I’m livid.

I’m also happily self-employed.

This means that until government-regulated health insurance exchanges are setup in 364 days, I’m on my own and at the mercy of health insurance companies for coverage.

This has been fine and well until now. But, you see, my only crime is that my wife is pregnant. We’re expecting our first child in March – and we couldn’t be more excited!

However, since Erika, a PhD student, can’t teach a class in the Spring semester (there is no “maternity leave” for student employees), I have to change insurance plans as I am no longer eligible for her faculty group plan and premium sharing. This sent me shopping around for individual coverage.

I apparently made the mistake of being honest and marking on the applications that I am an expectant father. Not one of the individual providers that I can find will insure a dad-to-be! Who knew!?

I’m livid.

Thankfully, “Obamacare” and the exchanges will put an end to this madness as you can’t be refused coverage when purchasing through the exchanges. The trouble is the exchanges won’t go into effect until 2014. And of course, our great Governor of Texas is refusing to set these up.

Don’t you think health insurance should be a right and not a privilege?

Don’t you think it should be a crime to deny someone wanting and willing to purchase expensive coverage because they have a child on the way?

Aren’t you tired of massive corporations getting even wealthier in the health care industry? Not-for-profit or public health care options make infinitely more sense to me. My real disappointment is that the Affordable Care Act didn’t go near far enough.

Oh, and my apologies to the Blue Cross and Humana employees I may have laid into a bit too much today. It isn’t their fault they work for greedy monsters.

Here is to hoping I don’t get sick or have an accident between January 15th and when Owen is born!

Happy New Year!