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[Hekate]

257. The OP is talking about a family of 4, not one person

"Unless there's an accident or something" -- boy, howdy.

I once knew a girl who came from an active family in which a year did not go by without someone breaking a bone. I thought that was excessive -- but then one of my brothers had his own affinity for sharp, often rusty, objects that required stitches and tetanus boosters. Then there was the year my teenage boy had a bicycle accident and needed almost 2 weeks in the hospital plus dental restoration plus extensive plastic surgery. THAT could have bought a house in some parts of the country, so thank you Blue Cross circa 1994.

I have a friend who was without medical insurance for 17 years until she hit age 65. She was never so grateful in her life to be able to pay what she had to pay for Medicare.

We're not getting single payer this year or even this decade, so how about if we figure out some other best way of making sure most people can have access to affordable health insurance and wellness checkups and stuff like that? Maybe we could call it -- I dunno -- the Affordable Care Act? It won't be perfect, but we can keep working at it to make it better.