Not for medical insurance. As a NZ resident, I’m covered for accidents through our Accident Compensation Corporation – but that is a compulsory payment. Haven’t had to claim on it too often.
No life insurance on me either, because I have no dependents. When I cark it, those who are left are welcome to hold a grand garage sale of my stuff to cover the cost of sendin’ me to the furnace.
21, female, UK, no dependants.
No health insurance here. We’ve got the NHS so it’s free.
29, married with one child. My husband got laid off last July so we have been paying for our own basic health insurance since then. We pay about $250 a month for a plan that covers nothing until we pay $3000 up front each year, then they cover about 80% of things they feel like including in their plan (not much). Basically we pay out of pocket for everything, it is just there to keep up from going bankrupt in case of a big accident or illness. Call me paranoid but I won’t go without at least this kind of insurance ever. Even when we were living basically on unemployment and my part time income I insisted on having insurance. I just know that the one month we don’t have coverage someone is going to get diagnosed with something or need emergency surgery and we will be wiped out forever. I saw the bills after having simple gall bladder surgery last year (luckily while we were still insured under his last employer) and I hate to think of what something like a car accident would cost.
Starting in Feb. we will have much better coverage through his new employer, woo! It costs about the same per month but it actually covers stuff (and without the $3000 deductable). I will never take health insurance for granted again, it is freaking expensive.
45 Yr old woman.
Insurance by my employer at about $60/mo. They did away with my beloved HMO (yes, I liked my HMO) and since I rarely go to the doctor now I’m trying a new thing which pays the first $2500 of my medical expenses. I’m on the hook for the next $1000, then after that the company picks up everything. It’ll be my bad luck if I need something major and have to pay out the $1000, but the $2500 will cover my minimal prescriptions (thyroid and migraine meds) and the very very few times I go to the doctor.
Homeowners - check
Auto - check
Life - Just what’s provided my my employer for free, about $60K. I’m single, no kids.
For those uninsured fellow Americans - does your lack of insurance made you look for jobs where insurance is provided, or are you content the way things are?
StG
Am I insured? Extremely! Insurance is the second biggest expense of our household, right behind taxes. 
Since I’m self employed, I have to provide my own health insurance. Right now I have 3 kids and my self on the policy; the premium is almost $900 per month ($200 of that goes to a medical savings account). That plan has a $3k deductible.
My husband is insured through his employer, but he’s about to retire so no sense moving us to his. Each member of our family (6 of us) has a life insurance policy; I also have 2 disability policies (one long term & one short term). Oh, and a life insurance policy on my ex-husband, too.
Also insured are: 4 or 5 cars and our home. As a design professional, I also carry professional liablity and general liability for my sole proprietorship.
46, female, southern U.S.
I am 24 years old and a graduate student at a major university. My teaching assistantship comes with health insurance. Frankly, I don’t know whether or not it’s decent health insurance, since I only skimmed the booklet that explains the benefits. The only time I’ve used any health services is for my annual flu shots. Like my Mom always told me, the best health plan is to be healthy.
Negative, and not a day goes by that I don’t stress out about it.
I was on my parents insurance through college. Due to Michigan’s current economy of fun, the best job I can find with my degree is part time. This doesn’t offer insurance, and there’s no way I can afford to sign up for anything when I only make $8 an hour/30 hour per week. Heck, if I can barely afford rent how do they expect me to get insurance too?
I swear it’s the part time jobs that companies should offer insurance for, but I digress…
So yeah, if anyone sees me in a bad car wreck, don’t save me. I can’t afford it
Male 38 - Self Employed.
I pay for Myself, Wife and three kids, 5k deductible, but well checks (I assume that means basic office visits) and lab tests are at a set price, it’s just south of $800 per month. After the 5 everything is covered.
We also have 100k for me in life, 80 for my wife and 15k per kid.
Cars at 100/300/100
House check
Dental check - though it’s one of those fixed-price procedure thingies.
That works pretty good until you have kids. Braces, broken arms, mono, etc. I could write a book. :rolleyes:
Yes! I am insured as of the first of this month. My husband and I have wonderful insurance - health, dental and vision - through his work. We only pay something like $25 deducted from his paycheck twice a year for coverage. He had a kind of insurance through the VA hospital before this plan, I was uninsured.
Age 21, married, USA.
I’m 39, live in the U.S. and am insured by my employer. I cover myself, my husband, and our son, and my monthly premium for the three of us in my HMO is less than $175. Reasonable co-pays, no big deductible. Dental isn’t so great, but it’s better than nothing.
For this coverage I am profoundly grateful. I work in higher education, and I think the general philosophy is that by offering good benefits they can stay competitive with private industry even though salaries here may be a little lower.
In short, yes…pretty thoroughly.
I have medical, dental, disability (priceless as I went out on extended maternity leave due to complications), life, auto, home, and even earthquake insurance. That last one was a battle to get in SoCal, but companies are required to offer it. It isn’t much–all crystal/china and electronics are excluded–but it’s something.
Heck, even our horse is insured, although because of her age she only has mortality and surgical. Next year, when she turns 20, she’ll be dropped from everything.
In Dearborn Heights we hire employees to run city hall. Secretaries and staff are on 35 hr shifts. That is to prevent paying insurance and benefits.
People making 8 or 9 bucks an hour have to pony up thousands a year for health insurance.
Explain again,why is Americas system the best?