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Going without health insurance is one of the stupidest things you can do.
Going without health insurance if you own anything IS the stupidest thing you can do.
If you don't own anything and make minimal wages, then it is not as big a risk. If you have assets, no insurance, get seriously sick, you will have to brun through all your assets before any aid will come your way.
I have known people who worked and saved all their lives to have a little something, for various reasons they lost their insurance or had a gap in coverage. Of course then is when they got sick and lost it all. I have a cousin who is one of them. He worked for the airlines for 19 years and after 9-11 he got laid-off. 16 months later, while going to school to learn a new skill, he had a massive heart attack. Racked up over $164,000 in medical bills and lost his house, cars, RV, stocks, a rental property he owned. He had insurance for 19 years straight and never really used it before that. There are many people out there with similar stories and it is rather sad.
For that very reason---having previous health problems, cancer, nearly 25 years ago it still comes up on my health records and makes getting a new insurance here in NC nearly impossible--at least not an affordable insurance. With that in mind I have kept my health insurance from CA. even though I have moved to NC 1 1/2 years ago. Incase of an emergency I will be covered here by my CA insurance but for everyday medical issues I will need to fly back to CA. Still, flying back to CA is cheaper then trying to get a new heath insurance here.
For that very reason---having previous health problems, cancer, nearly 25 years ago it still comes up on my health records and makes getting a new insurance here in NC nearly impossible--at least not an affordable insurance. With that in mind I have kept my health insurance from CA. even though I have moved to NC 1 1/2 years ago. Incase of an emergency I will be covered here by my CA insurance but for everyday medical issues I will need to fly back to CA. Still, flying back to CA is cheaper then trying to get a new heath insurance here.
Ugh, but imagine going through chemotherapy, with all the attendant nausea, and having to get on an airplane every couple weeks for chemo! What nightmares our health"care" system has forced upon us!
How do you do this, anyway? Keep a CA address as your legal address? I've been considering this stunt myself.
Last edited by goat1of2; 09-04-2008 at 09:46 AM..
Reason: spelling
Yes...my insurance has my address in CA. I have a home there....well, my X has that home but I use that address! There is also a health facility in Virginia that is the same as the one in CA so if necessary I can go to Virginia. That is closer. But I am familiar with the one in CA and my Dr.s are there plus I have family still living in CA so I can just stay with them if necessary. A person does what they have to do to survive today!
Yes...my insurance has my address in CA. I have a home there....well, my X has that home but I use that address! There is also a health facility in Virginia that is the same as the one in CA so if necessary I can go to Virginia. That is closer. But I am familiar with the one in CA and my Dr.s are there plus I have family still living in CA so I can just stay with them if necessary. A person does what they have to do to survive today!
It is ridiculous. I honestly had no idea that things varied so much from state to state until I started shopping around for a new plan for my family and reading this thread.
Here's an interesting article arguing for a national market for health insurance:
I pay $200 a month for family coverage. When my dh was hospitalized for ten days it cost $150k of which $250 was not covered. If it varies so much then we asolutely need reform but I don't want the government to run health care.
We really need national health care guaranteeing everyone access to care.
The UK and Canada do it.
I hear this a lot, but who is going to pay for it. I can't afford the money they take out now for myself, wife, and two kids - and if there was a national health insurance, I'd be paying a lot more (via taxes). Canada, if I recall, has a very very high tax rate.
IMHO, giving everyone "free" insurance is not the answer. That just means the average person will be paying for someone else's share of insurance. Sounds like communism or socialism to me. And there are people out there that would play the system of if I am going to be covered, why not just grind a minimum wage job forever. At least my health is covered?
The answer lies along the impossibility I'm afraid. We need to crack down on fraud - harshly, bring the cost of universities down, and work more like Japan with respect to doctor's pay is based on patients health.
Doctors leaving college with half a million dollars in debt is why it costs $80 to have them look at your ears and throat.
I hope this doesn't sound like a rant, but I guess it kind of is, but with all due respect.
We also need to ration care so that money isn't wasted on those unlikely to benefit.
This country won't be realistic about euthanasia. If I were told I was developing Alzheimers, I'd ask my doctor to put me to sleep before I became a useless burden on my family and society.
Will we be honest about this stuff? Never.
Government is really the only answer. Many folks can't do better than minimum wage no matter how hard they try. Will we just gas them and cremate them since they are unfit for our great, educated society?
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