fuzzymuzzle Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 I'm just getting into winter Alpine travel and will take a class here or there when I can afford it, avalanche safety and then glacier travel. I've no real desire to get into full on technical climbing and intend to stay in the PNW. To start it'll just be snowshoeing and camping. I'm self employed and pretty much can't afford the mandated insurance offerings. Are there any other options for a Seattle resident? How many of you folks just go without? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 I went without insurance until I had a very serious climbing accident with very serious hospital bills. It was what largely influenced me to accept a job I disliked but had health insurance and 20 years later I am still there, largely because of the health insurance. I thought that Washington has its own health insurance, which is affordable, but might require a wait list. Apple Care or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genepires Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 don't mean to sound like your dad, but get the health insurance. it may seem tat you can not afford it but what you can not afford is trying to pay off even a simple hospital visit. not the same situation as you are in, but in one year my wife got a hysterectomy, my son spent 4 days in ICU at harbor view with a lacerated liver and I got some knee meniscus work done. Well over $200K of hospital bills but it cost me personally only $500 deductible. It seems like you may be thinking that since you are not doing technical climbing that health care insurance is not critical. That is delusional. General life has plenty of opportunities to smack a person around. Several friends have bike accidents. Couple friends have had avi accidents that put them in the hospital. (or worse) Hikers simply fall off the trail. Basically, life is dangerous. If you get out often enough, you will need to help of a health care system. be prepared to pay for it, either beforehand with insurance or afterwards with bankruptcy or a lifetime of bill payments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymuzzle Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 Sounds pretty intense but thanks all the same. I'll just stay home and watch YouTube Looks like AAI used to offer group plans but not since the "affordable" healthcare act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonG Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 "You're gonna die We're all gonna die Could be twenty years Could be tonight" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymuzzle Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 So after 20 min on the phone with some cool lady from Texas it seems as though I could get into high deductible insurance for about $130/mo...not disgustingly horrible...just horrible. That's a 7k deductible. Although it's not such a bad deal if you're staring at a 20k bill. Why couldn't I have been born in Europe??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonG Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 That's not bad (for America). Many people who work for an employer pay more than that (lower deductible, however). And you should blame your ancestors.... though I'm not so sure things are rosy in the Eurozone these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymuzzle Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 "You're gonna die We're all gonna die Could be twenty years Could be tonight" Yeah, other than preferring to live and bumming out a few people dying isn't the main concern...but I feel ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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