Institutional tuning cost

[Susan Kline]

At 11:45 AM 1/7/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>At least in Canada you have a Universal Health plan to show for
>your taxes.  Health Insurance is costing my family almost what our
>mortgage is...I hate to think of what it will be when I turn 60...(long
>time from now...;-])


Yes, in spite of all the delays, etc., I liked the Canadian health plan
when I lived up there.

David, unless you have some condition which truly REQUIRES ongoing
medical care, there remains the option to JUST SAY NO to health
coverage, and to keep your money. Or you could take the money that
you have been putting into health insurance, and put it into savings
earmarked for medical costs. This puts it under your control instead
of a company's, and gives you wider choice as to when or if it
will be used.

I suppose my cynicism takes charge here, but looking at people I
know, I feel that most of the medical care they've received has done
them more harm than good. Of course, if I had a bad appendix or was
in an auto accident, or broke my arm, I'd rush to the nearest M.D.
and hospital, and be glad that they are there. But stuff like taking
statins to treat a number (cholesterol) --- not a good idea at all,
IMHO.

You just have to weigh your chances. If people do have a medical
melt-down, cancer, etc., their insurance isn't renewed or they have
to pay so much it is hardly worth it. For lesser problems, cash
will work. If you buy insurance, you are betting that your health
costs will be higher than average by more than the amount of money
needed to keep the health insurance company going ... and that's
a lot of money. The amount that the system is costing doctors
(paperwork), which is passed on in their fees, I see no way to
avoid, except to stay away from a doctor's office unless a visit
is really needed.

Most of the healthy really old people I know take no prescription
drugs whatsoever. You can say this is because they "happened" to
be naturally healthy, but I consider it likely that they are healthy
_because_ they take nothing.

I consider that doctors are dangerous people, because, like anyone,
they can make mistakes -- and their mistakes can be disastrous.

Of course, no one will agree with me --- Conrad, where's that
fresh order of 2003 model flamesuits you were going to send me?
Do you have a discount for orders larger than a gross? (That's
about three months' supply ...)

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