4 ms·

> Personally, due to experienck, I prefer to forego insurance and get my healthcare abroad. Better prices than paying deductibles, better services. But I can no

by 394549 8y ago

> Personally, due to experienck, I prefer to forego insurance and get my healthcare abroad. Better prices than paying deductibles, better services. But I can not recommend that for everyone. If you're in the US, that choice could bankrupt you if you ever need major emergency medical care, because of an accident or some condition requiring emergency surgery, like a brain hemorrhage. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/magazine/those-indecipherable-medical-bills-theyre-one-reason-health-care-costs-so-much.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/magazine/those-indecipher...

1996 8y ago
I am lauching my business, I need more money NOW. Healthcare abroads cover everything (eyes, teeth...) and is much cheaper than a deductible even when paying everything cash. And no weird haggling with the insurance or provider to see what is covered, what is not, what is the copay, etc. This may not cover edge cases, but for most of my personal financial decisions, I follow the example set by governments around the world: I spend in the present without caring too much about future, betting on growth of my resources. In other words, if I do have a brain hemorrhage, the last of my worries will be bankrupcy. Why should I bother? If I fail my business, I will be bankrupt anyway.
- 5874-4b22-a4e0 8y ago
  Which country?
  - 1996 8y ago
    In this thread, all of our user id are numbers, which means we prefer not to share too much details. This is one of these details.
- supertrope 8y ago
  Uninsured are often refused treatment. Consequence is you die unnecessarily. Depleting your net worth compounds the stress of sickness or injury, effectively choosing between your money or life. At least get a catastrophic plan with a high deductible.
rhombocombus 8y ago
My father went from having a comfortable nest egg to living on social security alone because he was unable to get insurance before the ACA. All it took was a trip to the emergency room and a heart catheterization, followed by another procedure a couple days later and he was penniless.
- 1996 8y ago
  I wonder: did he go to court at any moment? Or did he just caved in and accepted to cough up the money? Based on my experience, in the US, people rarely fight their debts. I have had debt go to collection before, I disagreed with it so I sent the collector a friendly letter saying the debt came from a breach of contract by the other party, so I will not pay it, and will be happy to go to court if they want. It is very rarely worth the time for collectors. The debt will just eventually be resold, penny on the dollar. In the very unlikely case it ends up in court, based on some friends experience, it can take a long long time for the problem to be resolved - if ever, because our lifetimes are finite.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- staticautomatic 8y ago
  Unfortunately, most Americans don't know that bankruptcy courts will almost always protect retirement savings. If you're staring down a giant health care bill and have only retirement funds to pay for it, you should just file for bankruptcy. You'll almost certainly come out of it with your retirement savings intact.
  - ThrustVectoring 8y ago
    It's state dependent and retirement account dependent, too. 401(k) and other employer sponsored plans have better protection than IRAs. Texas, for one, has unlimited protection for IRAs, as well as protection on accounts funded by withdrawing from your IRAs.
mkirklions 8y ago
>If you're in the US, that choice could bankrupt you This is literally the point of bankruptcy... The system is designed to save people who would otherwise be rejected care or put into slavery/debtors prison. How many safety nets do we need?

by 394549 8y ago

1996 8y ago

I am lauching my business, I need more money NOW. Healthcare abroads cover everything (eyes, teeth...) and is much cheaper than a deductible even when paying everything cash. And no weird haggling with the insurance or provider to see what is covered, what is not, what is the copay, etc. This may not cover edge cases, but for most of my personal financial decisions, I follow the example set by governments around the world: I spend in the present without caring too much about future, betting on growth of my resources. In other words, if I do have a brain hemorrhage, the last of my worries will be bankrupcy. Why should I bother? If I fail my business, I will be bankrupt anyway.

5874-4b22-a4e0 8y ago
Which country?
- 1996 8y ago
  In this thread, all of our user id are numbers, which means we prefer not to share too much details. This is one of these details.
supertrope 8y ago
Uninsured are often refused treatment. Consequence is you die unnecessarily. Depleting your net worth compounds the stress of sickness or injury, effectively choosing between your money or life. At least get a catastrophic plan with a high deductible.

rhombocombus 8y ago

My father went from having a comfortable nest egg to living on social security alone because he was unable to get insurance before the ACA. All it took was a trip to the emergency room and a heart catheterization, followed by another procedure a couple days later and he was penniless.

1996 8y ago
I wonder: did he go to court at any moment? Or did he just caved in and accepted to cough up the money? Based on my experience, in the US, people rarely fight their debts. I have had debt go to collection before, I disagreed with it so I sent the collector a friendly letter saying the debt came from a breach of contract by the other party, so I will not pay it, and will be happy to go to court if they want. It is very rarely worth the time for collectors. The debt will just eventually be resold, penny on the dollar. In the very unlikely case it ends up in court, based on some friends experience, it can take a long long time for the problem to be resolved - if ever, because our lifetimes are finite.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
staticautomatic 8y ago
Unfortunately, most Americans don't know that bankruptcy courts will almost always protect retirement savings. If you're staring down a giant health care bill and have only retirement funds to pay for it, you should just file for bankruptcy. You'll almost certainly come out of it with your retirement savings intact.
- ThrustVectoring 8y ago
  It's state dependent and retirement account dependent, too. 401(k) and other employer sponsored plans have better protection than IRAs. Texas, for one, has unlimited protection for IRAs, as well as protection on accounts funded by withdrawing from your IRAs.

mkirklions 8y ago

>If you're in the US, that choice could bankrupt you This is literally the point of bankruptcy... The system is designed to save people who would otherwise be rejected care or put into slavery/debtors prison. How many safety nets do we need?