# Thank goodness for health insurance!



## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

For those early retirees and want-bes who do not have health insurance and even those that consider heath insurance as not needed.
Could you afford this?

Due to a recent event at a scheduled doctor's appt I had the thrill of going to the emergency room at a local hospital.
Added cost of emergency care at the doctor's office - $236.xx (This does not include routine office visit cost.)
Transport to hospital - $xxx.xx
Emergency room/tests - $5,215.xx
Emergency room doctor - $xxx.xx

The $xxx.xx amounts = no bill so far.
My cash outlay - so far - $97.00 in mostly co-pays. 
Thank you insurance!!!!!


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

I cant argue that health insurance isnt wise thing if your provider is in network so accepts insurance payment as payment in full. 

However having recently priced health insurance, for policy with $1500 deductible, the policy is $3500 a year. So there is $5000 out of pocket before they pay dollar one. Oh well....

Still I know very well that if you have any assets and no insurance, they will clean you out first then drop you off at homeless shelter after they stabilize you. Capitalism is a harsh mistress and no sympathy for the poor. Yep they are required to stabilize you if you get gunshot or mangled in car accident. But you are screwed and tattooed if you need long term treatment for cancer or even kidney dialysis as hospitals are only required to stabilize you, not treat you long term. You will be made a pauper and lucky to jump through all the hoops to get put on welfare and medicaid in time for treatment, even though it would be much cheaper for taxpayer to just treat you and leave you with your own home and bit of dignity. Sort of same situation as using the prison system to deal with mental patients. Its really smarter in long run to treat them rather than imprison and torture them.


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## Big Dave (Feb 5, 2006)

I was taken by abulance to hospital last year. I self pay. What did you pay for your insurance up till you used it? I stick back some money in the bank fo emergencies. I pay my DR 45 dollars a month even if I do not go. When I do go I have unlimited office visits. I had open heart by pass surgery two years ago. Self payed that out also. Nuclear test was $400. Was told if I had insurance it would be 1500 dollars. Same for the surgeon and hospital. As for being in a nursing home or prison. There is no difference. Federal prison you get fuloughs. Nursing home you never leave.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Big Dave said:


> Nuclear test was $400. Was told if I had insurance it would be 1500 dollars.


How exactly are you supposed to plan when getting firm total price is like nailing jello to the wall? Usually several different flavors of jello from different bowls. American medical system sucks, the only way you come close to guarantee not to get financially wiped out is to have some sort of medical with no upper limit, where there is a network that agrees to accept whatever the medical plan pays as payment in full. Otherwise they just take what is paid then go after you for MORE, always MORE. Of course this creates conflict of interest. You want good care, but the insurance wants to pay the least and the medical provider wants the highest amount of profit. Guess who gets screwed in this scenerio?? It aint the insurance company and it aint the medical care provider..... And it aint your elected representative who has gold plated Cadillac medical coverage he voted himself as a benefit of the job. Who then turns around and takes lot campaign donations from representatives of the insurance industry and the medical care industry..... and pretends not to understand why everybody doesnt have his gold plated Cadillac coverage.


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## Big Dave (Feb 5, 2006)

I see your pain. There is no more debtors prison. It is not fair to the working stiff to get sick and have no where to get well. We are just going to have to do the best we can huh?


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

Good points with both views.......

I just posted what I've been billed for a medical emergency so far as maybe an eye opener for others... 

As to what I pay as a monthly premium; this year about $165 a month - medicare included. Is it worth it? Trust me I'll never pay into insurance as much as they have paid out....... so yes to me it's worth every penny.
Could I have gotten a "cheaper" plan -yep, could get a supplemental plan for zero cost so I'd only have to pay for medicare but - ahh, how's that go - you get what you pay for.........


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## Tatorbug (May 14, 2007)

I just had right total knee replacement surgery and my left will be done on June 14, if I can get this stubborn rash under control So far for the one knee, the bills are running in excess of $50,000--with a 5 day hospital stay and some PT included. I would imagine before everything is over at the end of June the insurance would have paid out well over $100,000 on my health care. That is why I am still working part time so I can stay in the insurnace group. I will be 61 at the end of May and plan to work at least another 2 years....My insurance at work--I am with a school system-- is a HSA type. My deductible is $2,500, which I made in the first 2 months with an asthma episode and my routine drugs. I am very thankful for insurance and will NEVER live without it. 

The way I figure it, once you retire you had better have your home paid for since in lieu of of house payment, you will be paying darn near that amount monthy for health care.

I have checked into private insurance and Nobody will insure me as I have too many pre-exsisting conditions....How fair is that??


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

Micheal said:


> Could you afford this?
> 
> Due to a recent event at a scheduled doctor's appt I had the thrill of going to the emergency room at a local hospital.
> Added cost of emergency care at the doctor's office - $236.xx (This does not include routine office visit cost.)
> ...


Up-date:
Transport to the hospital - $504.xx of which $100.00 was not covered by insurance. 
Something I did not know the ambulance service not only charges for useage but also a per mile charge - in my case $7.03 a mile....... glad it was only a 15 mile trip.....:thumb:
Emergency room doctor's bill still waiting on....... Was told by those in the know that it may be 2-3 months before I see her bill - oh well.

Sooo, out-lay (via insure/personal) so far for an "emergency room" visit about 6 Grand - ouch!!!!


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

Micheal said:


> For those early retirees and want-bes who do not have health insurance and even those that consider heath insurance as not needed.
> Could you afford this?
> 
> Due to a recent event at a scheduled doctor's appt I had the thrill of going to the emergency room at a local hospital.
> ...


In the last 10 years, I have paid out over $60,000 in insurance premiums and received $0 in insurance benefits. So you need to thank me for paying for your recent emergency care.


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## pumpkin (May 8, 2012)

No thanks due to you. You paid your insurance premiums for yourself just as others pay for themselves. Insurance works on a pot system. Everyone contributes to the pot and everyone gets to use from the pot if they need it. Many retirees have paid insurance for all sorts of things like house and car and medical and have never made a claim. That does not mean that someone whose roof was destroyed in a hurricane has to thank each of us. Those who paid taxes pay for those who have no insurance and retirees have sure paid their fair share. Way more.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Paying for health care is my biggest expense and my biggest concern when I finally get to retire at age 70 unless the robber barons take that away too.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Universal Healthcare or health insurance are extremely important but so is being your own health advocate. Taking care of yourself. You can practice prevention and follow up on monitoring and regular checkups.. There are more than enough recommendations on how to improve your physical and mental conditioning to suit everyone. It is not easy but what a difference even a little effort makes. My friend complained non stop about the pain in his knees and ankles. This prevented him from doing the things he loved to do. He lost 50 pounds and now is knees and ankles only hurt when it is raining. He no longer has to take blood pressure meds either. 

And today with the ability to "google" you can find out anything. The Mayo Clinic site has an explanation or answer for everything you could need - illnesses, drugs, surgeries, treatments, research.


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## wally (Oct 9, 2007)

We have always had health insurance. My DW works for our Doctor so it always made me mad each month the pay the ins premium, when our dr. visits were free and most medications.. Earlier this year I spent 2 weeks in the hospital, of which ten days were in icu. Total cost of my "holiday" were over $100,000...my share will be about $5000 .. cant afford insurance and cant aford to be without it.


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## thesedays (Feb 25, 2011)

HermitJohn said:


> But you are screwed and tattooed if you need long term treatment for cancer or even kidney dialysis as hospitals are only required to stabilize you, not treat you long term.


Medicare pays for dialysis regardless of your age. That's ALL they will pay for if you aren't otherwise covered, but the reason they do this is because when Medicare started, there were a lot of people who needed dialysis, which at the time was a fairly new procedure, and couldn't get it because they had no way to pay for it. They even pay for it for babies.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

The cost of my two cancer treatments has totalled just over $500,000. Cost to me - nothing. I thank Tommy Douglas and his plan for Universal Healthcare every day. I have paid income taxes for 40 years. The total amount of income tax I have paid is just under $700,000 averaging out to $17,000 per year. This tax of course has paid for everything to run my country and not just for Universal healthcare. I think it is a good deal.


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