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I don't have HMO, I have PPO.
Tom, have you looked into finding the least expensive, least coverage policy that you can upgrade later? That's what I originally did with BCBS. They wouldn't cover my migraines for 24 months so I got their bottom of the line catastrophic only policy just to get that 24 months started. Once the 24 months was over I moved into the full PPO and was more than happy to pay the premiums since now they were covering the migraine expenses.
My last hospital bill was $142K. BCBS has a contract which brought that down to $37K and I paid $67 and change. From what I've heard from people who have used that same hospital, if you don't have insurance you are charged approx the same rate as the insurance companies, i.e. the $37K. Personally, I'm REALLY, REALLY glad I didn't have to pay that, but $37K for all they did wasn't really a high price to pay, IMO.
And of course, if I didn't have a house, savings, etc. I probably wouldn't have had to pay anything. Oy.
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