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ORIGINAL: Pat-rebel_lady

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ORIGINAL: NotDoneYet
So...instead of passively bemoaning the cost of this and that, take action to CHANGE your own situation. It usually involves a lot of hard work, blood, sweat, tears, exhaustion, too many hours away from home...but the pay-off is oh so sweet!

Sorry I'm not looking for an early grave; and you shouldn't be either --- no matter how much insurance you carry; it's always wise to stop and smell the roses --- often.

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ORIGINAL: Consecrated2God

The only thought I had on that is that with private insurance, you may very well have to work full time flipping burgers just to pay for your insurance.

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they'd have to take some kind of payment plan.

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ORIGINAL: JustaFan

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ORIGINAL: Pat-rebel_lady

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ORIGINAL: NotDoneYet
So...instead of passively bemoaning the cost of this and that, take action to CHANGE your own situation. It usually involves a lot of hard work, blood, sweat, tears, exhaustion, too many hours away from home...but the pay-off is oh so sweet!

Sorry I'm not looking for an early grave; and you shouldn't be either --- no matter how much insurance you carry; it's always wise to stop and smell the roses --- often.

Ah, but that is just an excuse to stay complacent and not try for something better.

You can smell the roses just as well in a higher paying job as you can when you’re stuck in a low paying job. You can even afford to buy some roses to plant in your yard.

And, the journey to get to that decent paying job was great, too. My college and grad school years were fun and stimulating. Getting the diplomas wasn’t just a means to an end, it was a fabulous time of exploring news ideas and enjoying the intellectual stimulation. Definitely a time to smell some roses in a different way.

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Oh, and I think it's crazy that you can still sue after you sign a waiver. I don't know why that is allowed.

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16 States have higher (with the highest of $8.55 in Washington), some matching, and 3 less (with Wyoming at $5.15 the lowest).

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ORIGINAL: relady

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16 States have higher (with the highest of $8.55 in Washington), some matching, and 3 less (with Wyoming at $5.15 the lowest).

This is slightly off topic but needs to be addressed. Any state that has a minimum wage lower than the federal minimum is probably breaking the law. In addition, if a person in one of these states works a job that falls under the rules for federal minimum and state minimum they are entitle to the higher of the two wages. If I interviewed for a job that offered less than minimum wage I would make them explain to me how and why they are exempt from the federal laws. Some certain types of employment are exempt but they don't include retail and fast food, LOL.

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ORIGINAL: Elena1030

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ORIGINAL: Consecrated2God

The only thought I had on that is that with private insurance, you may very well have to work full time flipping burgers just to pay for your insurance.

Do you mean as opposed to insurance offered through your employer?

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The only thought I had on that is that with private insurance, you may very well have to work full time flipping burgers just to pay for your insurance.

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ORIGINAL: relady

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they'd have to take some kind of payment plan.

Uh, no they do not HAVE to. They can just garnish your wages, or sue you if they want. Which drives most people to bankruptcy.

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ORIGINAL: macokjc

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The only thought I had on that is that with private insurance, you may very well have to work full time flipping burgers just to pay for your insurance.

If all you're buying is insurance - then part-time might work. Bottom line, you cannot support a family by flipping burgers - unless they are really high end burgers.

Insurance is insanely expensive. That I do understand. However, I have seen enough in order to know that unfortunately, it is a necessary expense.

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Court-ordered weekly payments
If the hospital wins a judgment against you, the judge will order you to make weekly or monthly payments. If the court-ordered payment is too high, or becomes too high because of a loss of income, you can ask to have it reduced by filing a “claim for modification” form through the court clerk’s office. Whether you are charged interest is up to the judge, so ask the judge to waive interest. As of October 1, 2003, the maximum interest on hospital debt is 5% per year.

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You have additional rights if the hospital seeks an execution of your wages, bank accounts or property:


The hospital cannot garnish your pay so that you take home less than the weekly minimum wage (40 times the Connecticut hourly minimum wage, currently $276/week, $284/week starting Jan. 1, 2004). If you normally earn less than the weekly minimum wage-often the case for part-time workers-the hospital cannot attach your pay. If you earn more than the weekly minimum wage, the hospital can garnish your wages up to a maximum of 25% of your take-home pay.
You can petition the court at any time to lower a wage attachment if you can’t afford the deduction. Ask to pay what you can afford (such as $10 per week if you are having major financial difficulties) and explain why you need the deduction. You can find the necessary form in the court clerk’s office.
The first $1,000 in your bank account is exempt from a bank execution. So are any additional savings from welfare, social security, unemployment compensation, court approved child support, or worker’s compensation. The execution notice will include a form that you must fill out and return to the court by the indicated deadline in order to claim any of these exemptions, but you must do so within 20 days after receiving the notice. Instructions are listed on the back of the form.
If the hospital obtains a foreclosure on your home, you are entitled to keep the first $125,000 of your home’s value over the amount of any mortgages or tax liens (under the “homestead exemption”).
Visit the court clerk’s office to file forms to lower a wage attachment or claim an exemption.

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But Consecrated, they can order you to pay more than you have. If you don't pay interest just keeps accruing and your debt gets bigger and bigger. Collection companies will keep up and every 10 years they will Revive the Judgment which means they have another tens years. If you own a home, they will get their money with interest eventually. If your home gets sold or refied they are paid first before the deal can go through. It is extraordinarily simple to file a lien against a home in Missoui. A short court memo of two sentences and you become very limited with what you can do with your home and the equity in it.

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ORIGINAL: alwaysinjoy2000

I don't have health insurance right now. I lost coverage when I worked less than full-time at my current job because I'm going to school full-time and I cut back my hours to part-time. I had the option of getting health insurance through the university, but I made a choice and weighed the options. Would I use the money to go for tuition and books for summer school or would I use the money to pay for 7 months of insurance? (you can purchase insurance through the school by semester or by year) I opted to use it for school.

I'm young, I'm healthy. I've had insurance coverage, but all the times I had it I never used it at all. I'm what the insurance companies love, you know paying in but not using the services. I'm single and healthy, no health problems, not on any meds for maintenance. Never broke a bone, never was hospitalized for anything, never had any kind of surgery. I can't even remember the last time I was sick with the cold or flu, it's been years. Sometimes I think I'm too healthy, nahh you can never be too healthy. I feel truly blessed for having good health.

Anyways, I'll probably get insurance through the school in August when the 2010-2011 school year rolls around, but for now I am not worried. Like you consecrated, I simply can't afford it at the moment, with cost of school and all.

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ORIGINAL: dianetavegia

Health insurance is important in the case of a serious illness. My chemo alone cost $16,660 every two weeks for 6 months. I know one colon cancer patient who maxed out his $2 MILLION dollar limit, his wife changed jobs for new insurance and he maxed out a $1 Million there. He'll die leaving his wife and 3 year old having to sell their home and property ........

By the way, an assistant teacher or para pro in the Georgia school system is offered the same insurance teachers are given. In Georgia, that insurance costs around $275 a month for a family.