eclectics said:
This is so true. My son's doctor recently ordered a CT scan for him. We are fortunate to have health insurance even though it's very costly at $2,000 per month with a $1,000/person deductible for husband, wife, and 3 children in good health (yes, that is the most affordable we could find as we are small business owners who are not part of a large group). Back to the story...when the nurse learned we have a $1,000 deductible which had not been met, she gave us the names of several local facilities that perform CT scans and told us to call them and ask for the price WITHOUT insurance. The cost without insurance was $735. However, to get the CT scan for this price, we were required by the facility to sign an agreement NOT to file this procedure with our carrier as a claim--even though the purpose would be to apply it to the deductible in case something else/procedure, etc is needed later. They explained that $735. is their NON-INSURANCE rate and that they have a different negotiated rate with the insurance carrier. So, we paid them $735. instead of $1,000. Sorry to sound like a whiner, but this isn't fair or moral in my opinion. I never want to be uninsured as we might experience a catastrophic event some day. The uninsured do have very few options: pay less (which may still be beyond their means) or don't pay at all. By the way, it was necessary for us to charge the $735. to a credit card which was not paid in full when the statement came because we didn't have the funds. And, it's not because we're taking trips to Disney World or anywhere else. We rarely take time off--period. It's because we have three children who are in college (who share the expenses), business hasn't been great and our operating costs are increasing, and because basic LIVING IS EXPENSIVE. I'm not referring to steak and lobster for dinner or eating lunch out. I'm talking mortgage payments, insurance, food, utilities, and clothing. Hopefully, you get the picture. Please don't judge others unless you really have the complete picture of their situation. Remember, life can change in a moment and while it's true there are many choices to make in life, sometimes we don't get to make a choice. Most people wouldn't chose to lose a job, lose their pensions, or suffer personal catastrophic illness. And, many people don't save money for an emergency because they are living paycheck to paycheck. I'm sorry to have rambled here, but to those who sit in personal judgment of others (and I want to make it clear I'm not referring to the OP I quoted above), situations aren't always "black and white" regardless of how YOU see them.
Your kidding right? So it's my responsibilty to create a safety net for my friends & family? Gee if I'd known this, maybe I wouldn't have worked so hard to create my own safety net over the years. What happened to personal responsibility?
She proceeded to charge up a storm, on top of student loans. She got a great paying job after college but got laid off due to 9/11 and it took her 4 years to find a new job, she spent those 4 years temping for $12 an hour with no health insurance. She was just barely keeping her head above water. She had every intention off paying all back, she was doing everything she could to avoid bankruptcy. This spring she landed in the hospital for a week, only 2 weeks before she would have started a job with health insurance.
