Health Insurance or Not?

For healthy people, high deductibles make sense. A $300 plan vs a $600 low deductible plan allows you to save or invest $300 a month.
The cost of healthcare is high because of many reasons, not the least are uninsured(who use far more than their share of healthcare), attorney$$$, lack of clear billing costs, and so many layers of compliance and paperwork.
Medicare for all is nonsense. The quality of care is atrocious. I experienced this growing up as a military dependent. The VA is always in the news with their waiting lists and patients dying because of it. Only an idiot or a Communist would think giving the government complete control of your health is better than making the choices for yourself.

 

It has been tried. Was a big movement in the early 80’s among mostly the high tech sector. No, it was not mandated or set by law or regulation.

Know a husband/wife team, both have graduate degrees. Both also are chiropractors. They have a chiropractic and health-wellness center. Yes, the are a for profit business. They have told me, outside of facilities, the number one cost is dealing with insurance. All the related processes to get an insurance company to pay the about 45% of the billing rate, takes 3 full time employees for their small practice.

 

But that was one, at the time, small sector.

I am talking everyone.

It hasn't/can't work because there is no real market for individual plans.

Imagine if every employee of every company with more than 500 employees was "given" a car to use while employed. How many car dealerships would stay in business? What options eoukdvsomeone have as to what type of car they drive- either thru their company or the open market?

 

I am not a big fan of socialized medicine in any way shape or form. We are fortunate that we have such good medicine and such good hospitals and doctors in this country. People come from all over the world to come here when they need operations or they need specialists.

But eventually in some way I think that we are going to have to have some version of socialized medicine.

The way that our health care system is set up is a complete downward spiral.

So you have X amount of people who pay into the system. Then you have many multiples of that number of people that use the system by going into hospitals and not paying their bills and not paying for coverage.

So you have a small amount of people that are paying for other people that are not paying.

At the same point in time, hospitals and insurance companies are for-profit businesses. So each year they raise their prices so that they can have large profits while the number of people that are actually paying for their policies are paying for everyone else plus the increased profits.

Every year it gets worse and it is a downward spiral to where no one is ever going to be able to afford coverage.

I disagree with socialized medicine, but I see no other way. This system as it is set up is self-destructing.

Hospitals and insurance companies dealing with health insurance should all be nonprofit. And in some way shape or form every American needs to participate.

If it continues as it is, in the years to come Simple low deductable catastrophic policies are going to cost $100,000 a year.

It is mathematically impossible for this to continue.

 

I find that Odd- Usually they give the cash Customers (No insurance) The way better deal..

I personally dont have Dental or Vision- I Pay Cash for dental work and eyeglasses/vision.

An extraction is usually billed $300-$500 per tooth.. They charge me $150 for any tooth Even wisdom which I just had one pulled.A good Cleaning $90 bucks.

Vision test $75- My eyeglasses or contacts $150.

My friend has no health insurance- And He prefers it that way becvause even if he's sick-The Doctor visit bPlkus meds (meds are mostly cheap for generics) Cash paying customers-- His ER visit $125 plus meds....

He Broke his Leg playing softball a few years back- Personal Doctor-Cast 3 visits.....meds etc..$680

Theres inexpensive care out there for those with no insurance- Dont be fooled.

 

The cash discounts are getting more and more common with the messed up system we have now. Had one urgent care i visited recents say they wish everyone would pay cash so they provided a price comparison for me. 140 to pay for the visit cash or 370 if i want them to go by my insurance (at the time) pricing.

 

Sounds about right