NOTE: I don't care about what your opinions about healthcare in US or around the world is, I care about what my options are. Your politics are meaningless to me. I don't care enough the left/right position on this issue. If you want to masturbate, start your own thread.

Hi. I recently lost my health insurance. I'm a healthy late-20s male. My wife is a healthy mid-20s female. What does it mean for both of us? Emergency rooms are still obligated -- by US law -- to take people in. Any other avenues that I can look into?

It means almost nothing... unless you get sick or run over by a car. My family skated by for years without health insurance. We even had two babies while uninsured. We lucked out and came out ahead. We saved far more by not paying insurance premiums than we paid on checkups, vaccinations and even the delivery of two babies. If my wife had to have a c-section or there were other complications things would have been quite different.

Edit: Also, if you just lost your insurance and you want continued coverage, look into COBRA coverage.

I have insurance and went bankrupt from medical bills. If you have any sort of retirement or investments, or possessions, you don't qualify for hospital charity or medicaid or any assistance, leaving you on the hook for huge bills.

My insurance has chipped away at the policy each year to the point I'm responsible for tons of co-pays that amount to thousands per year, as well as 20% of surgeries/procedures.

I'm 29 and was completely healthy until I got the worst pain in my face 1.5 years ago.

I had a craniectomy last week and it's been a nightmare financially, with health insurance: If I default on my mortgage and somehow cash in my Roth IRA I'd be on medicaid and pay nothing, so you may be better off depending on your assets. Liquidate anything you have of value and hide it if you develop a medical condition.

If you have any sort of retirement or investments, or possessions, you don't qualify for hospital charity or medicaid or any assistance, leaving you on the hook for huge bills.

This isn't true in my experience. For our first child we qualified for medicaid based on income alone. No investments are taken into account. Maybe you can't get medicaid since you already have insurance?

It's also very true that not all insurance is created equal. Pay attention to maximum benefits, copay, coinsurance, etc.

Catastrophic coverage wouldn't have helped me as I had over 20 visits to specialists last year costing $40/copay each then $40/copay for prescriptions at the same time your income dries up, it just plain screws you.

For me they based medicaid and food stamps off income and previous years tax records. I also have a rental house that gives me income monthly but it's not cash in my pocket it goes to taxes, insurance and mortgage. I rent my house out and live with my gf, no kids, 29 years old.

The prescription companies have programs to give you meds ONLY IF YOU DON"T HAVE INSURANCE. It's stupid they'll give you the meds at $250/mo cost to them but not just help you pay $40 and the rest through insurance.