I’m a tax guy - always refused health ins (basically) - current policy $200 / mon vs $600 / mon some do.
HSA is FAR superior. Max fund it 2 years, you’ll likely never need to add more to it again…
‘Trump Accounts’ (haven’t looked) are likely even better - most these things have ‘medical emergency’ clauses.
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Once you go ‘on cash’ - you get near 90% discount on services - by avoiding hospitals and going to clinics. My MRI 100% out of pocket - was $400. This is $6,000 at a hospital with insurance.
There are very few times you need ‘the hospital’ - most things you are doing are not life and death, most are checkup type things… clinics cut the price absurdly.
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The hospital is like sky mall or the Rolex store - clinics (speciality shops) are comparatively free.
For example - I am going to get EVERY bit of blood work done… $120 out of pocket.
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The things you should do as a ‘I own my own health’ person (IMO) :
Get good diet - for me, that’s meat and veggie - but 1 week a month I do steak week. This should repair all muscles.
Get good fitness - for me, 2 hours / week some cardio (soccer style, walking in a sweatsuit is my preferred) and a strength training program (I got the best one in my profile - ultra simple) - but for women this is mostly toe squats and heel squats, the rest is covered by yoga.
Blood work should be done every 3 months to 1 year…. Bloodwork tells you kidney, liver, etc function.
Consider MRI whenever. It’s not that expensive - and can tell you precisely the cause of injuries / bad joints / vein (artery) clogging.
Ultra sound is free, practically.
Casts are cheap, not likely you need one often. I also avoid dangerous sports though.
Joint pain is best dealt with using ankle weights / weighted gloves (pulling apart motions).
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Occasionally I drop smoking for edibles. Far healthier long term… much bigger issue for men. There is linkage to ‘ego lifting’ smoking throat cancer (excessive lifting ripping throat muscles, making smoking worse during those times).
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A tax client is doc - the newest machine costs $120,000… the one the clinic used was 5 years old, likely $20,000… totally fine. If I was getting Lasic, I’d ask make / model of their machines :D