Y'know, considering how high the premiums are, and how little is actually covered when you get down to it, I've really considered going bare. I haven't taken that step yet, but I don't unthinkingly choose *to* have insurance, either. Yeah, if I were in an awful accident and had to have major orthopedic surgery, that would be mostly covered. But very little of the rehab would be, and over time that would be the bulk of the expense anyway. I could probably pay for surgery and a week in the hospital with what I've paid in premiums in the last five years.

Did y'all catch the article in the NYT Magazine a couple of weeks ago - which was really about end of life/quality of life issues, about the severely impaired quadriplegic guy (who was injured in a bicycle accident, incidentally) and his wife? It was mostly about how the couple dealt with the emotional issues surrounding his quality of life and whether or not he wants to continue, and whether or not she can cope with it if he decides he doesn't want to. But it mentioned in passing that even though they have extremely generous insurance that covered pretty much all of the initial expenses and much of his rehab, they are now paying $250,000 a year out of their pockets for the ongoing care he needs.

Most people, needless to say, don't get that choice. I wouldn't even get that choice, and I'm the one who can afford insurance on the private market. But I wouldn't be able to pay for the care that that insurance doesn't cover. It really does make me wonder whether it's worth having insurance at all.