Is it irresponsible to not have health insurance?

I went to that site and like every other of those "order off shore ones" not one carries the high powered Arthritis drugs I am on, or have been on, the next one I am going to try is Orencia, but that is given IV. So I have to go into the clinic for that instead of just giving myself a shot once or twice a week, as was the case for Enbrel, and once a week for Humira. Very very expensive too~! At $1,500 for one months prescription filled, and under the drug Program Schedule D I would HAVE to pay 25% of that cost out of my pocket~!
But in the case of Orencia giving by IV, Medicare and my supplemental insurance coverage will pay for that~!

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End of discusion as far as I'm concerned. Take care of yourself and don't lay on charity from others...JMHO.

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"The most beautiful system of the sun, planets and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being." - Sir Isaac Newton
(A REAL scientist)

Part of that is that a lot of people don't take responsibility for their own care. When you see a doctor for something that you are confident is minor, but the doctor wants to do expensive diagnostic work, it's your place to decide what you need or can afford. If you don't do that, the doctor will have no choice except to drive you into the poor house to cover himself

Here's the deal. Say you are in to see the doctor for a headache, or being a little dizzy. He can guess that it's minor and medicate you accordingly, but he doesn't know for sure that it's not a brain tumor or a aneurysm without advanced diagnostics. The doctor will always recommend advanced diagnostics, regardless of how minor he suspects that your problem most likely is.

So when he recommends a $1700 MRI you are the one who has to put your foot down and say that it isn't going to happen. Your doctor will usually go along with that if he suspects that it's minor, since you are now taking responsibility for not having the MRI. If he doesn't go along with it then listen to him. If you say "yes" and can't afford it, but it turns out to be negative, you're the on stuck with the bill, not the doctor.

You can't really blame the doctor for making suggestions on the side of caution, but you're the one who ultimately has to take responsibility for your health care.

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YH I agree with some of what you say. However aside from being a liberal wishing to help folks and not having the ability to do it myself without govt intervention, being a Dr and thinking more cheaper out of pocket medical care is a good thing for everyone, knowing we can't go back in time and get rid of the inflated overpriced third party insurance system now in place, and thinking folks are not willing to budget what they ought to for this, I think (and the British Economist mag did the math on this a few years back to back me up, their article is what convinced me this way)

Nationalised health care will decrease the overall cost to the nation by savings to business and individuals and even taxpayers when we factor in the actual costs of healthcare at present, the costs of lost opportunities to businesses and workers because they will not expand a business due to health care costs or will not change jobs due to health insurance issues (not provided at otherwise better job or preexisting conditions would mean health isnurance did not cover as much for a year or so), and the costs to society overall because of lost productivity due to greater work absence and disability due to people's lack of use of health care.

Also the main problem with the current system is the profit motive. The only insurance company that does what's right over what's profitable is a nonprofit charitable or mutual association. The Blues long ago.

And YH- I don't pay millions in taxes (well I will by the time I die) but I sure pay over what the govt pays for us in services provided (unless you count DH's military pay). And am willing to pay more to get the rest of you helath care as good as mine (military) or AK's medicare.

So where does medicare fit into the picture of everybody against socialised medicine? It gives free-ish care to folks poor but with enough quarters medicare tax paid- we certainly lose money on those folks and probably do on the 'deserving' medicare recipients like AK as well.

My DH and I are older so we feel that we have to have health insurance. We farm and have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance - basically for any type of hospitalization of any kind just in case. Well in October I tore a the miniscus cartiledge in my knee. I knew it was torn but finally decided to have it checked out as the pain is really irritating and I wanted to see how bad it was. I put off going to the doctor because I have a $2000.00 deductible on my policy alone which runs $3700.00 every six months. Anyway, last month I bit the bullet and went to see the doctor. He proceeded to do xrays and an MRI. I just got the bill. Out of $1914.00 my insurance picked up $229.68 which leaves me with a balance of $1684.32 that they want payed by Feb. 18th. The doctor told me I need to have surgery to remove the torn cartiledge but I can't afford it so I am limping along and popping massive doses of ibuprofen on days when the pain gets too bad.
Something needs to be done about health care in this country. I don't understand why an MRI costs $1500.00 by itself. I will have to somehow come up with the money to pay this bill which I will do because I made the decision to go to the doctor in the first place but I really think that the insurance is a rip off.

No one knows when hard times will hit. As CindyOR points out, you can do everything "right" and still wind up in a bad way.

For all those who have never been broadsided by the hard times in life, I think you'd better "take a leap off the ship before you claim to walk on water." IOW, unless you've walked a mile in someone else's shoes, don't think for a moment you can stand in judgment of them.

For those who are suffering the slings and arrows of living in a fallen world, remember that it is all right and even God-pleasing to accept help from others. In fact, the Talmud teaches that it is the RESPONSIBILITY of those who find themselves in need to accept help from those able to help, just as it is the responsibility of those who have the means (however meager) to help those in need.

And again, shame on those of you who would deny basic help and care to neighbors in their time of need.

The two most important commandments were important enough to make it into all three synoptic Gospels.

Matthew 22:36-38
Mark 12:29-31
Luke 10:26-28

We'd all do well to remember them, and be reminded from time to time. I'm glad this thread was started, because I need the reminder, too.

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