Owning my own small business resulted in my purchasing my own insurance @ 450+ a month in California.  Not happy spending as much as some folks spend on Rent.  However, the chances of my needing an expensive stay in a hospital at some point are quite high.  Being as I own aircraft that I rely on to pay my bills I have no choice.  Failure to pay any medical bills would result in the seizure of my aircraft.  Same goes for owning a home or any other significant asset.

It has gotten to be a crazy expensive world unless you choose to live in a box under a bridge 






 

I pay out of my own pocket for coverage.

I also pay half for one of my employees out of my own pocket. The shop covers it when it can but that's not all the time. We have pretty good rates and pretty reasonable coverage.

Quote from: Skybarney on June 24, 2013, 06:15:00 PM
Owning my own small business resulted in my purchasing my own insurance @ 450+ a month in California.  Not happy spending as much as some folks spend on Rent.     

$450 for rent? 

$450 for insurance isn't bad. My wife's company pays about $2K a month for our coverage.......... as part of her compensation. 

Quote from: Speeddog on June 24, 2013, 03:18:21 PM
Only if they can refuse the provided insurance and get paid that money.

When I was an employee, that option was not offered.

I disagree with that. What if your employer offers 401k matching contributions? If you choose not to avail yourself of that, is it not compensation that was offered to you?

And let's be realistic: when an uninsured person runs up a huge bill and doesn't pay it, the costs still exist. They don't vanish. The hospital puts those costs on other people, and also gets partial compensation from the state.. The doctors simply don't get paid unless they're hospital employees.. People in that situation are expecting others to foot their bill in a very real sense.

Please understand, I know that many simply can't pay an insurance bill and still keep a roof over their heads or provide for their dependents. Many of those might be riding because it's the only form of transportation they can afford to get to work. There are many reasons why people are uninsured. But if one CAN afford insurance and simply chooses not to as a gamble to put more money in his or her own pocket, well, that's a little self-centered in my opinion.

Btw, I admit I did this when I was younger. I also admit I was even more self-centered in those days than I am now 

Quote from: swampduc on June 24, 2013, 07:14:37 PM
I disagree with that. What if your employer offers 401k matching contributions? If you choose not to avail yourself of that, is it not compensation that was offered to you?

And let's be realistic: when an uninsured person runs up a huge bill and doesn't pay it, the costs still exist. They don't vanish. The hospital puts those costs on other people, and also gets partial compensation from the state.. The doctors simply don't get paid unless they're hospital employees.. People in that situation are expecting others to foot their bill in a very real sense.

Please understand, I know that many simply can't pay an insurance bill and still keep a roof over their heads or provide for their dependents. Many of those might be riding because it's the only form of transportation they can afford to get to work. There are many reasons why people are uninsured. But if one CAN afford insurance and simply chooses not to as a gamble to put more money in his or her own pocket, well, that's a little self-centered in my opinion.

Btw, I admit I did this when I was younger. I also admit I was even more self-centered in those days than I am now 

I can attest to the riding as the only form of transportation. That was me a number of years ago. rain, shine, heat, cold, grocery shopping, whatever. If I wanted to get there, I rode the motorcycle. fortunately I was covered by employer insurance. I wish they would have paid me more though, but that's a different matter.

Quote from: ducpainter on June 24, 2013, 01:15:30 PMIf we truly thought outside of ourselves we wouldn't ride.

^^ This.

Quote from: Skybarney on June 24, 2013, 06:15:00 PMIt has gotten to be a crazy expensive world unless you choose to live in a box under a bridge 

Hey, leave the "world" out of this  . 

In some of the world this particular issue.... just doesn't arise.

I rode my Duc and other bikes w/o health insurance for a short time.  Was so hard to enjoy the ride knowing I had to be so careful not to wreck or crash.   

Of course now that I have health insurance again, I haven't spent nearly the same amount of time riding.   

Quote from: ducpainter on June 24, 2013, 01:15:30 PM
Whether you have insurance or not death or debilitation will affect those around you.

If we truly thought outside of ourselves we wouldn't ride.

Yes they will, but being insured makes those effects less by removing the financial burden on those around you.  It is the difference in "surprise! your S.O. is dead and by the way you still have that house payment to make, but now on your own" versus "surprise! your S.O. is dead, but here is a big insurance check that will pay off your house."

"If we truly thought outside of ourselves we wouldn't ride. live under a cake plate."  There is a lot more shit out there that can kill you than 

Quote from: ungeheuer on June 24, 2013, 11:50:58 PM
^^ This.
Hey, leave the "world" out of this  . 

In some of the world this particular issue.... just doesn't arise.

Hopefully we will be joining the rest of the modern industrialized world soon. lol

(Groin cup in place)

BTW Low Thud, your avatar is a huge turn on.  Damn it change it already I can't take it. 

Quote from: Drjones on June 25, 2013, 11:44:45 AM
Yes they will, but being insured makes those effects less by removing the financial burden on those around you.  It is the difference in "surprise! your S.O. is dead and by the way you still have that house payment to make, but now on your own" versus "surprise! your S.O. is dead, but here is a big insurance check that will pay off your house."

"If we truly thought outside of ourselves we wouldn't ride. live under a cake plate."  There is a lot more shit out there that can kill you than 

We're not talking about life insurance here.

Since when does health insurance pay a death benefit?  You must have one awesome policy.

True...we all die...from something. Some things are beyond our control. The choice to ride is within our control. You can't deny that riding a motor cycle increases the chance of that death being premature.

There are no health insurance premiums in Sheol.

Quote from: ducpainter on June 25, 2013, 01:55:33 PM
We're not talking about life insurance here.

Since when does health insurance pay a death benefit?  You must have one awesome policy.

True...we all die...from something. Some things are beyond our control. The choice to ride is within our control. You can't deny that riding a motor cycle increases the chance of that death being premature.

insert "skin graft, broken bone, collapsed lung, other multi $k medical expense" for "death" and insert $ to keep from defaulting on financial obligations for paying off home.  Same thing and goes back to my original post stating that everyone should have at least major medical PLUS term life. Mitigating negative financial impacts to those closest to us is also within our control.

Walking across a wet parking lot filled with floodlights during a thunderstorm also increases the chance of premature death.  I've personally known of three people who've died from lighting strikes during that event.

Quote from: Drjones on June 27, 2013, 01:53:17 PM
  I've personally known of three people who've died from lighting strikes during that event.

Sir, I am pleased to not make your acquaintance.......  Scary bad luck as I have never known of anyone hit, much less three 

I nearly got hit by a lightning ground strike when I was a kid. I was at camp, and the archery instructor had just warned us that ground strikes do occur in the area, and if we felt a sudden 'staticy' feeling that we should run and stand under a tree or get inside. Sure enough, later that day I felt a sudden static build up and ran. The ground got hit where I was standing. If I hadn't been at archery earlier that day, I woulda got fried.

Even everyday life can turn out deadly. Make the best of it!