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
Feeling ill yesterday and today, with a fever, slight cough, stuffed nose, sore joints. Taking dayquil and nyquil, and keeping track of my temperature every few hours. What temperature means "go to the hospital?" What other symptoms re: the cough and nose might man go to the hospital?
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posted by jsturgill
on Apr 22, 2013 -
28 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
I'm not sure if i should discontinue my health coverage or not, and how to handle it - and if there's any way to *temporarily* discontinue my health coverage.
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 30, 2013 -
8 answers
I'm trying to figure out the best choice for individual health insurance for myself, and I'd like to have it pay for my currently-out-of-pocket therapy, but I have questions about how this works. Does therapy count as an "office visit"? Do I actually want insurance to cover therapy? (I'm in the US.)
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posted by mysh
on Jan 17, 2013 -
10 answers
US-InsuranceFilter: How do I know if an insurance plan is grandfathered under the new ACA "coverage of young adults" policies? The insurance company is acting like it is, but won't answer direct questions about being grandfathered.
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posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug
on Nov 29, 2012 -
8 answers
I have recently
lost my health insurance. While it is possible I will be reinstated to
the plan I lost, which is provided in conjunction with my school, I need to be insured again ASAP, and I don't mind the possibility of doubling up on insurance for a short period of time. New Yorkers, do you know of any affordable (<$500 or so per month) plans I might be eligible for? I am a full time college student.
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posted by ocherdraco
on Apr 25, 2012 -
9 answers
AskMe: we need help. My girlfriend just found out that her health insurance was terminated for non-payment (she thought she had paid it, and when I get home this evening we'll double-check our accounts to see what happened.) Whether the error was hers or the insurance company's, the company has stated that it'll take them 10-14 days to know whether or not they can reinstate the plan regardless. She has a pre-existing condition (ADHD), so consistent coverage is very important - and Ms. MP is starting to freak out. What's our next move, and how do we get through this?
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posted by (The Rt Hon.) MP
on Apr 19, 2012 -
8 answers
Depression! But maybe it's hypothyroidism? Dr google tells me it might be cancer (ovarian or bowel) when I add in the other health changes I've had over the last year. Hope me? What do I ask? Who do I see? No insurance. Location and gmail inside.
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 28, 2011 -
13 answers
My brother was scheduled to have knee surgery, but has just lost insurance coverage. How can I help him?
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posted by Vorteks
on Oct 26, 2011 -
16 answers
How can I make the most of a loved one's unwanted hospital stay? I want him to get the best care possible, I want to avoid insurance conflicts, I want to support his recovery efforts, and I want to avoid going insane.
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posted by croutonsupafreak
on May 24, 2011 -
22 answers
I am looking for a general-care doctor, a gynecologist, and possibly a psychologist/psychiatrist in Chicago. Do you have any recommendations? Is there a website for this? A secret doctor directory? How does one go about finding
good healthcare?
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 12, 2011 -
9 answers
Health-care workers of MeFi: how do you act around doctors when you or a family member is receiving care?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 17, 2010 -
19 answers
I am on a high-deductible health care plan and have maxed out my plan year out-of-pocket expenses. Our plan year ends in 2 months. Since it won't "cost" us anything more out-of-pocket, what additional elective procedures or tests does it make sense for me and my family to get in the next 2 months?
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posted by QuantumMeruit
on May 13, 2010 -
15 answers
Explain the US healthcare system to me (an Australian) in easy-to-understand language.
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posted by micklaw
on Mar 23, 2010 -
29 answers
I was rejected for individual health insurance with Kaiser Permanente in Southern California due to the preexisting condition of bulimia. I have been told by Kaiser that I can appeal the denial by providing evidence that I have resolved the bulimia. The issue is I do not have much evidence and Kaiser gave me very little direction on how to proceed. If any of you have had experience with this, what type of information did you provide and how did you obtain it?
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 15, 2010 -
9 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
Many workplaces ban social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and so on. What are some of the reasons workplaces should allow (and even encourage) staff to use social networking sites?
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posted by Jaybo
on Oct 14, 2009 -
20 answers
I'm an American without health insurance, who needs (minor) dermatological care... how worried should I be that this will prevent me from getting private health care insurance in a year or so (denial due to prior condition)? And what can I do to prevent this from happening?
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 20, 2009 -
15 answers
I will be returning briefly to the US after 6 months abroad and I would like to partake in some of that wonderful US healthcare before I head back abroad. I have a couple of questions.
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posted by andoatnp
on Feb 18, 2009 -
13 answers
I don't understand why health care suddenly costs so damn much. I can understand a few factors - nurses' pay has gone up, new treatments are more expensive (and doctors prescribe more expensive treatments - sometimes
unnecissarily) but these factors don't seem to explain how insanely costly health care has become. And where is all that money going? Again, I understand that CEO pay has skyrocketed in the last 20 years, but is that enough to explain the enormous cost of health care these days?
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posted by serazin
on Nov 28, 2008 -
43 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.
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 3, 2008 -
5 answers
Best/accurate/easy to access sources of Central & Eastern Europe and Middle East / Africa (CEEMEA) news? Global newspapers or local? Which are best?
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posted by keasby
on Apr 16, 2008 -
7 answers
California legal/medical/ethical question: In advance of my going to the hospital to give birth within the next few weeks, I decided to download and fill out California's standard Advance Health Care Directive form, i.e. a living will (and to have my husband fill his out too, as long as we were at it). However, Google informs me via multiple sources that this form, even if signed and notarized, is
"not valid if pregnant". WTF?
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posted by Asparagirl
on Oct 21, 2007 -
15 answers
In short: how does my father, trapped in a hospital bed, get a private doctor and a second opinion?
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posted by electriccynic
on May 30, 2007 -
2 answers
Is homeopathy good for society? How should it be regulated? Are there any good studies to this effect?
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posted by Arcaz Ino
on Nov 21, 2006 -
24 answers
So I think I went out and got myself a case of gonorrhea. (Just what I always wanted!) What are my treatment options for getting this taken care of ASAP? I understand that it can generally be handled with a course of antibiotics... but how can I best go about getting them? I don't have a regular doctor right now -- I've just made an appointment with a new doctor for the end of the month, but I'd prefer to get on top of this before then (since leaving it unattended for more than two weeks seems like a bad idea). I'm a gay guy in NYC, so advice specific to that milieu would be superb, but in the name of creating a valuable reference thread I'd be interested to see information aimed at less specific contexts as well.
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 14, 2006 -
15 answers
Please help me determine the name and location of the best Western-style hospital in Hong Kong. I'm also looking for any other tips you can offer to someone seeking medical care there.
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posted by killdevil
on Nov 13, 2005 -
4 answers
The truth about national healthcare....
Every time the subject comes up in the US. It's my experience that someone has this knee-jerk reaction about the horrors of National healthcare elsewhere. I've always felt that such reactions were somewhat ridiculous...
Where does the truth reside?
posted by Shanachie
on Feb 2, 2005 -
51 answers
Are there any blogs/regularly updated web sites out there focusing on stem cells? I want to follow not only all the latest research (both successes and failures), but also ethics and related public policy so I'll know when to write my Congressperson.
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posted by Soliloquy
on Oct 10, 2004 -
8 answers
