SpyderTek once bubbled...
"...but then Ill be up to my eyeballs in debt for the rest of my life trying to pay off the $75,000 for my 3 chamber rides!!!.." ALSO a load of crap. It is ALSO the law in this country that emergency medical expenses only have 2 (two) years to collect on the debt or they are errased AND they are NOT valid to be placed on your credit history.
Spydertek
You should know what you're talking about before you post.
What is crap is the paragraph above.
The statute of limitations varies state by state. It might be 2 years (though I doubt it) in some states. In others it could be four or even six.
Regardless, however, that's irrelevant. Once suit is initiated, the statute of limitations no longer applies. Once judgment enters, they are good for 20 years and can be renewed.
I've represented debtor's who had to file bankruptcy in order to get out of medical debt. I've also represented doctors and hospitals for whom I chased deadbeats who thought that they had some type of angle like the garbage you wrote above.
Their attitude usually improved the first time I had them arrested on a payment contempt and brought into court, in handcuffs, to explain why they weren't paying the judgment. I've had houses, bank accounts, cash, furniture and, in one memorable case, a 30' Osprey seized and sold at a Sheriff's sale to pay medical debts.
As for the drek about free care, hospitals in the U.S. are obligated to treat. However, who do you think will get better treatment. The guy who has insurance or the guy who's next of kin just finished filling out the free care forms.
Of course, like Spydertek said, if you're comfortable being a welfare deadbeat with no personal responsibility, no morals and no interest in the quality of care that you receive, then go without insurance.
Consider this, however. While hospitals in the United States may be required to treat deadbeats, that doesn't apply out of the country. Coincidentally, many people like to dive out of the country in places like Grand Cayman, Bermuda, Jamaica and the Bahamas. So don't expect treatment there unless you've got proof of insurance that is acceptable to the hospital.
We found this out when our daughter needed to go to the hospital on Grand Cayman. Great people, great care, wonderful doctors and nurses. Who, not surprisingly, didn't lift a finger until I guaranteed the payment on a credit card. The fact that our health insurance (My wife has Tufts, I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield and our daughter is covered under both by some formula I don't recall at the moment) in the States reimbursed us was, as the GC billing person said, "nice but not our concern. However, we'll give you whatever you need in order to collect from them yourself."
Finally, the air ambulances don't move until they've got a guarantee of payment. I'd rather not be spouting off about imaginary U.S. laws to the guy dispatching the Medevac when I'm on the deck of a liveaboard curled into a little ball and frothing blood.
I've got whatever the best plan from DAN is called. Its $99.00 per year, has high coverage limits, good ancillary benefits and no depth limits.
I've never used it. However, I've seen it used. Its worth every nickle.
