Do you have health insurance?

[mommyoftwinboys]

I've met several families lately that don't have health insurance at all. These are families I would consider responsible, working members of society. They are all large families and two of the mama's are pregnant right now. I know for us, health insurance is a HUGE expense. We pay over $700 for our family and only have a health savings plan which means we have to pay all of our doctors visits, etc up to $5000. We are planning to have more children but basically have to figure with that(unless we homebirth) we are looking at a minimum of $5k just to meet the deductible. So, I'm curious how many of you don't have health insurance and/or if you think it's crazy and irresponsible to not have it.

[momofkhm]

We have insurance, but like you pay a lot each month and have a health savings account. My personal feeling is that you need it in case the worst happens. What happens if you are in a car accident? What if someone requires hospitalization? There are just too many what ifs even with mostly healthy people, IMO.

[Cindy in FL.]

Last year we decided to go without health insurance after our insurer left the state and didn't renew our policy. Then my dh had to have neck surgery to the tune of $40,000+ (discounted amount for uninsured). Thankfully we were insured for his next surgery, in less than a year, to fuse his lower spine.

 

We have a high deductible policy through BC now.

 

Cindy

[Mynyel]

My kids have Medicaid....dh and I don't have anything. We can't afford it. However I would still go without if it meant taking what the government wants to push on us (but that's a whole different topic). I wish we could afford it my husband has periodontal disease and a hernia. I have a filling that needs to be redone. However we just can't afford the $500 a month (if not more now) that BCBS wants.

And trust me, if y'all could see our budget you'd know that about the only thing we could cut back in is our cell phone and that wouldn't help at all.

[Mom2J112903]

J has insurance, DH and I do not.

 

There is *no* way that we could afford health insurance for the two of us. Like another poster, if you looked at our budget, there is no "wiggle" room.

 

DH has health issues, so do I, but we just "grin and bear it" when and if we need something done.

[KJsMom]

We do have health insurance because I'm afraid to not have it. I do know families that choose not to carry insurance. One puts the money they would pay for insurance into a savings account to cover medical expenses and the others just hope not to need it I guess.

[Jyniffrec]

We were all perfectly healthy until my dh got a government job. He got insurance and then all h*ll broke loose. I was pregnant and having a hard time, our 3 year old came down with a rare liver disease and Crohn's and then the child I was pregnant turned out to have a genetic disorder (which is why I was sick) and she has to be hospitalized a whole lot.

 

We couldn't get insurance before all this happened. Now we pay more than our mortgage for it and take the maxiumum out allowed by law for the health savings account. We still run out of money in that account because of co-pays and deductibles.

 

I'm grateful we have insurance but I would never say anyone else was wrong or irresponsible not to have it. Life is hard and our system is unfair. If you have a healthy family and you must make a choice between groceries or insurance then groceries would be the obvious choice to take.

Edited June 11, 2010 by Jyniffrec
Left a word out.

[Kirch]

I've met several families lately that don't have health insurance at all. These are families I would consider responsible, working members of society. They are all large families and two of the mama's are pregnant right now. I know for us, health insurance is a HUGE expense. We pay over $700 for our family and only have a health savings plan which means we have to pay all of our doctors visits, etc up to $5000. We are planning to have more children but basically have to figure with that(unless we homebirth) we are looking at a minimum of $5k just to meet the deductible. So, I'm curious how many of you don't have health insurance and/or if you think it's crazy and irresponsible to not have it.

 

Ours is like yours, just not so expensive. I don't mind the *idea* of just having catastrophic insurance, but it gets really frustrating to have to pay SO MUCH for doctor visits and simpler ER stuff. The prices are ridiculously high for so many reasons--malpractice insurance, overhead, the way medical insurance is structured, etc. I feel like we're caught in the middle. We can't afford higher premiums/lower deductibles, but we can't afford it when several of us have to go to the doctor in the same month either. We're still paying off an ER visit from November.

[Sandy in Indy]

We don't have health insurance in the traditional sense, but we do have care through an area hospital. We're not poor enough to qualify for medicaid but cannot afford insurance. One of the joys of self-employment.

 

Before we moved here, dh and I went years without health insurance. Some of the time, the kids didn't have it, either. I didn't like it, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. Most of the time we barely had utilities.

 

I don't think *most* people blow off health insurance because they don't think it's important. It's a matter of finances or circumstances. I'm not sure we could purchase a policy any more (as self-employed) as my dh has had heart surgery. Sometimes, it's just impossible to do.

[cornelia9805]

We are blessed to have excellent insurance through my DH's state job. My first instinct is to say that it is irresponsible to not have insurance on your kids as a minimum, but the realistic side of me knows that the astronomical cost makes it increadibly difficult for most to do.

[Caitilin]

My kids have Medicaid....dh and I don't have anything. We can't afford it. However I would still go without if it meant taking what the government wants to push on us (but that's a whole different topic). I wish we could afford it my husband has periodontal disease and a hernia. I have a filling that needs to be redone. However we just can't afford the $500 a month (if not more now) that BCBS wants.

And trust me, if y'all could see our budget you'd know that about the only thing we could cut back in is our cell phone and that wouldn't help at all.

:iagree::iagree:This is us too; I could have written this post almost word for word. Health ins. for me and dh is a distant dream right now. :(

[Laura Corin]

We have National Health Insurance, which we pay for through taxes, plus a top-up insurance in case we want something that the NHS doesn't provide conveniently.

 

Laura

[Prairie~Phlox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSLover

My kids have Medicaid....dh and I don't have anything. We can't afford it. However I would still go without if it meant taking what the government wants to push on us (but that's a whole different topic). I wish we could afford it my husband has periodontal disease and a hernia. I have a filling that needs to be redone. However we just can't afford the $500 a month (if not more now) that BCBS wants.

And trust me, if y'all could see our budget you'd know that about the only thing we could cut back in is our cell phone and that wouldn't help at all.

 

:iagree::iagree:This is us too; I could have written this post almost word for word. Health ins. for me and dh is a distant dream right now. :(

 

 

 

This is us as well. I seriously try not to worry about it. I got to the dentist on a regular basis, have yearly check ups, but that's about it. We pay oop when something does come up. It's been like this for 15 years. I am concerned about it now that we are getting older, but I do trust that God is in control.

[Guest Katia]

The first two years of our marriage, we had health insurance through the company I was working for. It paid for my first pregnancy/delivery, which was nice, but we didn't use it for anything else.

 

Then, we moved and since dh is a pastor and considered self-employed, the church does not offer health insurance (or insurance of any kind).

 

So, no, for the last 25 years, we have had NO health insurance. Our income has been waaayyyy under the poverty level....small churches do not pay well, but when that is where your dh is called.......

 

It has been challenging, but not impossible. We filed for Medicaid for two other pregnancies, and for three surgeries that I had. Otherwise, we just plain ol' didn't go to a doctor unless we had no choice. You learn to deal with health issues on your own, even with your kids.

 

Finally, the church offered to pay for half of the Samaritan Ministries health sharing program, so we had that for several years. We still couldn't go to the dentist, eye dr. or regular dr; it is for high cost, emergency only type situations, but it was great when dd needed eye surgery, I needed foot x-rays and dd needed 'other' surgery. I love, love, LOVE this program. They usually paid 100%, people sent cards and letters to us and prayed for us, and the people at the ministry would call us and pray with us over the phone.

 

Last year, dh got a 'real' job (that's a joke for those that have dh in pastoral ministry; everyone says they don't really 'work' therefore they don't have a 'real' job), and now for the first time in over 25 years, we have REAL health insurance!!!

 

We've only had it for one year, but I really love it! Dh and I are both getting older, and it's nice to be able to go the dr and get medicine when we need it, instead of just suffering through.

 

I do know that not having health insurance is not irresponsible if you can't afford it. We couldn't, so we didn't have it. Now that it's offered, we have it.

[elegantlion]

nm

Edited June 12, 2010 by elegantlion

[m0mmaBuck]

My husband is retired from the Army so have insurance through his retirement. It makes me mad that the government promised free healthcare as a reward/benefit for serving until retirement and then changed their minds in the 90's and started charging us a premium. Then again, government promises are made to be broken.

[cjbeach]

My kids have low cost insurance through the state, not Medicaid but a low cost alternative here in FL and it has been the biggest blessing.

Dh is self employed and the cost for the 5 of us right now (upstart biz) is too much.

Dh and I are uninsured and I'm in a COMPLETE panic about it. We have been sick and paid through our noses at Urgent Care Centers.

I am looking at COVERFLORIDA.com for anyone in FL who is uninsured. For me it would be $120/mo, dh a bit less. It's not full coverage, more preventative but I'll take what I can get. Hoping to start it next month.

 

FWIW, I paid $1,100/mo for private health insurance in NJ for 4 of us. But it was awesome! I'm looking at about $900/mo for 5 of us here in FL but it's not as comprehensive as the plans back in NJ, I'll still be paying for a LOT out-of-pocket. It has a cRaZy high deductible but a small co-pay for preventative. For instance, FL has a maternity rider. I did not have the rider when I got pg (unexpectedly) with dc#3 but found a wonderful MW who had a global fee of $3600 for my homebirth (incl pre-natal care).

Edited June 11, 2010 by cjbeach

[MamaT]

We do now, but there have been times that we have gone without it. It is terribly expensive. I would be worried if we did not have insurance at our ages (46 and 51). At one point we had a medical savings plan and that was great (paid for three sets of braces), but it kept going up until we had to change to something else.

[Mommyof4ks]

We currently have health insurance, however we got a letter stating that our ins. is going up and coverage is going down next year. We will also be kicked off of our high ded. plan some time in the next couple of years, because the new law states that people over 30 cannot have it. Basically, I have no idea how we will pay for ins., so even though I think we need it I don't know how we will afford it. We have had no problem paying for it during the last 12 years, but times have changed and I am glad now that my hubby said 3 kids were enough.

[Crimson Wife]

I know too many people who've needed hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of medical care (premature babies, cancer, etc). Even people I know who are basically healthy have sometimes wound up running up medical bills of $5k, $10k, $15k+.

 

I've had a "catastrophic" policy at various times when I wasn't covered under a group policy but I would not feel comfortable going without health insurance entirely.

[Crimson Wife]

We will also be kicked off of our high ded. plan some time in the next couple of years, because the new law states that people over 30 cannot have it.

 

Whoa, I hadn't heard of THIS provision. That's completely outrageous! If I decide that I'm willing to pay the first $X of medical costs myself and only use insurance for unusually high bills, who is the government to come in and tell me that I can't?

 

We have a high deductible on our auto insurance and homeowner's insurance and that's all perfectly legal. Why should health insurance be any different?

[shinyhappypeople]

DH has good insurance through his job. We're signing the kids up for low-cost ($25/mo) state health care (like Medicaid but for middle income families). I'm totally uninsured. We just can't afford it.

[Parrothead]

Ours is part of dh's benefit package. If we did not have that I'd have dd on state care. I wouldn't be able to get insurance because of all my pre-existing conditions.

[WeeBeaks]

We do, through DH's work. If we didn't through there, we probably couldn't afford it either.

[Renee in NC]

We *all* have insurance now for the first time in 10 years. We couldn't afford even a high deductible plan before. Dh's job has excellent benefits, so we have medical and dental coverage on the whole family. Two of my dc will continue on Medicaid, though, as they have special needs.

 

We still pay 15% of our income for health insurance which means that our budget does not balance without extra income and/or overtime. I don't think those without are irresponsible if they truly cannot afford it (and have it as a high priority.)

[stripe]

if you think it's crazy and irresponsible to not have it.

Plenty of people have had serious financial and medical problems even while having expensive health insurance, so I don't see how it's a guarantee of great treatment and low costs.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

My daughter and I both have insurance through the state. I have some health problems that require medication, and I have NO way to pay for doctor's visits, ER visits, etc, if something were to come up. I'm very grateful that we qualify for the state health insurance right now while I'm in school, otherwise we'd be in a bad place.

 

I can't imagine NOT having insurance, especially on a child. We went without for two months because of some mixups on the part of social services, and during that two months DD (and I) were SO SICK. I'm not someone to go to the dr at the first sign of a problem, but when she was sick for weeks, spiking fevers every other day... it was frustrating not to be able to see a dr. Finally I just went to the ER, and now have a couple hundred dollar bill to show for it!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

We just got health insurance after over 5 years with out (and two births) We actually were considering not getting the insurance. We just put into a savings account what we would be spending in insurance premiums and it worked well for us! We actaully saved (even with the births) with out insurance.

 

We do not have the best insurance- still alot of out of pocket- so we are considering dropping it. We are going to give it a year. DH was hospitalized 2 years ago for a week- and we did all that without insurance. The hospital gives discounts for uninsured- between that and a medical savings account its much cheaper than high premiums and high out of pocket costs- we will see if this year proves it to be worth it or not

Edited June 11, 2010 by wy_kid_wrangler04

[Haiku]

We have health insurance. Between our premiums, deductibles, and co-pays, it eats up half of my husband's salary. It makes me angry that we pay so much, and then, when my child needs $1,000 worth of lab work, our insurance pays a generous $191 of it.

 

However, I think it is irresponsible for people to say they don't need health insurance because they are healthy or they pay out of pocket. When someone in their family ends up with cancer, or they get into a car accident, they will not be the ones paying.

 

Catastrophic insurance can be had, I have heard, relatively cheaply. However, like other posters, I recognize that there are families that have no wiggle room in the budget. Ours is one of them.

 

Tara

[mommyoftwinboys]

I'm curious though..these families I've talked with and know live what I would consider(especially one of them)live upper middle class lives. The one family has an extremely nice home and *seem* well off. Both are Christian families and I wonder if that somehow plays into not having insurance and relying on faith to keep you healthy? I don't know I just was intriqued...

[Wheres Toto]

We have insurance through DH's work. It's a high deductible plan but then his company pays a portion of the deductible. We also have a medical Flexible Spending Account to cover our portion of things.

 

It's okay. It's kind of confusing, hard to say exactly what we end up paying out of pocket. Last year the insurance company (Aetna) actually told our pediatrician the wrong information because they evidently didn't understand the plan we have. :glare:

 

I've always had insurance, usually through an employer but once or twice through COBRA. Going without would make me nervous with children and because DH and I are getting older (40 and 53).

[Crimson Wife]

I'm curious though..these families I've talked with and know live what I would consider(especially one of them)live upper middle class lives. The one family has an extremely nice home and *seem* well off. Both are Christian families and I wonder if that somehow plays into not having insurance and relying on faith to keep you healthy?

 

Having faith in God does not mean a person shouldn't still act prudently. Think about Matthew 25:1-8, the parable about the women waiting for the bridegroom, some of whom were wise and took extra lamp oil with them, and some of whom were foolish & didn't.

 

I can certainly understand folks who are struggling financially having to make the tough choice to forgo insurance. I don't understand being able to afford coverage but then choosing not to get it. Maybe they'll get lucky & not need it, but I don't think that has anything to do with how much faith the person has in God. Disease is not God's punishment for the individual's lack of faith- it's the consequence of Original Sin.

[Hannah C.]

Since January, when my husband and I got married, we have had insurance which costs about $250/mo. I'm continually amazed we can afford it. It has copays for hospital visits and I think most dr visits would be out of pocket, but I'm not sure. We haven't used it yet for anything, but I know it will cover the big things.

 

Unfortunately, our insurance does not cover maternity because it is not a group policy. This means that I'm applying for Medicaid for pregnant women. Hopefully I'll be able to get it, or CHIP, which is the next level up in TX. My husband makes more money than would be expected, considering he is a waiter, and I'm afraid we'll make too much money to get on either. However, I already know which MW I am going to and the total price for all the prenatal care and delivery would be $4k.

 

Health insurance is just way too expensive. :(

[2squared]

We have insurance and feel it is a requirement for our family. If we couldn't afford it on dh's salary, I would go back to work to pay for it. We are a healthy family with little medical needs, but I couldn't risk our family's financial solvency by not having coverage.

[babysparkler]

Having faith in God does not mean a person shouldn't still act prudently. Think about Matthew 25:1-8, the parable about the women waiting for the bridegroom, some of whom were wise and took extra lamp oil with them, and some of whom were foolish & didn't.

 

I can certainly understand folks who are struggling financially having to make the tough choice to forgo insurance. I don't understand being able to afford coverage but then choosing not to get it. Maybe they'll get lucky & not need it, but I don't think that has anything to do with how much faith the person has in God. Disease is not God's punishment for the individual's lack of faith- it's the consequence of Original Sin.

 

Well said. :iagree:

[k2bdeutmeyer]

We've always carried group health insurance through one of our employers, but now that I am a SAHM and DH lost his job, our kids our on Medicaid and DH and I do not have insurance. We are barely making it as it is, no way we could afford private insurance. Especially since DH has what is considered a pre-existing condition (he has a spinal cord injury from 10+ years ago).

[krisperry]

To the original poster... be thankful that it is only $700.

 

$800/month was what I was quoted last month to cover JUST ME! And that is with a 2 year rider. So basically I pay $800 a month for two years before they start covering anything.... Yes, I have some health issues.

 

Do I think it is irresponsible not to have health insurance? Yes. Can I afford what has been quoted to me? Not a chance.

 

I am applying for the High Risk State Plan. That will still cost me $450/month.

 

My husband and children are all insured.

[duckens]

My father is a college graduate.

 

My parents did not marry or have any children until after my father finished college.

 

My father has ALWAYS had a job. Mom was a sahm until after I graduated and left home.

 

My father works hard; he usually worked a salaried position, but would go back to work on Saturday morning to get stuff done. From January - May, he did taxes for other people to bring in extra income. (He was a Public Accountant).

 

My parents have 3 children, not 7 or 8. The first two were planned; little brother was an accident.

 

We only ate out once a week: for McDonald's after church. Perkins Restaurant was a fancy restaurant that I didn't go to until I was a teenager and dating.

 

There were no issues in my childhood with money wasted on gambling, alcohol, or drugs. EVER. Not a single dime.

 

The last new car that my parents bought was 1977. It was last year's model from the lot.

 

I have never been to Disneyland, Disneyworld, or Yellowstone National Park. I never traveled out of the U.S. until I did so for work as an adult.

 

As you can see, my parents are good church people who live frugally and honestly. AND THEY COULD NOT AFFORD HEALTH INSURANCE UNTIL LONG AFTER WE KIDS LEFT HOME.

 

Seeing the muscle tissue from a cut on your finger, but knowing that your parents will not take you to the emergency room is.....well...you fill in the blank.

[lllll]

..

[Dayle in Guatemala]

We do not have health insurance. It's not been available to us since the kids were little (my oldest was 5 when we stopped being insured). While we were in the US, we were able to use public health for many things, including well baby checks for a small amount of money. We have a great public health department in our hometown in MN.

 

Right now, we aren't really in need of it since we live in an area where it's very affordable. Just today, my oldest had her tonsils out (long story) and we were in the hospital for 12 hours, had a private room and everything and the total bill was $850. We had excellent care!

 

But, isn't this all just a moot point anyway? I mean, soon, aren't we all obligated to have insurance or be fined by the government? Just sayin' is all.

[TravelingChris]

We have health insurance and will always have it as long as the UG Government provides it for military and retired military. I can understand someone not being able to afford insurance but deciding to not have it because of faith is foolishness and not trust in God. I trust in God and think that the Bible tells us to use our minds and take care of God's handiwork including ourselves. In my mind, that means having insurance to be able to take care of your self or your loved one if they have an accident or a serious illness.

[StephanieZ]

We have it, and have always had it, even when we were paying for it with student loans.

 

I think it is a basic necessity in the USA. Going without means you (or your child) may not be able to get non-emergency services. There are serious risks of premature death or morbidity d/t not being able to afford medical care.

 

So, I think that all responsible people should do all they can to have insurance of some adequate sort. Of course, life happens, and sometimes that is not possible. If I were in that situation, I would do my best to resolve it ASAP.

 

Personally, I would not choose to have (additional) children if I were not able to consistently provide them with the $$ & things I consider essentials, and for me, that includes ready access to all needed medical care. So, I wouldn't have kids if I couldn't provide insurance. That's just me.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

We have it, and have always had it, even when we were paying for it with student loans.

 

I think it is a basic necessity in the USA. Going without means you (or your child) may not be able to get non-emergency services. There are serious risks of premature death or morbidity d/t not being able to afford medical care.

 

So, I think that all responsible people should do all they can to have insurance of some adequate sort. Of course, life happens, and sometimes that is not possible. If I were in that situation, I would do my best to resolve it ASAP.

 

Personally, I would not choose to have (additional) children if I were not able to consistently provide them with the $$ & things I consider essentials, and for me, that includes ready access to all needed medical care. So, I wouldn't have kids if I couldn't provide insurance. That's just me.

 

I agree, to a point. But, for some people (us for example), they lost a job that provided the health care and other subsequent jobs didn't provide it and the state care we bought into for a few years stopped being affordable to us when our son was 2 because it went up substantially for us. Some responsible people aren't able to provide it like they'd like. But, because I was a responsible person, I made sure that we had access to regular check ups and other medical needs when we needed it.

[StephanieZ]

I agree, to a point. But, for some people (us for example), they lost a job that provided the health care and other subsequent jobs didn't provide it and the state care we bought into for a few years stopped being affordable to us when our son was 2 because it went up substantially for us. Some responsible people aren't able to provide it like they'd like. But, because I was a responsible person, I made sure that we had access to regular check ups and other medical needs when we needed it.

 

Of course life happens, and sometimes we can't do what we'd like to do. I tried to allow for that in my post that you quoted. . . "Life happens. . . etc."

 

I am all too well aware that most of us have insurance in a "there but for the Grace of God" kind of way. We own a small business and provide insurance for ourselves and a handful of our FT staff. (I think maybe 6 on the plan right now, plus a couple spouses.) As the one responsible for negotiating that policy every year, I am way-too-familiar with the limits of our current health care system. If any member of our little group became seriously ill, our rates would go up at renewal to an unsustainable rate right away. I am 100% confident that if any of our employed staff had a huge chronic illness (sick kid, major cancer, etc.), we'd lose our entire policy within 12 mos for sure b/c the rates would go so high none of our staff could possibly afford the increases (and we cover a set amount per staff member, which right now covers 100% of medical, but if it went up, the staff member would have to cover that difference. . .)

 

So, anyway, I know it is precarious for everyone, no matter how careful you are. I know my family could be w/o insurance, or more likely simply bankrupted by health expenses, if a medical disaster struck one of us just b/c the insurance system is so FUBAR.

 

B/c I know this so well is why I was so passionate about health reform and why I pray that it will truly help this situation as it rolls out in the next few years.

 

So, anyway, I don't at all mean to sound judgmental about people who are w/o health insurance d/t the complexities of life and our sick health system. I have complete sympathy for you!

[Dayle in Guatemala]

So, anyway, I don't at all mean to sound judgmental about people who are w/o health insurance d/t the complexities of life and our sick health system. I have complete sympathy for you!

 

 

You didn't! Sorry if my tone was a little out of line, I'm super tired tonight after being with my dd at the hospital all day for her surgery. I didn't mean to sound combative. Friends?:001_smile:

[StephanieZ]

You didn't! Sorry if my tone was a little out of line, I'm super tired tonight after being with my dd at the hospital all day for her surgery. I didn't mean to sound combative. Friends?:001_smile:

 

No worries. I am glad I did not offend!

 

Sorry you had a rough day! :grouphug::grouphug:

 

Absolutely friends!!!!!!!!

[Tap]

Dh and I have always had insurance since we were married, sometimes having dual coverage. We have always selected jobs that provided coverage. Over the years coverage has decreased, fees have increased but we still have good coverage.

 

I know families that are not covered and they budget for it or just deal with the expense if/when it occurs. Many companies will negotiate visits so it isn't as expensive as it seems for routine care. They also make more prudent choices about preventative care. I don't think it is irresponsible, I think it is an economic choice that people make. Just like not putting money into a retirement account, not having a savings, not having a long term emergency plan, not buying good/services with cash..... every choice made by someone else that is different from the ideal can be judged.

[mom31257]

We have health insurance (dh is a public school teacher), and we have a good plan for $200 a month. We did not have health insurance the first 3 years we were married, but we've had it ever since then. He worked in Christian schools for most of our married life, so there were times it was provided, but times we had to get it ourselves.

 

I think there are people who are responsible that just can't afford it, but I feel there are probably people out there that could afford it, but don't get it. The irresponsibility part, to me, is when people don't want to try to pay the medical expenses they do have (with or without insurance).

 

I know a lady who works in a hospital business office. Her job is to work with the accounts that have balances. She is allowed to write off bills under certain circumstances, but customers have to ask. She's not allowed to tell them. She has so many young adults come in asking for theirs to be written off acting like it's owed to them, yet many elderly on Social Security come in trying to work out payment plans. She wants them to ask so she can do it for them, too, but most of the time they never do. Writing off bills makes it all cost more for everyone. I think that is irresponsible.

[creekland]

We are technically not insured, but are members of Samaritan's Ministries, a non-profit Christian Health Share plan. We absolutely love it and wouldn't go back to regular insurance even if we could afford it.

 

When hubby and I first got married his job provided insurance. We paid co-pays. Then they went to PPO and I had to change doctors or pay extra. We opted to pay extra. There was no dental or eye coverage. Then he went into business for himself and we paid $600/month for private coverage with a high deductible. (12 years ago). Then we found Samaritan's and now pay $325/month with just a $400 deductible. Granted, regular doctor appointments come out of pocket, but the money we save monthly more than pays for them.

 

I'm happy now - and very content that the new laws passed let those of us in these programs keep them.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Of course life happens, and sometimes we can't do what we'd like to do. I tried to allow for that in my post that you quoted. . . "Life happens. . . etc."

 

I am all too well aware that most of us have insurance in a "there but for the Grace of God" kind of way. We own a small business and provide insurance for ourselves and a handful of our FT staff. (I think maybe 6 on the plan right now, plus a couple spouses.) As the one responsible for negotiating that policy every year, I am way-too-familiar with the limits of our current health care system. If any member of our little group became seriously ill, our rates would go up at renewal to an unsustainable rate right away. I am 100% confident that if any of our employed staff had a huge chronic illness (sick kid, major cancer, etc.), we'd lose our entire policy within 12 mos for sure b/c the rates would go so high none of our staff could possibly afford the increases (and we cover a set amount per staff member, which right now covers 100% of medical, but if it went up, the staff member would have to cover that difference. . .)

 

So, anyway, I know it is precarious for everyone, no matter how careful you are. I know my family could be w/o insurance, or more likely simply bankrupted by health expenses, if a medical disaster struck one of us just b/c the insurance system is so FUBAR.

 

B/c I know this so well is why I was so passionate about health reform and why I pray that it will truly help this situation as it rolls out in the next few years.

 

So, anyway, I don't at all mean to sound judgmental about people who are w/o health insurance d/t the complexities of life and our sick health system. I have complete sympathy for you!

 

:iagree: My previous employers had to contend with 20% to 50% increases in health care insurance every single year despite being a bigger group. How is that sustainable? It is not:( Therefore, I am grateful that healthcare reform passed and pray that more measures will be taken as well:)

 

I also think it is foolish to forgo health insurance when able to pay for it since as a nurse I witnessed catastrophe after catastrophe for people from all walks of life and ages:( These catastrophes easily added up to hundreds of thousands of dollars each. If someone willingly forgos health insurance when they can afford it or are eligible for government insurance and a catastrophe happens, then the rest of us end up picking up the tab in increased premiums and taxes.

 

Now if it is unaffordable then I would not hesitate to use government insurance which millions of people are grateful for IMHO. Government insurance has benefited our elders, the disabled, many children, and some of those unable to afford insurance. It certainly has not been private insurers who have benefited these populations IMO.