I hate dealing with insurance. When you pay a premium, you are betting that you will need to make a claim. With health insurance, you are betting that you are going to get sick!
About eight years ago, I bought a policy with Fortis, one of the world's largest banking and insurance companies. At that time, we decided that all we needed was a major medical policy. So we choose a $2500 per person deductible and ended up with a premium of $191/month.
Since then, the rates have increased annually. Our agent would send us a nice little letter telling us that in order to continue providing "excellent service", a small rate increase would be taking place when our policy renewed. In the beginnning, it really was a small increase. I think it jumped $20 the first year.
Last year, our premium rose to $465/month. I just received the friendly renewal letter telling me our premium was set to rise to $590/month! Yikes!
That was the last straw. It is time to search for a new policy.
A friend referred me to an agent representing Blue Cross/Blue Shield. He visited with us yesterday and we have already filled out the application. We raised our deductible to $5000 per person/year. After all, we are hoping we never have to use it, but in case of a major catastrophe, we wouldn't have to go bankrupt.
Our new premium will be $260/month. And it is my understand that the new Health Savings Account policies will allow us to achieve an even lower premium with tax deductible status. I am still looking into this option.
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April 30, 2004 04:33 AM
Health Insurance . . . another reason why it's nice to be Canadian!
April 30, 2004 07:32 AM
I hear Dave Ramsey talking a lot on his radio show about HSA's - might want to check out some of his endorsed providers.
http://www.daveramsey.com/sa/health/
April 30, 2004 12:53 PM
Hate to say this Patriot, but you probably pay MORE for your insurance. The funds come from your tax dollars. On top of that, you pay with the long waiting periods for various procedures.
May 1, 2004 12:29 AM
Aaaahhhhh Mr. Mayor! I'm that fortunate one who has never had a surgical procedure or hospital stay and haven't had a sick day off work in the last 5 years. My wife, when her gall bladder burst, was admitted and operated on the next day. My best friend from childhood years moved his family to Erie, PA a few years back for a job. The health care issue was always a point of contention and was one of the things he expressed appreciation for when they moved back to Canada. High taxes however I will grant you, I paid 22% to fedeeral taxes on this week's paycheck. But you've got to make it to pay it . . . right?
May 1, 2004 11:18 AM
Certainly.. you have been fortunate! But this gets back to the age old argument of who is better qualified to provide service, government or the private sector? I will stick with the private sector every time. Competition breeds excellence. Government breeds a maze of burueacracy and corruption.
May 4, 2004 05:35 PM
Competition has certainly never bred corruption. ;)
May 11, 2004 10:48 PM
No, Joel, I do not pay more than you do for health protection. In fact the latest figures I heard is that Canadians pay less than Americans for medical treatment even when you factor in taxes. In fact, in western countries, its in the US that per capita health costs are the highest (four times higher, I heard).
As for the waiting for services: its not that bad. My wife and I drive cancer patients to the hospital on a regular basis, and the services are very efficient.
About another fallacy spread around by Republicans: yes, we do chose our own doctors, of course.
But the most important thing for me is that in Canada like in all other western societies, (except the United States), everybody has access to good medical treatment. No child must suffer through the night with an ear infection because his parents can't afford to have it treated. For this, shouldn't you be willing to wait a few more minutes in line for your own services? After all, it does take more time to service 100% of the population than 70% like in your country.
And yes, I would be willing to pay more taxes, if necessary to keep our wonderful system. (I think it is your great jurist, Oliver Wendell Holmes who said that "I don't mind paying taxes. They buy me civilisation." And we can't ever have too much of that can we?)
Am I alone in thinking like this? Au contraire. No politician would ever get elected in any position in Canada if he or she dared to even hint that he or she would consider dismantling our fair health care system to privatize it.
I hope we never lose the conviction that caring for one another is the only way to pursue true happiness. Even if it did mean doing with a little less, and waiting for it a little longer.
November 22, 2005 03:49 PM
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