I’ve thought about self-insuring. With what I pay in premiums and deductibles, I’d be at your figure in a few years.
It would work great if only one could negotiate prices directly with doctors. I have one small ailment that requires an X-Ray every 6 months. I told the billing manager of my doctors’ group that I want to simply pay cash for the simple service. They looked at me like I was nuts. I went all the way through their accounting and also to their billing company (which explains why health care is so expensive) and found no one who could understand a straight-up cash payment. We’ve trained nearly everyone in the health-care operations now to simply accept the twisted, corrupt Soviet-style system we have now.
I fell down a staircase about 10 days ago while trying to get a large two person recliner down. The thing literally pushed and threw me to the bottom. The Lord was watching out for me. I didn’t hit my head, only my butt hit pretty hard.
So I go to the chiropractor three days later and she takes x-rays and gives me some stretches. No bone or disk damage. Just pulled muscles, apparently.
She takes cash or credit card. Total bill: $85.
Our dentist charges us $250 a year for each of us. It includes two visits, complete with exam and cleaning, and one set of x-rays. Both of us needed crowns the last year. They were $750 each, total.