Posted 06\/12\/2006<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I feel a deep sadness when a patient tells me she\u2019s stuck in a job she loathes–one that\u2019s making her sick with stress–but that she\u2019s staying so she can keep her health insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, the stress of remaining in a job you detest may not be worth the offset of having insurance converge. Stress plays a central role in many chronic conditions and illnesses. Also keep in mind that, statistically, US women between the ages of 18 and 60 are very healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe, then, if you\u2019re suffering in one of these jobs from hell you might consider this recommendation: leave this job for one you\u2019ll enjoy (or at least one you won\u2019t detest) and purchase your own insurance coverage for hospitalization and emergencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This so-called catastrophic health insurance is dramatically less expensive than insurance that covers doctor\u2019s office visits, lab tests, and prescriptions. And if you don\u2019t have any chronic health problems, you may be better off paying for the check-ups, lab work, and prescriptions out of your own pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have no shortage of patients (generally self-employed) who stash away the hundreds per month they\u2019d normally pay for full insurance coverage and discover at the end of a year they are thousands of dollars ahead. They gladly spend a few dollars for their Pap smears, mammograms, and other check-ups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you join the women in this group, you\u2019ll have coverage for hospitalizations, but the other expenses you\u2019ll pay yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be well,\n
David Edelberg, MD<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I feel a deep sadness when a patient tells me she\u2019s stuck in a job she loathes–one that\u2019s making her sick with stress–but that she\u2019s staying so she can keep her health insurance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2087,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,67,203,3],"tags":[202],"class_list":["post-3116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-h","category-health-insurance-issues","category-knowledge-base","tag-health-insurance"],"yoast_head":"\r\n