Must Have Insurance #1: Health Ins.

The number of people I meet who don’t carry health insurance is unbelievable. Seriously, unless you are intentionally trying to ruin you and your families lives, buy the freakin’ insurance!

And stop worrying about the policy covering a visit to the walk-in clinic for a headcold, because a headcold isn’t going to bankrupt you. It’s the car accident and a 5-day hospital visit that you need to be worrying about!

a disclaimer »
To be clear, this is not my attempt at entering the healthcare debate. My opinion on how our system should be changed isn’t going to help you make better decisions with your money and to keep you from cutting corners today. Now…

the facts »
The National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA.org) reports the average hospital stay costs between $50,000 and $250,000. If you don’t have that kind of money laying around, then it’s time to get serious about making room in your budget for health insurance. Believe me, I understand that it can be expensive and confusing, which is why you should always get in touch with a Health Insurance ELP. They all have the heart of a teacher and will help you find the best plan possible for your situation.

a cost example »
Just to give you an idea of how affordable heath coverage can be, I pulled an instant quote from Zander Insuance… Did you know the average 35 year old can get a catastrophic policy for less than $50 a month that pays 100% after the $7,500 deductible? Not only that, it also covers 4 office visits a year at $35 including diagnostics and x-rays, 50% for prescriptions, 100% for Well Child Care/Annual Well Care/Annual Well Woman Care at $35 a visit, 100% for mammographys/cancer screenings/prostate exams/immunizations, and 100% for hospice care… for under $50 a month!

another option »
If you have a really healthy family, the Health Savings Account (HSA) may work well for you. Jenny and I love it! To learn more about it, check out my post: How I Got Free Healthcare in 2009.

an aside »
Now, there are two groups of people I want to speak directly to. First, if you’ve made bad decisions in the past (or present) by smoking, drinking, or not caring for your body which has led to being overweight or having diabetes, for example., then I wouldn’t insure you either. Insurance is a business, not a church. The purpose of business is to turn a profit, so why in the world would they accept you when you’re going to cost more than you make them? That’s just bad business. If this sounds like you and you don’t like your current scenario, then get proactive. Start making better life-decisions, come to terms with the fact that you are not entitled to have health insurance (in fact, the only 2 things all of us human beings are entitled to is death and Hell—count anything else as a blessing!), and then go pick up a copy of John Miller’s QBQ. It’s called personal responsibility. You made your bed, now shut up and lay in it.

Hey guys, thanks for all the comments! After reading them, I’m afraid that I came off way too insensitive—which was not my intention. My family has always had health problems, so I really can empathize with you on this. I hate spending so much on insurance too, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s an essential insurance to carry. My wife and I have both made some poor health decisions in the past which we are dealing with—again, this is 100% about personal responsibility, 0% about entitlement. Hope this clears things up.

However, if you have been diagnosed with cancer in the past or have some other uninsurable pre-existing condition that you’re of no fault for contracting… I’m terribly sorry and I empathize with you. But I don’t have a good answer for you. This is where I personally believe members of the Church need to step-up and out-give the government.

the challenge »
A new Harvard study reports a lack of health insurance is linked to 45,000 deaths a year in America. You and yours are too important. Start investigating what needs to happen for you to carry either a catastrophic plan and/or an HSA.