Affordable Health Care from a Near-Death Experience

I’ll never forget the day I become obsessed with finding the very best health care solutions for people.

It was Dec. 31, 2002… and I thought I was going to die.

My wife and I were in Bangkok, Thailand, visiting her family. Like a fool, I drank the water, and got a bacterial infection that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies.

After vomiting to the point of complete dehydration, I was rushed to the ER. Not knowing what to expect (it was Thailand, after all) I was scared beyond belief.

But what happened next shocked me…

The hospital was state-of-the-art. From what I could tell lying on my back, I could have been in Johns Hopkins, Massachusetts General or the Mayo Clinic.

After just a ten minute wait, I was admitted to a private room. The doctor on call spent almost 30 minutes with me. He administered an IV pump to replenish fluids, and medication to ease the pain… and there I lay for four hours.

The experience was as good, if not better, than anything I’d ever seen here in the states. And here’s the most shocking thing… The bill amounted to just $16 dollars! On my way back home, I had a hare-brained idea — I’d start a business showing Americans how to receive quality health care at the world’s lowest costs.

So I did.

Since then I’ve shown more than 10,000 Americans how to get world class surgical procedures for approximately 15-20% of what it would normally cost Americans. It really isn’t that difficult when you consider the soaring prices of surgery in the U.S. I’ve seen the cost of knee replacements go from $35,000 to $50,000. Heart surgeries that used to cost $80,000 in 2003 have skyrocketed to $120,000 today.

Unfortunately, it’s all types of surgery that will soon be even more expensive.

As full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) approaches, every doctor, research professional and health administrator I talk to tells me the same thing: Obamacare is going to reduce the quality of care and cost you more… in some cases a lot more.

If you’re a 40 year old living in California, for example, you can expect to pay as much as 116% more in premium payments under the ACA. And ABC News reports that “the overwhelming majority will see double-digit increases in their individual health insurance markets.”

And they named it the “Affordable” Care Act?

This is why I’ve become a board member of the Laissez Faire Club. To find and share new ways to protect the health of your family and get affordable world class health care exactly when you need it. Here’s one solution I’ve uncovered that you can take advantage of today.

Skip Your Doctor’s Office the Next Time You Need Bloodwork…

For years I was fortunate to have comprehensive health insurance through my wife’s employer. Then in early 2011, my health coverage ran out when my wife’s engineering position was terminated as a result of a leveraged buyout.

After a short stint on COBRA, I researched the private insurance market for my family. However, I quickly learned that no private insurer would cover me because I had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

Now for the first time in my adult life I found myself uninsured. But what I learned next was even more valuable than gold. By simply approaching my health care as I would buy a new TV or refrigerator, I was able to save close to $400 on my blood work.

And you can too.

One morning, I called my doctor’s office to get my thyroid prescription refilled. (My condition requires me to regularly measure my thyroid hormone level.) The receptionist said I needed to see my doctor. She would then provide me with the lab work request form for my Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) panel.

Since I had no insurance, I asked the receptionist what it would cost me. She said the first visit would be $98, the lab work would cost around $400, the follow up visit is another $98 to interpret the lab report and fill the prescription.

All together it would have cost me $596 for a “simple” refill of my medication. I sat stunned in silence. Then I started thinking. Based on my business experience, there had to be a less expensive way. All I had to do was find it. Within an hour I succeeded.

Private MD Labs provides confidential laboratory testing and personal medical information direct to the public. Their model empowers you to take charge of your own health and assist you in the prevention and early detection of disease.

And you don’t need a physician’s referral to use them. You simply request the test you need on their website and pay directly with a credit card. No insurance company is involved to unnecessarily drive up costs.

I quickly found the test I needed on their website and clicked on it. To my amazement, the total cost for the test and lab work was only $49! Just 15% of the $400 I would have paid to my doctor for the same exact work.

Two hours later I received an email which contained my lab work request form with a doctor’s signature contracted through Private MD Labs. Along with the form they sent a list of labs near me to have my blood drawn.

The following day I drove to one near my house. My results arrived 24 hours later. The old, expensive way usually took three-five business days to get my lab results. When I explained to my doctor how I did this, her jaw dropped. She had never heard of this service before.

As for me, I was thrilled. I received faster service. It cost me less. And the savings covered a full season of my son’s soccer dues.

This is just one solution to the coming health care mess. And just one I’ve uncovered since I’ve joined the Laissez Faire board. As things continue to get bad, it’s these types of solutions that will give you the best chance to escape the worst parts of the law. It’s these types of solutions I’m looking for every day.

Sincerely,

Jud Anglin
for The Daily Reckoning

Ed. Note: Jud has compiled a handful of incredible ways to get affordable, first-class health care into a new free report. You can get exclusive access to it by signing up for the FREE Laissez Faire Today email edition, right here.

Article posted on Laissez Faire Today