ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
To offer some perspective about my views on US healthcare and costs, I am self-employed. My company does not provide for healthcare. I've been responsible for my own health care since graduating from college in 1986. From then until 2013, I bought a family-coverage policy from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Since 2013, my family has participated in a Christian healthcare sharing program - in our case, it's Samaritan Ministries. There are about four of these in the USA, the oldest of which has been around since the '80s (and that one had some problems back about 25 years ago). Under this plan, we handle our own medical expenses - everything from doctor's visits to medicines to eyecare. But if we run into a major issue, the members of the group cover the cost, less a $300 deductible. We didn't have to use that until March of this year, when my youngest child was hospitalized.
Since we handle our own costs, we negotiate with doctors. When we have an issue, we talk to them. They work with us. They appreciate being paid in cash (avoiding the cumbersome insurance market) and always give us good discounts. A friend of ours was quoted a price of $40,000 for a knee replacement. When he said he'd pay cash, the price dropped to $6,000.
My daughter had a serious (and ongoing, chronic) kidney issue when she was 12 years old in 2005. This made things very difficult for us financially for the rest of her childhood, partly because it's then we bought the business - carrying sizeable debt - two weeks before she got sick. But we've made it.
It's been a struggle for us in some ways but in most ways we're very blessed. We live in a mostly free, extraordinarily wealthy country. I had the freedom to choose what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it. I made many missteps. As a result, I drive a dented '99 Ford pickup truck that I bought in '99. I'm glad it's still running.
My parents lived through the Depression and my dad served in WWII. He never complained about freedom or health care or costs. He certainly didn't feel oppressed to live in a free country or that the health care system was unfair, draconian, for the 1%. I agree with him. I can't believe the level of belly aching that comes from a population blessed to live (mostly) in a time of peace and plenty.
Yeah, I'm optimistic. I'm glad to be right where I am, no matter what missteps I made and no matter what inefficiencies and issues there are.
That's a nice story.
As stated above, there's a considerable proportion of the population who don't have the luxury of having the freedom of choice of what. There is no choice.
; Julia Child
