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  1. #1
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    Default how many of you wound up going to the doctor during your thru hike?

    Its a question of health insurance.. Is there a poll that asks this question on this forum?

  2. #2
    GA-ME 2011
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    Don't know if a poll has been done. What's the question, going to a doctor on your hike or health insurance issues?
    "Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011

  3. #3

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    You need health insurance. Whether you are hiking the trail or not is irrelevant.

  4. #4
    Registered User Juice's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by max patch View Post
    You need health insurance. Whether you are hiking the trail or not is irrelevant.
    The only thing I need it for is a castrophic event. Aside from that, it's been a waste of money.
    Buy the ticket, you take the ride. - Hunter S. Thompson

  5. #5
    Registered User DavidNH's Avatar
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    such ignorance! If you DON'T have health insurance .. you'd pay a couple hundred to see a Doc about a cough, break a leg or arm bone.. thousands.. get lyme disease.. thousands, have an annual physical would run you a thousand plus, one (ONE) visit to the Emergency room can more than double the cost of you entire trip. YES you absolutely need health insurance.

  6. #6

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    Yeah, I went to the doctor in Waynesboro for giardia. I had insurance but, as usual, it never paid the bill. The only two words that company knew were "not covered".

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by DavidNH View Post
    such ignorance! If you DON'T have health insurance .. you'd pay a couple hundred to see a Doc about a cough, break a leg or arm bone.. thousands.. get lyme disease.. thousands, have an annual physical would run you a thousand plus, one (ONE) visit to the Emergency room can more than double the cost of you entire trip. YES you absolutely need health insurance.
    How much would it cost to buy insurance to cover those sorts of things?
    For an American, not working and without a plan?
    For a Canadian, travelling in the USA as a tourist?
    Do you have to be careful about whether hiking in place like the Whites or Katahdin is actually covered?

  8. #8
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    My High deductible plan was only $2500. cheap. considering my ACL reconstruction surgery racked up nearly $60,000 with x-ray, MRI, surgeon, anesthesia, surgery, 3 follow up appointments, and 6 months of twice weekly physical therapy. Even $5000 or $8000 would have been a deal, too. "Catastrophic" coverage = high deductible. generally, a lower premium cost monthly, but nothing covered until deductible met. plus, you qualify for a HSA account - tax-deductible money you can use on healthcare expenses.
    …speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee… –JOB 12:8

  9. #9
    Registered User Ktaadn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by max patch View Post
    You need health insurance. Whether you are hiking the trail or not is irrelevant.
    Why do I need insurance?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ktaadn View Post
    Why do I need insurance?
    you don't. hospitals will treat you. you can $20 a month if you have too. hospitals will write-off your bill if you qualify

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lone Wolf View Post
    you don't. hospitals will treat you. you can $20 a month if you have too. hospitals will write-off your bill if you qualify
    So says LW the Liberal.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lone Wolf View Post
    you don't. hospitals will treat you. you can $20 a month if you have too. hospitals will write-off your bill if you qualify
    This is one of those hospital specific and state specific things. Some hospitals will treat you in the Emergency department whether you are insured or not. But then send you a bill and if you don't pay it they just send it off to a collection agency. Others write it off. But if you just go to an OP clinic for one of the hurts that hikers get most, likely they'll want payment up front. If you go to an ED and you are a veteran the VA might pay if you are not near a VA. But this is only for what they consider emergencies. Not treating shin splints or whatever. Fixing hiker type hurts on the trail will cost. Just a small thing like a sprain that you want treated is still going to cost a few hundred dollars with, radiology, doctor, and pain killers etc. My feeling is that the small hiker type hurts wont require as much money as paying insurance premiums for six months. In some states you can't buy high deductable cheap insurance anyway. So if you don't think you need insurance off the trail you don't need it on the trail. Sorry to be so long winded but I worked in Hospital Administration for thirty years and know something about this ugly stuff. I retired so I wouldn't have to think about it anymore.
    Everything is in Walking Distance

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lone Wolf View Post
    you don't. hospitals will treat you. you can $20 a month if you have too. hospitals will write-off your bill if you qualify
    No, not all hospitals will treat you if you don't have insurance. And those forced to do so by law it's ONLY to a certain extent to save your life (or stabilize a patient). Any more than that is simply charity.

    The above statement is amazingly irresponsible. When someone is treated and can NOT pay, we ALL end up paying for it, not just those paying for insurance. This is part of the reason our health care costs are so tremendously high. Hospitals don't suffer profits, but ALL paying patients suffer higher fees.

    Sorry, I know this is not the intent of this thread, but wow!

  14. #14

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    Actually no unless you own something the vampires can legally steal from you. Granted this means most people do need to pay protection money i.e. "health insurance".

  15. #15
    Registered User Wise Old Owl's Avatar
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    Great question.... honest.

    for some I have read in a few books about gout, loosing toes, and bleeding of the hips.... very cool.
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

  16. #16
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    where can i get catastrophic insurance?

  17. #17
    Registered User BFI's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ncmtns View Post
    where can i get catastrophic insurance?
    You only need it if you are taking your Cat on the hike!

  18. #18
    Garlic
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    You can get inexpensive hospitalization insurance with a high deductible. It won't cover office visits, but if a car hits you you're covered. You need a savings account to cover the high deductible, typically $5000 or more. It's not a bad idea to have a savings account like that anyway (but don't get me started on Americans' savings habits).

    Back to the original question, no, I've never had to see a doctor on a long hike. I visit my dentist/hygienist before and after. I've never felt as healthy I have while hiking every day.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  19. #19

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    Went to one doctor in '95 (brown recluse spider bite).
    That's the only time in 6 thru-hikes.
    Cost me $350.
    I figure I've done 3 of my thru hikes on the money I have saved from not paying the high health insurance costs in the states.

    If I was scared, I'd do one of those high deductible policies like garlic is talking about.
    Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams

  20. #20
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    One year (my first year) I left in MA for Plantar Fasciitis which is bottom of foot hurting like hell. ( I have no idea why this is in bold)
    Any way I could only walk one mile an hour so I went
    home. I never went to a doctor until I went for an annual physical and the problem solved itself after some months. The point is insurance (which I have) would not have made a difference but if i had gone to a doctor it would have racked up bills for tests, etc.
    The only other time I left was for a toothache, which I had insurance for. He yanked the tooth and I took the gold crown to a
    buy gold" shop and they gave me $118 for it. So you can actually make money from problems on the trail.
    Everything is in Walking Distance

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