Several of you have asked some really fantastic questions about this topic, so I wanted to do a breakdown of the who/what/why to these two different types of healthcare payment options.
Around 2008, people were fed up with expensive insurance rates that didn't actually cover medial procedures. (What's the use of insurance if you can't afford to use it?)
In response, government mandated that we all buy the crappy service.
I paid the tax penalty the first year of ACA rather than participate, and since then the tax forms have said I'm exempt.
No chance I'm supporting that bogus system, I'd rather pay a fraction of the cost as a fine. Last time I checked a few years ago, sky-high deductible minimum coverage would still have cost me over $2k a year. The tax penalty the first year was less than $200.
I see insurance in the Goodfellas motif... "Sure be a shame if something happened because you didn't pay us our protection money."
I'm up to about $500 in Establishment-medicine expenditures since 1995, not counting the $2k to amputate the smashed bone remnant at the end of my left index finger after a work accident in 2007 (which was covered by Workman's Comp.)
$250 of that $500 was to have a tooth cut out. $100 for a donation to a free clinic for a specialty blood test (negative, thank Murphy.) The rest was back when mediquiks cost $40 to run diagnostics for strep.
"I have strep and need an antibiotic."
"We need to run some tests to diagnose that."
"Tests say you have strep. Here's a prescription for an antibiotic."
and that $40 price included buying the penicillin/amoxycillin prescription. Once the walk-in-the-door price for mediquiks in Missouri went up over $100 around 2004ish, I found other ways to kill the strep infection I get once every one to three years.
I can't think of many situations where I would currently subject myself to a medic visit. Another cut and paste situation like the finger, maybe. Maybe not... I have all the tools they used for the surgery except an anesthetic. I refused a general and had them put a local on the arm, and even though they put a sheet between me and them, I saw their toolkit and heard what they were announcing as they did it, while I played with biofeedback control on the blood pressure/pulse readouts.
The way "medicine" has gone even more wonky and despotic than it used to be dissuades me from wanting to participate.
I will understand if you prefer not to be as specific as this question asks, but do you know very much about GoldCare.com? I'm trying to explore that. Honestly, I'm not trusting it that much based on the vagueness of the website. Thank you Doc Brown for all the great info in this post!
My wife and I are most fortunate to have care from a two physician group certified internist who left their hospital owned practice model to actually practice medicine. Their business model is simple $100 a month debit my credit card, one complete physical and hard to believe but all other Services are no additional charge. This includes almost instant access do to your physician by text email and usually when you text him with a significant problem he calls you back he sees you urgently if necessary. The only employee in the office is his wife who is a nurse. He does all needed exams including a complete history and physical. I don’t know how we found him but good luck to the rest of you for finding a physician practice like this. His practice closed within two months. Many of his patients are elderly send take a lot of time. I think that he would rather practice medicine than make a lot of money, despite the support of his family that includes five beautiful children.
This is amazing testimony! I totally agree with this approach. He gets to do his job, not push the corporate health agenda! You found a great one my friend.
I read about "Atlas MD, Wichita" many years ago. I loved the idea and felt it was well thought out and planned. I would have used their plan if I lived near there. We don't have a program like their's near me 🥺
I always thought that a similar program would have been perfect for most Americans. It covers most basics and is affordable for most EVERYONE.
While it wouldn't work for all, it would probably work for 80-90%, especially young people. Far better than Obamacare.
Thanks Jennifer. Truly health insurance in the USA is a minefield. fcUKdup is in a slow motion collapse of the NHS (National Health Service, currently paid for by a small weekly/monthly deduction from you pay packet.) to privatise all medical care & services. Then the same cash grabbing minefield will ensue there too.
I thought Obamacare eliminated catastrophic coverage, no? All health insurance now requires costly coverage of all kinds of things I don’t need. Or am I wrong ?
You can find catastrophic plans out there. Most carriers offer them. They are bare bones high deductible plans. They won’t call them catastrophic plans, however. My insurance is essentially a catastrophic plan. We pay very little per month for insurance but our deductible is 10K, and most providers are not in network. But if something bad bad happened, and I racked up a $500,000 + bill at the hosptial, I know I am only on the hook for 10K of it.
Wish I’d found such a plan when my catastrophic was changed and went eventually from $200 to $1800 per month! With $5700 deductible. I am now on Medicare. Supplemental plan is only $1300 per year. Of course, I’m now interested in finding an independent more naturopathic doctor, so I will pay cash and my Medicare will become my catastrophic backup!
Around 2008, people were fed up with expensive insurance rates that didn't actually cover medial procedures. (What's the use of insurance if you can't afford to use it?)
In response, government mandated that we all buy the crappy service.
I paid the tax penalty the first year of ACA rather than participate, and since then the tax forms have said I'm exempt.
No chance I'm supporting that bogus system, I'd rather pay a fraction of the cost as a fine. Last time I checked a few years ago, sky-high deductible minimum coverage would still have cost me over $2k a year. The tax penalty the first year was less than $200.
I see insurance in the Goodfellas motif... "Sure be a shame if something happened because you didn't pay us our protection money."
I'm up to about $500 in Establishment-medicine expenditures since 1995, not counting the $2k to amputate the smashed bone remnant at the end of my left index finger after a work accident in 2007 (which was covered by Workman's Comp.)
$250 of that $500 was to have a tooth cut out. $100 for a donation to a free clinic for a specialty blood test (negative, thank Murphy.) The rest was back when mediquiks cost $40 to run diagnostics for strep.
"I have strep and need an antibiotic."
"We need to run some tests to diagnose that."
"Tests say you have strep. Here's a prescription for an antibiotic."
and that $40 price included buying the penicillin/amoxycillin prescription. Once the walk-in-the-door price for mediquiks in Missouri went up over $100 around 2004ish, I found other ways to kill the strep infection I get once every one to three years.
I can't think of many situations where I would currently subject myself to a medic visit. Another cut and paste situation like the finger, maybe. Maybe not... I have all the tools they used for the surgery except an anesthetic. I refused a general and had them put a local on the arm, and even though they put a sheet between me and them, I saw their toolkit and heard what they were announcing as they did it, while I played with biofeedback control on the blood pressure/pulse readouts.
The way "medicine" has gone even more wonky and despotic than it used to be dissuades me from wanting to participate.
I will understand if you prefer not to be as specific as this question asks, but do you know very much about GoldCare.com? I'm trying to explore that. Honestly, I'm not trusting it that much based on the vagueness of the website. Thank you Doc Brown for all the great info in this post!
Thank you Jennifer! I agree - the current system is broken and will be replaced. The current focus is money instead of people. Peace. :-)
My wife and I are most fortunate to have care from a two physician group certified internist who left their hospital owned practice model to actually practice medicine. Their business model is simple $100 a month debit my credit card, one complete physical and hard to believe but all other Services are no additional charge. This includes almost instant access do to your physician by text email and usually when you text him with a significant problem he calls you back he sees you urgently if necessary. The only employee in the office is his wife who is a nurse. He does all needed exams including a complete history and physical. I don’t know how we found him but good luck to the rest of you for finding a physician practice like this. His practice closed within two months. Many of his patients are elderly send take a lot of time. I think that he would rather practice medicine than make a lot of money, despite the support of his family that includes five beautiful children.
This is amazing testimony! I totally agree with this approach. He gets to do his job, not push the corporate health agenda! You found a great one my friend.
I read about "Atlas MD, Wichita" many years ago. I loved the idea and felt it was well thought out and planned. I would have used their plan if I lived near there. We don't have a program like their's near me 🥺
I always thought that a similar program would have been perfect for most Americans. It covers most basics and is affordable for most EVERYONE.
While it wouldn't work for all, it would probably work for 80-90%, especially young people. Far better than Obamacare.
This is super helpful information. Thank you so much for sharing this.
This is really helpful . Thank you 😊
Thanks Jennifer. Truly health insurance in the USA is a minefield. fcUKdup is in a slow motion collapse of the NHS (National Health Service, currently paid for by a small weekly/monthly deduction from you pay packet.) to privatise all medical care & services. Then the same cash grabbing minefield will ensue there too.
I thought Obamacare eliminated catastrophic coverage, no? All health insurance now requires costly coverage of all kinds of things I don’t need. Or am I wrong ?
You can find catastrophic plans out there. Most carriers offer them. They are bare bones high deductible plans. They won’t call them catastrophic plans, however. My insurance is essentially a catastrophic plan. We pay very little per month for insurance but our deductible is 10K, and most providers are not in network. But if something bad bad happened, and I racked up a $500,000 + bill at the hosptial, I know I am only on the hook for 10K of it.
Wish I’d found such a plan when my catastrophic was changed and went eventually from $200 to $1800 per month! With $5700 deductible. I am now on Medicare. Supplemental plan is only $1300 per year. Of course, I’m now interested in finding an independent more naturopathic doctor, so I will pay cash and my Medicare will become my catastrophic backup!
I like your style!!!! 🙌🏻