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State of US healthcare - what we can do to not go bankrupt when we're sick

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Fletcher:
My personal plan if I find I have a terminal disease is to go out on my terms - coupla bags of dope sharp syringe - and a really [REALLY] nice dinner with a few close friends before my health care exit strategy.

I know there are some who want to do the hospital / hospice exit plan... and that can get brutally expensive.  Forcing families to sell homes [etc.] to meet the medical bills from hell.  

I've heard of insurance plans with "spending caps" - and other evil shit like that.  At the moment, I'm unemployed and have zero health care.  Before I moved back to the US in December and was living in the EU - I actually had no health insurance there either [subsequent to the termination of my employment] - but was under the understanding [or maybe I just wanted to believe it] that health care was considered a right - and while the care would have been bottom of the barrel - at least some would have been available.

There is a thread in Whatever Works that has turned into - or begun to turn into a discussion of healthcare in the US.  This was not the primary thrust and focus of what the thread should have been - hence I started this thread so some of our membership who feel strongly on this subject can discuss this topic without derailing the Roger Nichols thread.

Please feel free to discuss - vent - suggest to your hearts content here.

Peace.

Tidewater:
Thanks buddy. I hear you, and 'me too'.

Before I even go up to WW, let me throw a bit of brevity on the pile before I lose my thought.

All the profits from the top 10 last week couldn't pay for one person's cancer treatments.

bjornson:
My personal suggestion?
As a parent with four kids, health care decisions/expenses are the highest priority.
Before the new car, house, gear, vacation etc.
If you're self employed, research your options carefully and buy into a quality health insurance plan with a great history before you get sick.
There are good plans out there. Be prepared to pay!
Make use of the COBRA system between jobs.
Ditto on a very large QUALITY life insurance policy.
While that doesn't guarantee anything, it helps me sleep at night knowing I tried to minimize my family's risk through smart decision making and  healthy living habits.
I consider these two (large) monthly payments a critical part of my financial plan.
The system is broken no doubt. But I've got to cover my ass now to the best of my ability.
I also try not to forget that the first group health insurance plan is only 150 or so years old.

Jay Kadis:
I've had Kaiser Permanante health care since I was born.  It's non-profit and, while far from perfect, has continued to provide what I need at an affordable price.  We can argue about personal responsibility for our health maintenance, but accidents and unavoidable diseases strike often enough to make a comprehensive system that addresses everyone's needs a necessity.  Removing the profit motive from health care seems to me to be the first step towards a maximally functional while still affordable system.

Les Ismore:
I'm from Canada so I find it amazing that the US has such a backward health care system.  I had a very bad disc problem a few years ago. I went to emergency (because I was told if I stayed out and waited for tests it would take a long time) and got an mri that night. I had to stay in the hospital for 2 weeks to wait for a surgery slot because it wasn't life threatening (if I went home to wait I would lose my spot in line and it would take a long time). 2 weeks later I had spinal surgery, 2 days after that I was home.
total cost...........
$0.00

put that in your pipe and smoke it.

My dad died of lukemia a couple of years ago. And it did not bankrupt the family. He spent his final days in hospital with proper care, and then in hospice. It was still tough. It always is. But it didn't cost anything. And his life's savings weren't given to some awful corporation just to give him basic hospital care when he needed it.

I think that the way these corporations have the americans by the balls is disgusting and evil. It's time for you yanks to get angry and take control back from the corporations. Quit being a bunch of pussies. Really.

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