Why I Chose To Purchase Medical Insurance

Actually, I first started purchasing medical insurance back in 1995 when I was working in New Zealand.

Even though I was working fulltime for a company, they did not supply employees with paid medical benefits so I decided to supplement what the government offered by purchasing my own plan.

I didn't actually have any major health problems but given the possible cost of emergency surgery, prescription drugs, glasses and contact lenses (which I wear), I felt it was worth it.

Plus, the cost of regular dentist checks up, x-rays, fillings and things of that nature can add up quickly, too.

One year later when I required nasal surgery, my insurance plan became an important aspect of my ability to have this surgery: My insurance plan enabled me to have the surgery at a private clinic and covered most of the costs.

Instead of paying close to $4,000 out of my own pocket for the surgery, my insurance policy covered the costs for me.

The alternative for me would have been to go on a waiting list and have the surgery in a public hospital.

One of my work colleagues was waiting for the same surgery and had been on the public waiting list for 9 months at the time that I had the surgery. Certainly, my surgery wasn't a life-threatening one (I had a deviated septum) but it was causing me enough trouble with breathing that I really wanted to get it fixed!

From the time my doctor suggested the surgery to me to the time I actually had the surgery, only 4 weeks had passed.

In this regard my medical insurance was a great option for me.

In 2000 when I became self employed, I again opted for medical insurance at my own expense given what I'd experienced several years earlier while living in New Zealand.

In my case, I felt it was more than worth the expense and protection that it offered.

Since then, it has helped me to cover the cost of prescription drugs, other medical expenses as well as a $2,000 dental surgery procedure that I needed in 2003.

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