I just bought an air-ambulance policy that pays for an air ambulance to evacuate me out of a questionable hospital while I am travelling domestically or internationally if I am seriously ill and bring me to a hospital near home, a qualified university or speciality hospital -- this is an intensive care air-ambulance with medical personnel paid for -- the premium is $225 a year.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/20...anted=all&_r=0

Hope I never need to use it but if you travel you might want to look into it.

I don't like paying for medical insurance either but if you don't have it -- good luck.

Someone I know was out mud-bogging and was loading his truck back onto the trailer. The truck fell off the trailer and in the end he cracked his ribs. He didn't have major medical insurance and it turned out he had not only cracked his ribs but had punctured his lung, it got infected, he didn't get any medical attention then he waited until the pain was severe enough for him to call a friend to take him to the ER. He was afraid of the surgery wiping him out financially so he would not consent to surgery to remove half of his lung. It would not heal because he has severe diabetes (600 mg/dL) and it is not receiving proper medical care or cannot me treated with the oral medications you can get free around here.

Bottom line, once he was put in intensive care and his friend/boss (the designated family member -- his family is 1000 miles away) talked him into consenting to surgery. He made it, I was told he is sitting in a chair now still attached to tubes.

He hasn't gotten the bill yet for 3 weeks in intensive care, the surgery, and now they are talking of a second surgery with a ceramic bone replacement. Scott is 40 and an accident like this could happen easily to a younger person too albeit his health problems just complicated the injury.

Enjoy your 'Benz ...