Oh by far this one of the biggest concerns. Explosions in prices with regards to surgeries, exams, and co-pays.

Oh what I know, this was not looked at in the new HCR bill.

The reason why the premiums are so high in those states compared to most other states is that they have state mandated guaranteed issue rules that force insurance companies to cover pre existing conditions (this means that many people choose to go without insurance and then just wait until they get a really expensive illness and then decide to apply for coverage knowing that the company will be forced to cover them).

In all other states there are already Federal HIPAA laws that require companies to cover pre existing conditions BUT only if the person has dome the responsible thing maintained continuous coverage.

You might actually be surprised at just how cheap a comprehensive major medical health insurance plan is from a quality company (United Healthcare, Blue Cross, Humana, etc.) especially if you are young and healthy. There are many quality plans that provide comprehensive coverage of up to $5 million for around $100 for someone aged 18-25. Sure, finances might be tight while working as a waiter or other lower paid position but finding a way to come up with an extra $25/week for health insurance to protect against the almost certain bankruptcy of a large medical bill and no insurance is a pretty smart decision. Sure, it might mean working one extra shift a month to come up with the $100 but even someone younger with a low paying job can certainly find a way to make an extra $100/month.

You make a great point and I totally agree with the need for healthy living and prevention. I think that we have to be careful to not swing too far in that direction though and think that just because we live a healthy lifestyle that we do not need a comprehensive health insurance plan. Things can and do happen outside of our control and these things can be financially ruinous if one does not have adequate health insurance from a trusted provider.

Very true – that is why I cannot stress enough the importance of doing your homework and also sticking with a large and trustworthy company like a United Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, etc. There are many people who purchase what they think is true comprehensive major medical health insurance but in reality it is just a plan from a suspect company that is full of limitations like calendar year limits, procedure limits, etc.

The recent healthcare debate in the US has brought to light many stories where people had insurance coverage but insurance companies found ways they could dump the payments on their former customers. Now, this could very well be a very small minority of cases inflated by media sources. Regardless, situations like that show that you can be extremely responsible and still not be adequately covered.

When we buy car insurance, we still pay to have our oil changes, we still pay to have the car tuned up, we still pay to have the tires changed, so on and so forth. We even make sure to take time out of our busy schedules to make appointments for all of these.

Unfortunately, we fail to treat our bodies as well as we do our cars. We need to eat well, move well and think well to promote health.

80% of chronic disease is related to diet and lifestyle. 20% to genetic factors. Of the genetic factors, only 1-2% cause critical illness, the rest are dependent again on the diet and lifestyle.

Expression of those genes is what matters and chemicals in our food and environment literally talk with our genes to tell them to turn on or turn off, to replicate correctly or with errors.

I was spending $80 a month out of pocket without insurance, but wanted to be protected with insurance…started looking up plans was finding them for $120 and up per month. It didn’t make sense to me, especially when that still didn’t account for co-pays, % prescription drugs, deductible, etc. So I went with a high deductible plan and HSA account for $66 a month that includes a discount dental card and then put at least $30/month away in my HSA account.

When I have a more stable income I will max it out for sure. I also eat fresh organic vegetables with every meal, I exercise almost daily, and I take 10-20 minutes each day to meditate. This is the health insurance we need.