- #1
kyphysics
- 676
- 436
Just wondering about this (as I have a ridiculous $7,000 health insurance deductible - I basically have a non-employer catastrophic plan):
Say you are a young, healthy person, who makes $50,000/year (assume an average American city COL) and you have to buy your health insurance on your own. Assume it costs $5,500/year in premiums. You see a doctor 2-3x a year (as I do). I've had years where I never went (except dental - I could have even skipped that as well, as I'm a disciplined flosser/brusher, but do it just in case). You have no major diseases or illnesses - nothing currently and nothing chronic. The typical doctor's visit is just when you have like a weird rash or food poisoning, etc. You don't have diabetes, HIV, etc.
Given that:
a.) doctors offer uninsured discounts - sometimes 50-60% off bills
b.) you rarely ever see them
c.) hospitals also offer uninsured discounts
d.) you can always buy health insurance later if you come upon some major illness (granted, you have to wait until the next open enrollment period, but that is at worst just ONE year away)
e.) you still have to pay up to your deductible before coverage begins
Is it ever rational/reasonable for someone to just skip it and go without it? Could you see this being a reasonable financial risk and where you would likely come out ahead from saved premiums/deductible payments?
And, what's the worst that could happen. Say, you found out you got HIV the day after open enrollment ended. You now have to wait a year before you can get enrolled again. Could you just rack up a bunch of medical bills and declare bankruptcy and then enroll next year? Doctors would still have to treat you, right?
_____ETA_____: Feel free to plug in whatever number there. I was just playing around with a number that might make sense for taking a calculated risk. Looking back, maybe $40,000/year would have been a better example.
Say you are a young, healthy person, who makes $50,000/year (assume an average American city COL) and you have to buy your health insurance on your own. Assume it costs $5,500/year in premiums. You see a doctor 2-3x a year (as I do). I've had years where I never went (except dental - I could have even skipped that as well, as I'm a disciplined flosser/brusher, but do it just in case). You have no major diseases or illnesses - nothing currently and nothing chronic. The typical doctor's visit is just when you have like a weird rash or food poisoning, etc. You don't have diabetes, HIV, etc.
Given that:
a.) doctors offer uninsured discounts - sometimes 50-60% off bills
b.) you rarely ever see them
c.) hospitals also offer uninsured discounts
d.) you can always buy health insurance later if you come upon some major illness (granted, you have to wait until the next open enrollment period, but that is at worst just ONE year away)
e.) you still have to pay up to your deductible before coverage begins
Is it ever rational/reasonable for someone to just skip it and go without it? Could you see this being a reasonable financial risk and where you would likely come out ahead from saved premiums/deductible payments?
And, what's the worst that could happen. Say, you found out you got HIV the day after open enrollment ended. You now have to wait a year before you can get enrolled again. Could you just rack up a bunch of medical bills and declare bankruptcy and then enroll next year? Doctors would still have to treat you, right?
_____ETA_____: Feel free to plug in whatever number there. I was just playing around with a number that might make sense for taking a calculated risk. Looking back, maybe $40,000/year would have been a better example.
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