Health insurance now costs $16,000 for average family

[annominous]

7. I have cancer

And have been in treatment since Jan 2015, about 16 months. Last year my medical expenses were about a quarter of a million dollars, after the insurance company's negotiated deductions. This year will be the same or more, unless I don't make it through the year. No one ever thought I was worth that kind of $$$ when I was well. For perspective, I'm not old enough to retire, but may have to take a disability retirement. Medicaid is not an option, another discussion. I still work, though my illness is serious and debilitating, to keep my insurance and make my copays and other costs of living. My salary is not even close to my medical costs.

No one likes to think about it, but once you get cancer, you notice how many other people have it. Very tragic personally, and very expensive collectively.

Most cancer patients are cared for at home by themselves or by family members, during most of their illnesses. It wasn't hospitalization costs last year for me, but just know you don't get hospitalized like in the old days, unless your illness can't be managed at home and things go critical. Scans and such are expensive as well.

No, for me last year it was the chemo costs. Mine were the lion's share of that $quarter million. Costs of privatized cancer research. Americans are being gouged imo.