Wednesday, November 11, 2009

In the Interim

While the question of how to care for squirmy American bodies is debated, it's good to remember that it's going to take time for things to sort themselves out. Some correct mechanism is in charge no matter how confusing it gets, so it will be right.
Pluto opposite Venus is pointing people in the direction of satisfying experiences, if they want them. Wholesome food and healthy pleasures can do wonders in the effort against disease. As far as cost goes, it's also a good time to study what can be done in a personal way.
A physician wrote a letter to my paper about a fellow without insurance who came to him with a boil that needed lancing. The Doc did the job and charged him $60. He told us that had the patient used insurance, the cost would have been $1200.
People might not be aware of the fact that every doctor, hospital, and situation is unique. If you are uninsured you can bargain with them, reducing the prices dramatically, especially the hospitals. Some people are timid about doing this but thousands of dollars can be saved. I was astonished to read the fractions that people ended up with when they made the effort. You have to do the work going through the bills item by item, but it's worth it, and you'd be amazed by the number of mistakes you might find. It's a big boost in solving the problem and the psychological effect results in a vastly improved relationship with the system. I highly recommend this form of creative financing.