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RE: Moving from NYC to San Diego - Part 3: What about healthcare? Conflicted over GOVT ASSISTANCE (cue scary music)
That sounds like such a nightmare. Whenever I think about the possibility of moving back to the States, I always wonder about health care. If I couldn’t find a job with health care benefits, how would I ever be able to afford insurance for my wife and I and two kids? I can’t even imagine. In Japan, I pay roughly $140 a month for myself and two kids. And we can see any doctor we want.
Unless you are independently wealthy, the cost for a family of four wouldn't make sense. I see now why people go without it and get into debt over medical bills. Is the $140 subsidized though a company? When I was at the investment bank I think I was only paying around that.
And what happens when you're old and retire? Medicare. Same system. So my grandfather is a miracle, was supposed to die about 4 times already and I have rushed home more than once for him to make a ridiculous recovery in less than 24 hours. Strokes, skin cancer, chrones disease, mersa, the list goes on. He's the most sickly out of anyone in the family but we joke he will outlast us all. Anyways, the guy has a colostamy bag, and that coupled with the chrones means he doesn't get enough nutrients to keep his body functioning. He needs IV nutrients every day. Medicare decided he didn't need it because it costs $1000/day and he wound up in the hospital for two weeks, too weak to be functioning. Only now do they realize the importance of the $1000/day which is nothing to them, compared to what a two week hospital stay costs! So in order to try to save a few bucks, they experiment with people's health. THAT is why I'm afraid to use this program.