So I lost my health insurance...

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by CMD.EXE

US health insurance is absolutely ridiculous cost wise, its really hard to justify what the premiums are. We just pay because we have to.
We don't have to. That's what I'm saying. Currently, I don't have health insurance, and I wish that I did. If I had the money to afford it, I would be paying my premiums every damn month. Because I am legitimately scared that I'm going to get cancer or something and on top of getting cancer I'm going to have to pay every dime from my own pocket. Premiums may be ridiculous cost wise, but like I said, the point of insurance is not to get every dime of your premium money back in services, it is to be insured in case one should ever have a medical emergency.

 

[gomestar]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Because I am legitimately scared that I'm going to get cancer or something and on top of getting cancer I'm going to have to pay every dime from my own pocket.

There was a 5-month period I had between college and work that I decided to go uninsured. I had, after all, superb health (the biggest "procedure" I ever had was a tooth being pulled when I was like 4 years old). We looked at pricing out options, but it was expensive. Wouldn't you know I came down with a tough stomach sickness that cost a cool $10,000 leading up to the diagnosis (and a $20 prescription to fix it). Furthermore, that $10K was the "discount" rate, most doctors I dealt with significantly reduced their bills when I said I didn't have any insurance (and I'm sure much further discounted due to my mother's position at one of the hospitals). **** isn't fun.

 

[Rambo]

Once you get that hospital bill you'll know how valuable having insurance is. They'll negotiate with you, sometimes up to 50%, but its 1000% too expensive to start with so that haircut off the top doesn't look like much when you're working with a low salary. Nothing like being on a payment plan to a hospital

Try COBRAing your plan. My plan just ran out and I was under the impression that I was not going to be renewed. Then, 2 days before the end of my plan I got a letter from an outsourcing company saying that I was qualified for COBRA for 18 months. Who knew?

 

[cross22]

nvm

 

[Nereis]

Insurance costs too much these days, but try to get the serious stuff covered and just pay cash for the non-life threatening stuff.