many people go with out, but I wouldn't. - RAPatton

So I have an HDHP with HSA, which basically means I have to pay 100% of everything (doctor visits, medicine, lab tests, etc) up to $3000. My premiums are pretty low, only $220/month, but that's almost as much as my rent, and putting me in a pretty tight spot financially. - Lo

So far this year I have gone to the doctor zero times, haven't used my insurance at all. If I got sick, it would be a problem even with insurance, because I have to pay 100% for everything. - Lo

The reason I'm determined to always have coverage no matter what is that I declared bankruptcy in 2005. This means if I got hit by a bus, or something catastrophic, I couldn't declare bankruptcy again, and would be basically up shit creek without a paddle. - Lo

So I'm paying a significant chunk of change every month, which I could theoretically be using to actually go to the doctor, instead of nothing, hedging against the slight chance that something very bad happens. And if something very bad did happen, I'd still be liable for $3000, which would be really hard to pay (particularly on top of the insurance premiums). Nothing major has ever happened to me healthwise when I wasn't going through something really bad & taking extremely poor care of myself. - Lo

So I'm wondering if investing that money in better food, instead of the crap I can afford right now, might not be a better call. Still, it's a risk with a low probability but a potentially very bad outcome. I'm not even sure what would happen if I ended up with $100,000 in bills post-bus accident (or whatever) and unable to pay. - Lo

If anyone has any insight, I would very much appreciate it :D - Lo

I'm not an expert on health insurance, Lo, but I'll ask my wife about it. She works in benefits, so she may have some insight. - Ha3rvey (on hiatus)

I think if you can move to a catastrophic insurance plan that is cheaper, that might be the best scenario for you. That way you're covered in case of a huge accident, but your monthly cost is lower. I don't think I would ever take the risk of being uninsured... - Georgia

Don't go without health insurance. There are lower cost plans targeted at young people, such as https://www.tonikhealth.com/. If you belong to any professional association or alumni organization, there are usually negotiated rates that would be lower than individual insurance (and likely lower than COBRA). - Tudor Bosman

To give you an idea about how much health care costs these days, Violet's birth (emergency C-section + 4 days in the NICU) cost upwards of $150,000 last month (adding up mom's and baby's costs). If we hadn't had insurance, it wouldn't have been pretty. - Tudor Bosman

Well, fortunately I am not, nor will I be, pregnant :) - Lo

Although, hilariously, if I were my troubles would be over. I could get Medicaid, and then qualify for all sorts of government programs if I had a kid. Being responsible is not financially savvy... - Lo

Any kind of surgery, and in fact any procedure that puts you in a hospital for a few days, will cost you a few tens of thousands of dollars. - Tudor Bosman