As a San Francisco injury attorney, I see first hand and every day the differences in terms of care, recovery, and impact on a family that having health care insurance can mean for an injury victim.  The Democrats in Congress need to focus and pass the insurance reforms and as much of a national health care policy as they can so that injury victims, families, and consumers are not harmed unnecessarily when they suffer an injury.

But what does health care reform and suffering a personal injury have to do with one another – let me explain.

As far as health care is concerned, injury victims and everyone else fall into one of two categories. You either have health insurance or you don’t.  And if you do have it, chances are you have a insurance through your work.  That is, your employer provides it or you have the ability and access necessary to purchase it in a group plan through your employer.  Let’s call these folks the first group.  In the second group, you simply don’t have health insurance at all.

But in the first group, your coverage is contingent on you working at that job or having the ability to purchase the same plan for a limited time or a private policy once you leave.  Currently, there is virtually no portability of health insurance from job to job in the United States.

Well, here is what often happens when someone suffers a personal injury from the first group.  Let’s say you work for a company in San Francisco.  And let’s also assume that you are injured in a non-work related accident – a car accident, a trucking accident, a slip and fall accident or something of that nature.

Initially things are fine.  You were injured, but you have coverage and you are getting the care you need.  But what if your injury is serious and you are not able to return to work?  Once your medical leave has run out and once it is clear you are no longer fit to perform your job, your company is going to terminate your employment.  And if you can’t afford to purchase the coverage on your own – what do you do? (more…)