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Medical Insurance, part 2

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Topic(s): me,government
2004-05-25 23:41:32 PDT

 You might have read my previous blog entry about my dealings with my medical insurance. To summarize, my back aches, my doctor prescribed physical therapy, and it took my insurance company two months to figure out they don't cover it. Now I'm looking for an alternate solution.

One thing I could do is find a different physical therapy clinic, one which my insurance company will hopefully cover. Of course, it'll take me two months to find out.

Another thing I can do is pay out of pocket. That it, bypass my medical insurance and instead cover all the costs myself. I like this solution.

Then that made me think, why do I have medical insurance? The answer is, of course, because I have to - it's automatically deducted from my paycheck. But that's not what I mean. I mean, why can't I decline medical insurance? In other words, have my employer not deduct money from my paycheck, and instead give me the money.

After all, I visit my doctor maybe once per year. And maybe once per year I have a prescription for medicine. All the money that gets deducted from my paycheck is certainly not worth one doctor visit per year. I'd be better off paying out of pocket all the time, granted that my employer didn't automatically deduct from my paycheck.

So, why can't I decline medical insurance? There's a tricky answer to that question.

I can't decline because my automatic paycheck deductions don't pay for my medical insurance. They pay for my medical insurance, plus several other people's medical insurance whose paychecks are smaller than mine.

I find it hard to disagree with that policy. I'd prefer that everyone have access to quality medical help when it's needed. For example, if some poor, single-parent family's 10-year old son comes down with pneumonia, I think the parent ought to take their son to the doctor whether or not they've got the money to cover it.

Yet I also disagree that I am forced to purchase something I do not want.

Here's my solution.

Give me two boxes on my paycheck:
  1. How much do you want to deduct for your medical insurance? $________
  2. How much do you want to deduct for other people's medical insurance? $________
I like to think it would work. I like to think enough people would put sufficiently large sums on line 2 so as to help out the poor. Then again, I tend to underestimate how greedy the majority of Americans can be.



Pulled eFingers:

Tigger —
Yeah but the minute you don't have medical, you will be in a major accident and end up in the hospital for 3 weeks with a $100,000 bill. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Lori —
does you medical insurance cover you going to see a chiropractor? if so, you may want to check out that option since it is for your back.
Eric —
It's better to be safe than sorry.
That may be true, but I'd prefer to make that decision myself.

does you medical insurance cover you going to see a chiropractor?
I'm sure a certain chiropractors are covered. Except I'd have to visit my doctor to get a prescription for it. It's just simpler for me to pay out of pocket.
Steve —
Some companies will let you decline insurance, if you sign a waiver. I know EDS does.

I've never heard of a company subsidizing people's insurance by taking money from higher paid employees. Are you sure about all the facts? It almost sounds illegal.

I know they can negotiate lower rates with certain insurance companies, but NetApp can't just take your hard-earned money and give it to somebody else.

Giving people the option is just one step away from making it compulsory. I like living in a psuedo-democracy. I don't want to live under a socialism. CA is rubbing off on you a little too much! The health care system needs to be reformed to lower costs. Tort reform would help a lot as well. Let's not just keep paying more money and hope the problems go away.
Eric —
Some companies will let you decline insurance, if you sign a waiver.
I don't know about that. I'll check it out.

I've never heard of a company subsidizing people's insurance by taking money from higher paid employees.
I didn't state it clearly. My paycheck is smaller because my employer deducts medical insurance payments. The insurance payments go to the insurance company. The insurance company uses my money to pay for some other person's doctor visit.

Giving people the option is just one step away from making it compulsory
I don't understand what you're saying. Today it IS compulsory. It is socialist. I'd prefer it to be optional.
G.Ma —
It's really difficult to get medical attention if you don't have an insurance card. It's the first thing they ask for at the Dr. ofc. It's also difficult to get insurance when you get older or if you have a problem with your health. If you really get ill, it takes just a short time to deplete ALL your funds, and then the gov't takes over and puts in in their facilities which aren't all that good. Or your family has to help out.



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