I'm self employed. I need health insurance. My main concern is a random ER visit that will put me in debt for the rest of my life, so I told my wife not to worry about deductible prices, since I only need to go in once every few years anyway.
She found something with a $4,000 deductible. And that was like $80/mo. The other ones were even more expensive. Is this price range right? Is this the only way to protect myself from crippling debt?
posted by brenton
on Apr 29, 2013 -
31 answers
I might need to go back to work and I am thinking about a career change. I have held business analysts/planner positions in retail but while I enjoy the actual work, i don't enjoy the purpose/ field. Working retail is starting to feel a bit pointless, trying to sell more stuff to people all the time.
I am interested in taking my skills to a different field. Maybe a similar job but with a different goal. Namely healthcare administration could be what I am looking for. I'd would want to work for patient advocacy groups or in the government (ie: not trying to make an extra buck to private insurance). But to do that I figure I need to understand how the private system works too.
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posted by kirikara
on Mar 27, 2013 -
7 answers
How are things looking over the next few years as far as health insurance costs in the US?
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posted by crapmatic
on Mar 15, 2013 -
7 answers
My cat is sick. I have next to no money. Is there a really-truly-worth it pet insurance company you recommend? Or is there a place I can apply for financial assistance?
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posted by greta simone
on Jan 26, 2013 -
15 answers
I need advice about the possibility living in Northern Alaska, Kotzebue/Nome/north of the 65th parallel. I have about a million logistical questions, a little disorganized, including questions about mental health problems, medications, getting specialist care. If you needed medical care on a regular basis several hundred miles away, how did you arrange that? Lots of other questions about living in the arctic! Help!
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posted by circle_b
on Jan 3, 2013 -
12 answers
How do I get the most out of my new Health Services Account (HSA)?
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posted by apip
on Dec 17, 2012 -
8 answers
I recently received an unexpected medical bill in the mail. Should I pay it, or should I ask my parents to pay it?
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posted by anonymous
on May 3, 2012 -
37 answers
I have questions about applying for private insurance given that my family would like to get a quote (and hopefully a policy) so we can move to a different state.
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posted by questionsandanchors
on Mar 9, 2012 -
5 answers
Can I request a therapist shred my information/notes, or send everything pertaining to me, to me via mail?
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 10, 2012 -
9 answers
What is the dividing line between mid-skilled and lower skilled workers in the health care industry, besides a degree? Is there a consistent set of responsibilities, qualifications that set them apart? Any kind of consensus as to what it required?
posted by LeonBernstein
on Jan 6, 2012 -
7 answers
You're a young person, in your 20s or so, and you've noticed that quite a few of your similarly-aged peers & friends are in desperate need of care due to major mental and emotional health challenges - which are taking a toll on everything else. However, support services for this group are lacking. What could you learn or train in to be able to be a better source of support and care for your peer community?
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posted by divabat
on Oct 20, 2011 -
11 answers
I'm in the second week of a three month road trip in Wyoming with an infected tooth. I'm on a shoe string budget and I can't afford the extraction. What can I do?
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posted by chichimimizu
on Sep 14, 2011 -
20 answers
Amazing skin forever? At my ritzy gym I constantly see older gentlemen with the most amazing skin quality: smooth, clear, even tone, even lightly tanned. What have they done to get/keep this peternatual skin quality and what can I do now as a younger man to get it?
posted by The Whelk
on Feb 18, 2011 -
27 answers
Does there exist anywhere a database of medical procedure price lists to facilitate comparison shopping / competition? One of my local clinics offers a
price list on their website, albeit incomplete. I was wondering if anyone had taken the time to pull together a number of these. If not, someone should....perhaps a job for Google.
posted by grammalvsu
on Sep 15, 2010 -
7 answers
I have catastrophic health insurance for the catastrophes. But until I reach that $3000 deductible, I'd really like to pay less than I currently am for checkups and other simple doctors visits.
For example, I recently went in for an ear infection. My doctor took a look and prescribed an antibiotic. It took 10m and I got a bill for $200. I'm not here to complain about how expensive health care is -- that's pretty well established and has been done plenty already -- but what are my more affordable alternatives?
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posted by grammalvsu
on Aug 17, 2010 -
14 answers
How anyone (or anyone you know) benefited in one respect or another from the provisions in the new U.S. health care bill? I'm not asking this in Fox News-ish way, I am actually curious.
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posted by hiteleven
on Aug 4, 2010 -
27 answers
My 83-year-old mom is thinking of moving to BC to be near me, which I would love. She's a US citizen. (I'm a US citizen, too, but I'm a Permanent Resident of Canada) Does anyone know how my mother would deal with issues such as insurance and health care? I don't think she'll ever be eligible for health care in Canada, so she would have to have something to fall back on if/when she needs health care.
posted by otfence
on Jul 29, 2010 -
8 answers
Are employees of nursing homes and group homes (nurses, management, counselors) protected under the realm of workplace harassment laws when the harassment is from the family members of the residents?
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posted by jasonspaceman
on Jul 6, 2010 -
3 answers
Symptoms seem to match Cushing's Disease, doctors just don't believe it. Help?
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posted by ®@
on Jun 2, 2010 -
17 answers
Why isn't the new U.S. health care program a good thing? I am apolitical and a registered Independent, so I'm not looking for a two-party flame war, but having just read the list of things that health care will provide, the only possibly "bad" thing I see is that some people will be forced to buy insurance or pay a fine. But otherwise, these seem to be good measures. I'm not very savvy when it comes to current events, so what am I missing? Why are some people so angry?
posted by jackypaper
on Mar 23, 2010 -
50 answers
What kind of preparations can I make for the post operative effects of circumcision?
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 25, 2010 -
7 answers
I'm about to purchase private health insurance in the US. How, if at all, should the impending health care reform legislation affect my decision-making process?
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 17, 2010 -
3 answers
Had a beautiful baby girl a few months ago.
Previous baby due to excellent insurance cost exactly $0. This baby, with crappy Aetna insurance close to $4k. This is after deductible, and using a doctor that was non-preferred (which we paid more for) I am still puzzled how I ended up getting charged this much.
Anyway I got to thinking. Why is my out of pocket cost $4k for a birth with no complications? Why is the total cost for this birth $17 - $18k?
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posted by gnash
on Sep 4, 2009 -
39 answers
I suspect I am suffering from Depression and I have no health insurance or current source of income - how do I get help?
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posted by jnnla
on Mar 18, 2009 -
16 answers
How can a homeless person who has been injured (stabbed, for instance) expect to be treated at a U.S. city hospital with no money or health insurance? Surely they wouldn't let him bleed to death? And if they do turn him away, what are his options?
posted by Sully
on Feb 1, 2009 -
21 answers
I am trying to resolve some angry and anxious feelings I’m having about emergency medical care my husband received this weekend. Very long story inside.
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posted by jay dee bee
on Oct 26, 2008 -
28 answers
What are innovative ideas for healthcare to save money, increase efficiency and improve outcomes?
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posted by mintchip
on Oct 18, 2008 -
14 answers
YANMD: Self-diagnosed high-groin sprain. Chronic for more than six weeks, further aggravated when I tripped in the airport today. It seems that the negative stress of catching myself completely tweaked it.
39yo Caucasian male [more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Oct 3, 2008 -
5 answers
I am working as a home health aide in a private home and need some information about maternity leave. Details inside.
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posted by Snoogylips
on Jun 3, 2008 -
6 answers
How to advocate for and aid a desperately ill, uninsured man in California?
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posted by Scram
on Jan 3, 2008 -
9 answers
My mom went to visit my 96 year old grandmother in the nursing home today and found her slumped over in the wheelchair, drooling, clammy and unresponsive. The nursing staff said this had happened before (we were not informed then). They didn't think she had stroke, only possibly that her blood pressure had dropped. However, it was within normal limits when they got her back into bed. She was able to say "no", when asked if she was in pain. The only medication she is on is aricept. Aside from her age, what would cause her to lose conciousness like this?
posted by socrateaser
on Feb 19, 2007 -
14 answers
I'm trying to help out a friend /wout health insurance who needs some psych counceling in NYC. I remember hearing about something attached to a college, where it was $25 or $50 an hour. Any info?
posted by andrewyakovlev
on Dec 6, 2006 -
8 answers
Please help a small business owner find an insurance plan that covers maternity and isn't 700 a month. What have you used?
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posted by BrodieShadeTree
on Aug 15, 2006 -
9 answers
In a small company's health care plan (HMO), if a person has a lot of expensive claims, does it push up the cost of the plan?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 2, 2005 -
6 answers
Medical Professionals and Savvy Patients: what advice can you give for working with Doctors most effectively? If I'm not satisfied, should I look for new doctors, or revise my approach, or both?
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posted by weston
on Aug 17, 2005 -
10 answers
I've had this argument with a friend of mine today on the United states public health services, we both disagree and i turn toward metafiler for an answer. my conception of the way it works it that if you don't have any coverage or work insurance or any way to cover for the bill you don't get treated...final ! his point was that people can allway acces "public" hospital and get treated for free, the truth must be in between our two vision, would anyone care to comment the way it works to our free health cared canadian ass ?
regards,
selfsck
posted by selfsck
on Apr 5, 2005 -
57 answers
I'm in a profession where I am often speaking loudly *all* day, are there any good remedies for taking care of my throat/voice? I've found lots of tips on the web but am having a hard time distinguishing the worthwhile from the useless.
posted by jeremias
on Feb 10, 2005 -
24 answers
