Financial ruin can occur so easily in this country. My husband lost his job. I called to get health insurance today. I was told he is uninsuerable because he has sleep apnea. I was told just to pay the COBRA. I talked to someone else that has been in this position. He tried this one health plan and he got charged full price from the hospital. He is paying like 400 a month for this plan and just got hit with a 4000 bill. He has to sit off all insurance for 6 monthes and hope nothing happens during that 6 monthes . Then he will go on the government health plan. His cost will be 379 a month with a $3000 monthly deductible. So he can pay about 7000 a year for health care. He has 3 preexsiting condtions, sleep apnea, colitis and problably reflux.

All you can do is try to get employed by a company with good insurance. The alternative is if you have a kid go on medicaid. I don't know how on Medicaid you are supposed to also pay for an apartment with utilities on a 14000.00 income. But the guy above has a home with property taxes and no kids.

In my case I might end up paying 1300 a month for a family of 4 to have health insurance. I also have to pay a mortgage , food, insurance, car payements and self employement tax. After the 18 months of COBRA runs out my husband will have to wait 6 months to get on the goverment plan. If anything happens in that 6 months and he gets put into the hospital I will lose everything. Maybe he will get a new job next week, someone is hiring. He says it will bore him. He wants to do something exciting.

I feel you should never go to the doctor because then you will be unisureable. I took antidepressants for 2 months last year. I am probably uninsureable too. My kid got diagnosed with scoliosis. They are going to just watch it. Because after 14 all they can do is surgery anyway. Preexisting condition. No covereage avaiable.

One minute you have an average middle class life , the next minute all hell breaks lose. You lose your job because the boss never paid a loan while lving high on the hog. (Buying a $50,000 sound system)

Should I quit my job? If I get a regular job I can get the whole family on a better insurance plan. I won't make as much but I won't have to pay all that self-employment tax. The real solution is for the husband to get the regular job, fun or not. We all want to have a fun job but that isn't too likely.

I saw a movie where they went and lived by the sea and sold seashells. That is all well and good if you don't want to have health insurance. Is the answer to move to a country like Australia where they have socialized medicine? I have news for you, Australia doesn't want you. You can't just show up there and stay. Not lke America where illegals come and get free medical care but someone like me loses everything.