Did you know that the country’s lowest-paid workers will get raises today? The federal minimum wage will increases 12 percent, or 70 cents on the dollar, from $5.85 to $6.55 per hour.

Do you think that is enough to pay for your private health insurance plan? What kind of premium could a single parent handle working for a company that doesn’t offer benefits and she gets $6.55 per hour? What would you do first, eat? or purchase health insurance?

John Henderson, a 62-year-old grandfather in Miami, Florida, makes $7.15 an hour working in the laundry of a Comfort Inn. She says she can’t afford health insurance, a car, or her own apartment. What should we do about this economic issue?

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1. Bonnie Says:
   July 25th, 2008 at 9:27 am

   Solving that question is like curing cancer or eliminating the homeless problem. Not a simple problem, not a simple solution. Perhaps no solution.

2. Ricardo Says:
   July 25th, 2008 at 11:21 am

   Its unfortunate, but all people are dealt different hands in life. You just have to learn to make the most of what you have.

3. Bud L Says:
   July 25th, 2008 at 3:02 pm

   Certainly your heart goes out to the poor. Medicade is available to some. Florida Healthy Kids is a low cost solution for others. But Big Brother should never make it more advantageous not to work than to do so. Perhaps the increase in minimum wage will help some people at the margin. Giving every citizen $1MM would solve the problem once and for all. That’s only $250MM. The government spends more than that in a day on all kinds of non-necessities. Bet we’d see a lot of large families. A totally rediculous idea.

   Be able to deduct the full cost of health insurance premiums? What about dental? On and on. Insoluable.

4. Anne Says:
   July 26th, 2008 at 8:37 am

   They have three possible options:
   1) Get Medicaid
   2) Work full time and get benefits through their employer
   3) Or, get screwed like most and go without b/c there is no way that $7/hr is enough money to get health insurance.

5. Semones Says:
   May 28th, 2009 at 9:04 pm

   Excellent post, keep it up

6. Stream-Anime Says:
   May 29th, 2009 at 9:27 am

   Thank you for your most interesting article. I will come back for more ^_^