Can anyone tell me how homesteaders get good,cheap medical insurance?

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I would like to become a real homesteader.I think I could live without a whole lot of money but health insurance is the factor that holds me back.Can anyone tell me how to overcome this problem?

-- catherine kendall (kendallc@meta-net.net), February 18, 2002

Answers

I got insurance for my son through a company called Reserve National. It is basically a hospitalization policy, and it costs about $1400 a year.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), February 18, 2002.

oh boy... this subject again. ...lol...

We dont have medical insurance. There is no law that requires a person to carry it. For our small family of four, with a few pre- existing conditions, the lowest cost medical policy we could find covered only catostrophic care; i.e. hospitalisation. And it still would cost us $360 per month! That was a few years ago... I know it hasnt gotten any cheaper.

Hey, I would recommend reading Joel Salatin's book, "You Can Farm" for a refreshingly different way of veiwing medical insurance. He doesnt carry any either. And he has thought it through very carefully.

Today I had to go to a foot doctor to check out a 3 month old ankle sprain. It cost me 50 bucks, which I paid up-front, cash. My blood pressure was 112 over 60. Cant get much better than that. We spend probably only $500 per year on medical costs. We live a healthy lifestyle, with low sugar consumption, lots of outdoor exercise, and supportive family relationships. I know, if something really catastrophic would happen, we would be wiped out financially. But if we would have to maintain an insurance policy, we would be in that shape constantly.

Hospitals will allow a person to pay on installments, as a person can afford. Eventually, if they see your account is getting paid off too slow, often they will erase the entire debt. There are grants and trusts set up by wealthy individuals to cover these things. The medical field is a huge money racket anymore. Those who are well insured are billed twice and three times as much for the same services as those who carry no insurance. I choose to opt out of the system. The principles I live by are very old-fashioned indeed. They include not going to the doctor for anything unless you absolutely have to. And then you have some money salted away (since you didnt donate it to any insurance salesman's pocket) to cover the visit. If no doctor can be found that I can afford, the emergency room will do for emergencies.

The responses to this thread are gonna be very controversial. I am not telling anyone else how they are supposed to feel about insurance. But this is how I feel, and I believe my feelings are valid. I feel it is all a money-making racket for some powers that be. I feel the more I can buck the money-racket, the slower the slide will be downhill for the entire country.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), February 18, 2002.


I agree with daffodyllady, up to a point. The point is where you take advantage of someone else's generosity (the grants and trusts she mentioned). More people (than we think) can afford health insurance (at the very least hospitalization) if they want it, and are willing to rearrange their priorities a bit (cut smoking, drinking, other habits, do without something else).

It is your choice, and there are people who do fine without it, but I don't feel sorry for people who could have a basic policy, choose not to, live the good life (on credit, to boot), then cry poor mouse and complain about how bad "the system" is when they have health problems.

Some options are professional/alumni groups, or get a part-time job that pays benefits--some do.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), February 18, 2002.


Someone said they get a better price paying themselves than what the insurance would have to pay.

When I was having complications after a miscarriage I had to go monthly for a blood test. For some reason the insurance wasn't paying the bills and I was receiving them at home - the bills were for $120 per test. I later found out that the insurance actually only paid $10 per test. When I asked about the huge difference the insurance pays and I would have to pay as an individual I was told the insurance pays less because of the volume of business they provide and because of predetermined prices. I did eventually get the insurance to pay the bills.

But for us insurance is a sore point. We have great benefits through my husbands employer. However, he HATES his job and would like to possibly be self employed except he wouldn't qualify for medical insurance because he is diabetic. The kids and I could get insurance but it would cost about $400 - $500 per month but that still doesn't help hubby. It is very frusterating.

-- anita in nc (anitaholton@mindspring.com), February 18, 2002.


"I would like to become a real homesteader"

Catherine, perhaps you could tell us what being a real homesteader would mean to you. We, my husband and I, consider ourselves to be real homesteaders and have for many, many years. One of us always works some sort of job off farm so we can have health insurance. There is no free land to "homestead" any more, or country doctor that will come and see you and take payment in eggs or butter or whatever.

If people expect to participate in this new, modern, high tech and very expensive health care, they need to expect to pay for it. IMHO if people don't want modern medicine, they don't need health insurance. Most of us can afford, out of our pockets, the kind of health care that was available when I was a kid. The way I see it people want to eat their cake and have it too.

I have a neighbor who farms a couple thousand acres. His wife works off the farm for health care insurance.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 18, 2002.



Back in the late 70's I had a neighbor in his early 80's whom became ill at about dark, an ambulance was called and took him to a hospital, he lasted 6 hours. The bill was for $24,000.00 or $4,000.00 per hour, sounds like Bill Gates salary. What possible tests could cost that much? Thats $66.66 per minute or $1.11 per second. His life savings was wiped out in a matter of hours; the nurses did not get this money; the doctors only got $3700.00 of it. Where do we need to look to find greed?

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 18, 2002.

I was offered early retirement 2 years ago. The medical coverage that I would have to "help" pay for was MORE than the retirement benefit (per month.) I choose not to retire because of this. Now I have lost this job (downsizing they call it.) I still have the retirement (without the offered earlyout deal). No health insurance, not enough money to pay for it. I give up. I'm just gonna move to the woods as planned, only earlier than I had planned. No insurance. My folks are having a fit. What else can I do? I sure don't want to start all over again and compete with the 24 year olds for preferment in the industry at the bottom of the ladder again after 16 years. Nope, it's the woods for me.

-- Susan in Northern LP Michigan (cobwoman@yahoo.com), February 18, 2002.

I can't afford health insurance either so I put a lot of trust in my father in heaven. We are trying to eat as healthy as we can. We are cutting out high sugar intakes, and high carbohydrats such as potatos, corn, rice, and refined wheat products. Also trying to exercise more.

When I was working and had insurance it was a bummer anyway. Seems like I still had to pay the doctor a lot of money, or still pay a lot for our prescriptions. Seemed to never had a generic product in order to use our prescription card. Plus, every year the policies would change and get more expensive or too expensive and would have to look for a new insurer. I always thought that I would be better off putting that $250. weekly paym't in the bank and saving it for whenever I did need a medical treatment.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), February 18, 2002.


Daffodillady said, "Those who are well insured are billed twice and three times as much for the same services as those who carry no insurance" which is incorrect. Now that I have insurance I watch the fees on the bills and they show deductions due to the volume my insurance carrier must do with them. Even when I pay my deductible it is less. I am self-employed and use NASE insurance. Used to have insurance with my college alumni program. Check around as you might qualify through an agency or club you belong to. With NASE you can pay very little for a truly catastrophic coverage, or have as many percs as you'd like including eyecare and dental.

Check the archives for more on this issue.

Please remember that when you buy health insurance you are betting you get sick and will need it and they are betting you will be healthy. I lived for 5 years without insurance and did ok. But one surgery or cancer scare and $1000's would be gone. I do not want to risk my homestead (paid for) on that.

-- Anne (Healthytouch101@wildmail.com), February 18, 2002.


What is NASE insurance? Any web site link for it?

There is so many abbreviations used for so many thinks that most people are lost on what this might be.

Freddie

-- Freddie Snevitz (nospam@nospam.com), February 19, 2002.



NASE is National Association for the Self Employed.

http://www.nase.org/

-- CJ (cjtinkle@getgoin.net), February 19, 2002.


We have a catastrophic health insurance policy through State Farm which covers hospitalization (with a fairly large deductible). We are ok with this because we figure we can afford a couple thousand deductible if something bad really happens rather than losing all our savings to pay a large medical bill. However, they are going to discontinue writing new policies and only service their existing customers for this. Every quarter the premium goes up and now I'm sure they'll raise it past what we can afford so they can get out of this business all together. Then, we'll do some insurance shopping. My husband works off the farm with no insurance offered. We include in our annual budget for doctor, dental and eye exams and some prescriptions. We keep healthier than our friends in the city and don't run off to the doctor every time one of us has a fever or cough. You can live without health insurance if you plan for some medical expenses and set aside a savings account for these. You will also find yourself a lot healthier living the homestead lifestyle. A lot of today's modern illnesses are due to lifestyle and processed foods.

-- rose marie wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), February 19, 2002.

Catherine, go to www.ehealthinsurance.com, they were recommended a while ago by Time magazine for very affordable health insurance, all kinds and levels of insurance are available from them.

There are catastrophic plans available for as little as 97 dollars a month, or as high as you want.

I firmly believe that part of being a responsible person that contributes to society instead of leaching off the others that are contributing means carrying the bare minimum level of health insurance, paid for by you yourself, not your employer. If everyone had to pay for their own insurance, all or most fraud would stop overnight.

If you want to go without insurance, fine, but I find it highly insulting that you would expect ME to help pay for your unexpected health problems, whether paid for by grants, county programs, whatever, it is still coming out of MY pocket as money obtained through MY taxes I pay. There is no such thing as a "free lunch".

Why risk "loosing the farm" that hopefully will be bought and paid for and yours free and clear, only to risk loosing it all over not having a hundred dollar a month minimal health coverage? Heck, most folks can spend that much a month on cable or sattelite TV easy, maybe not you or me, but do you get the general idea? It is all about priorities, either you have them, or you don't.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), February 19, 2002.


One of the ways some of you may be covered is if you are a vet even without service connected disabilities you may still qualify for health care for yourself. This depends on income and I don't think that most homesteaders would have to worry about making to much. Also anyone that is on Medicare as a senior and a vet check cause the VA covers drugs which Medicare doesn't. I doubt that this will help you caterine but if you are a Vet I would check it out. You can do this online at VA.gov.

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef@getgoin.net), February 19, 2002.

We are covered by Christian Care Medi-Share. The wife and I have monthly payments of $254.00. There is a $250 deductible per incident and the limited coverage is 5Mil. The requirements for coverage are a Christian life style, non-smoking, non-drinker, and drugless. It may not be the best but it suits us. I got on it after 60 yrs of age and have to pay an extra $30 per mo, included, because I'm too chubby. Email me if you need their phone no.

-- charlie (charliesap@pldi.net), February 19, 2002.


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