[quote=zzz]Davelj…..Curious, how would you handle something life threatening but chronic, like cancer, yet not terminal (don’t qualify for Medicare) and requiring continuous treatment and even frequent hospitalizations…so proximity of care is important? I think you could burn through the 100k pretty quickly in the US with certain cancer treatments.
My concern with not having US insurance has less to do with typical things – IE a routine doctors visit as I wouldn’t have a problem paying 200-300 out of pocket for a visit, but more to do with if they discover something that requires ongoing treatment.
Have you looked at Anthem plans? I don’t know how young you are, but I took on an Anthem policy last year for a few months in between Cobra and the next job. In my mid 30s so I was paying like $80/month for a high deductible plan ( I think it was $8500). I’m considering going back to that as I’m on the better half’s crappy work plan insurance right now and paying $60/week for access to HMO insurance. I basically don’t use it at all.[/quote]
If that were to arise I would just use my Mexican insurance in Mexico… and go to TJ for treatments. I wouldn’t bother with the US system at all. (Also, my Mexican insurer wouldn’t pay for US treatment unless it was an imminently life threatening situation.) The proximity isn’t an issue for me, personally, as the hospital is a 5-minute drive from the border.
I think I actually had Anthem insurance several years back for a couple of years. What I recall is that the premium skyrocketed after the first year or two, then I moved to Assurance and the same thing happened – I locked in a reasonable rate for a couple of years and then they doubled it on my upon renewal. Then I just said, “This thing’s broken – I’m through.”
Normally, when someone says, “It’s not about the money; it’s the principle of the thing,” it’s actually about the money. In my case, the money’s not a big issue – the whole thing just began to irk me. It’s just all so nonsensical that I couldn’t allow myself to participate anymore. Now, if in 20 years we’ve moved to a more rational system then I’ll be happy to return… but I’d bet against that.
