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Why would you think that someone who was rich would not care about a $30k hospital bill that happened because they let insurance lapse?
How much do you believe a 1%er makes?
I didn't say the person would not care. I would care - but it wouldn't make me fret.
Many years ago, one of my neighbors asked me (this is abroad) what I would do if I incurred a $25k health care bill. He was worried because living where we were, he did not have health coverage - most due to lack of knowledge. My response was quite simple: Pay it.
For years, I had worldwide coverage from an insurance company in Dubai. A localized insurance (like we have in the US) would not have worked for me due to my lifestyle at the time. The Dubai insurance, however covered 100% of my medical costs anywhere in the world, for anything, with zero deductible and no copay.
Thus, I never thought about the dilemma this guy was potentially in. And I couldn't fathom that he was so unaware of the possibilities. Of course, perhaps he simply didn't have the necessary funds to purchase the kind of insurance he thought he needed.
The average 1%er makes roughly $1 million a year although you can join the club if you make around $350k. The bill you mentioned represents 10% of the annual income of the lowest rung of the 1%er club - as a one-time expense, this should certainly be easily manageable.
I know many people without health insurance. I have coverage for myself (for now anyway) after twice in my lifetime being terminated by companies for no other reason than they wanted to ditch the people on their policy. The second time it happened my agent told me straight out the company had been raising the premiums so much in an effort to try and force people to drop the coverage. The few who managed to hang on finally got the letter in the mail just like I did. I live in fear of losing my insurance. The most insidious thing about this whole disgrace is the idea that the uninsured can just go to the ER and get some kind of red carpet treatment. My hospital has signs all along the halls stating they are legally required to provide care for a pregnant woman in labor. They have to treat someone if they are close to death, but otherwise no one is going to get chemo treatments or anything of the like just by waltzing into their local hospital without insurance. It's been a worst fear of mine almost like an on going nightmare to be all alone with no insurance and just dying due to that situation. Just reading all these posts it's clear that most don't have insurance because of a lost job and simply not making enough money at current jobs to be able to afford coverage. People working multiple jobs still don't make enough in many cases. Now to add insult to injury citizens are told they are just lazy and no matter what happens to you it's just your fault if you don't have coverage.
I didn't say the person would not care. I would care - but it wouldn't make me fret.
Many years ago, one of my neighbors asked me (this is abroad) what I would do if I incurred a $25k health care bill. He was worried because living where we were, he did not have health coverage - most due to lack of knowledge. My response was quite simple: Pay it.
For years, I had worldwide coverage from an insurance company in Dubai. A localized insurance (like we have in the US) would not have worked for me due to my lifestyle at the time. The Dubai insurance, however covered 100% of my medical costs anywhere in the world, for anything, with zero deductible and no copay.
Thus, I never thought about the dilemma this guy was potentially in. And I couldn't fathom that he was so unaware of the possibilities. Of course, perhaps he simply didn't have the necessary funds to purchase the kind of insurance he thought he needed.
The average 1%er makes roughly $1 million a year although you can join the club if you make around $350k. The bill you mentioned represents 10% of the annual income of the lowest rung of the 1%er club - as a one-time expense, this should certainly be easily manageable.
Its not about manageability its about dropping 30k because you dropped the ball and forgot to do something that would cost you little. I said my Dad was suprised, and he was surprised at getting hit by a completely and totally avoidable bill of 30k. I don't understand where the relation to you having a policy of paying medical bills is.
I guess you're implying that a 1%er wouldn't care if they made a completely and easily avoidable blunder that cost them 30k, and I'm saying that even the 1%ers would care because just because they're rich doesn't mean they're frivolous with their money.
I recently found out that my sister and her husband have no health insurance. I couldn't believe it to be honest.
Her husband was a mechanic for Northwest Airlines until he got laid off with all the restructuring. He is working for a contractor now inspecting planes for far less money and no benefits.
My sister has not been able to get a good enough job that provides insurance for the family.
So they get by without insurance and my sister just says "we can't afford it so our health is in God's hands"
These are good people, their only fault is they aren't good with money at all. They could be broke but if you needed food they would give you what they have. They are just good hearted folks without a desire for money or success. But they are hard workers. When my sister isn't working at one of her crappy part time jobs she is working at a homeless shelter in St Paul.
I know my republican friends on this forum are against help for these kinds of people and to be honest, my sister and husband are not asking for anyone's help. My brother in law is a republican, always has been even through all his troubles. He still says his health is not anyone else's problem. He cannot afford $1000 per month for a policy and he says he does not expect anyone else to pay it so I guess he's willing to die if he gets sick.
I just think this entire situation is sad. I think if you believe this country should not be providing a basic health policy for every citizen you just aren't seeing the big picture.
Thanks for reading.
The government can give you health insurance coverage but they don't pay doctors and hospitals enough for them to keep their doors open so you will be faced with months long waits to see a government employed doctor. Are you ready for that? Where will the money come from to pay for thsi coverage?
The government can give you health insurance coverage but they don't pay doctors and hospitals enough for them to keep their doors open so you will be faced with months long waits to see a government employed doctor. Are you ready for that? Where will the money come from to pay for thsi coverage?
the rest of us will be FORCED to pay for goverment doctors. forced through taxation. another tax to be paid, until the taxpayers get tired of paying those taxes and refuse to pay.
That question is almost like asking if you know anybody with green eyes. Maybe its just the crowd I know but it seems like almost half of the people I know don't have it and I'm surprised that the official % of uninsured is as low as it is.
Myself personally, I don't have it(because its more expensive through my job than I feel its worth) nor does my girlfriend whose job doesn't offer it. I don't feel especially uneasy or risky about not having it either. Doctors are pretty good at fixing broken bones and all the more "tangible" stuff but when it comes to a bulk of diseases our medical establishment is pretty clueless and our toxic medicines seldom addresses the root cause of disease. Plus did you know that if nobody had health insurance or if health insurance didn't exist that healthcare costs would plummet? By eating healthy and exercising along with not having insurance I'm doing my part in keeping costs in check. Say no to Obamacare.
The government can give you health insurance coverage but they don't pay doctors and hospitals enough for them to keep their doors open so you will be faced with months long waits to see a government employed doctor. Are you ready for that? Where will the money come from to pay for thsi coverage?
I'm ready for it, I'm all for a Single Payer System. If it doesn't happen at the Federal level, it will surely happen at the state. California and Vermont are already pushing for it. It's ridiculous that we have 50 million uninsured people in this country and we pay way more than any comparable country.
I do not have health insurance. Neither does one of my cousins. My brother. A friend I met here. My crush. The crazy woman who banned me from her meetup group.
I can think of many more...but those are the ones I can come up with off the top of my head.
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