Health Insurance

[Shotokan-kez]

Oh well thats good then Brian

[JackCrevalle]

One way to get cheap health insurance, if you can't get it through work, is to take a class at a college or university.

[Jiffy]

Here in Oz, we have a system much like the UK system, called "medicare".

Essentially, most things are covered by the government or at least partially covered. Some medications are also subsidised.

The exceptions would be things like elective surgery and stuff, or if you want to go to a private hospital. Also, optical and dental are not covered.

People do have private cover because they get better service, can avoid the ques and also get more cover, but if you don't have it, it doesn't really matter.

[P.A.L]

in general health insurance is sucks here, due to unbelievable adminestration costs. the good thing is , if something happens you will get the best treatment possible when you hit the emergency room, the killing bill will come later, if you are young then you can go bankrupt and not pay but for people like me it is out of the question, i have to pay to the last dollar to keep my credit. last time i broke my fibula, it cost me around $4000, that i paid 2000 out of pocket and rest was paid by insurance, my monthly payment is $125.

[AT]

One way to get cheap health insurance, if you can't get it through work, is to take a class at a college or university.

i am a college student...and i can get student insurance for about $600 per semester.

[bpoch]

I guess i'll just start taking classes once i get everything in order. Then stop if i feel it's starting to get to dangerous and start up again once i figure out how to get insurance.

Just keeping in mind it takes 1 freak accident to break something. My sister in law fractured her wrist just doing a kick on a pad being off balance and falling wrong.

[AT]

i think i fractured my wrist maybe 4 or 5 years ago but i never saw a doctor for it. Not really sure what happened to it, but I ended up punching a wall several times, and when i stopped, my wrist hurt like hell and the bone was sticking out a little more than usual. It doesn't hurt like it did anymore but it does hurt like i'm getting arthritis or something now. Plus that bone still sticks out more than it did before the incident.

[Jiffy]

That's the best thing about the Aussie and UK system, people don't think twice about going to a doctor....

[bushido_man96]

That's the best thing about the Aussie and UK system, people don't think twice about going to a doctor....

I do, but I just don't like going!

[Patrick]

Just a general note: it's important that this thread focus on health insurance, how to get it, how it factored into your decision to get into MA, etc. There should not be any talk of the general political circumstances that affect these matters.

Anyway, like others have said, it's just a good thing to have. You won't need it ... until you need it and then you'll be kicking yourself. It may cost you, but you just don't want to be caught without it, if at all possible. In my case, I was taken off of my Dad's insurance because he moved to a new company and I didn't qualify for their policy because of my age, income, etc. That was 3 years ago. I went for a while without it and then I checked out the largest health insurance quote websites. I typed my info into 2 or 3 of them and got a couple calls. I went with the one I liked best. There was like a yearly fee of $100 and a monthly fee of $225, just for myself. Health, no dental, etc. I think that's probably expensive, but I have heard that insurance in MA was expensive. I did that for about a year and a half or so.

At which point, we moved from MA (4 or 5 months ago - Dad got another job) and so I cancelled that insurance and I am back on my Dad's insurance with the new company because I qualify on the their plan, however that works. I'll stay on that as long as I can or until I move out (which will happen in the next year and a half), whatever is longer.