thanks to piracy.
I have no doubt that if a version of this bill passes without too much gutting, and once the dust clears, once prophets of doom from the ranks of health care lobbyists are done crying, we’ll look back on health care reform that happened in 2009 and see it as the single most important advance in the quality American life in a generation.
