Middle Class Survival:
Your Personal Solution
Copyright (C) 1997 by Steve Litt.
-- Legal
Details will be flushed out in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
Your best defense against those who would steal your (modest) wealth is to be able to walk away from any deal, be it an unfair rental agreement, a job with 90 hour weeks at 40 hour pay, or an HMO plan canibalizing your health for their bottom line. To put yourself in position to walk away, spend little, acquire little, live below your means, and save money.
HMOs
Please understand, it's likely your HMO has absolutely no concern for your health. Their mandate is to grab your monthly capitation payment while offering you no healthcare. If you have a serious condition, you must make it more expensive for them to withhold treatment than to treat you correctly.
When you have a medical condition, make sure to have information sources OUTSIDE the HMO. The Internet is an excellent source. Between setting up your appointment and going to it, find out the options, the likelihoods, the usual and customary treatments. Armed with that knowledge, consult the physician. If he sounds knowledgeable and cooperative based on what you've learned, fine. If not, work to get the correct treatment. Go over his head if necessary.
As an informed patient, you'll usually get reasonably good treatment. If the HMO refuses to give you reasonable (not great, but reasonable) treatment, and if the condition is something that will result in death, serious injury, or serious deterioration if not treated right in a timely manner, you may need to go to war with the HMO.
See also:
Details will be added in the coming weeks.
Stay Tuned.
