We all know how important it is to have an adequate amount of health insurance. There have been numerous horror stories in the news about people who have a serious accident or illness, but who do not have health insurance, who end up being unable to pay their high medical bills. Is the risk of losing your health insurance enough of a reason to put your wedding on hold? For one couple, it certainly was!
A marriage ceremony, no matter what it specifically involves, is extremely meaningful. For many couples, the wedding ceremony itself is the symbol of a lifelong commitment to a partner. It is not unusual for people to spend a year or more making decisions about each and every little thing that is involved with the wedding ceremony, and the reception that will take place afterwards. But, no matter how outrageous or simple the wedding itself turns out to be, it is still of huge significance for the couple, as well as the friends and family of each.
Obviously, it can be emotionally devastating to have to put a planned wedding on hold. A young couple from North Carolina have decided to put their wedding plans on hold, indefinitely, but not because their feelings for each other have changed. Why did they make that decision? It was because of health insurance. Tragedy struck this couple shortly before the wedding was set to take place. One of the bridesmaids, who was a close friend of the bride, playfully pushed the bride into a swimming pool when the two were enjoying a night out with the rest of the bridesmaids. Unfortunately, the bride struck her head on the bottom of the shallow end of the pool. This left her paralyzed from the chest down. It also meant that she needed constant care and rehabilitation.
Medicare is a government run health insurance program that is available to people age 65 and older, but also to people of all ages who have certain disabilities. Often the amount of assistance that comes from Medicare is based upon the family income of the person who receives the benefits. The bride qualified for Medicare, which has helped her to pay her medical bills after the accident occurred.
If this bride and groom get married, it will legally change the amount of income that this couple officially has. In this case, the difference was large enough that getting married would mean that the bride would lose her Medicare insurance. But, the two do not make enough money to pay for her medical care without the help that Medicare brings. Instead, the two have decided to move in together, without being married. I think this is an incredibly sad story.
Image by Mr. Thomas on Flickr