Healthy or Not?

Obviously, writing is mentally taxing, but it's also exhilarating (most of the time.)

Still, then and now we writers (and our dependents and spouses) become ill, requiring trips to the doctor's office (and perhaps some prescription meds as long as they don't turn our musings into garbled rants.)

This leads me to scribble on a topic I've wanted to discuss for a while... health insurance costs.

First, let me say that I believe in health insurance. But I think health insurance should be set up in a manner similar to auto insurance - only for big emergencies. I wish we could simply negotiate a fee with our family physicians and pay out of pocket for "routine maintenance" (just like you do with your car or truck.) When crises occurred, we could then "fall back" on our insurance.

However, our system isn't set up that way.

Thus, my family (consisting of a freelance writer and a contract lawyer who is desperately trying to escape the legal profession) pays a whopping amount each month for insurance. Again, I'm not against paying something; after all, when my husband busted a rib and practically wrenched his knee out of the socket while playing ice hockey, we would have been broke had we not had a decent health insurance company.

STILL...

I keep wondering if there is some discounted "freelance writer" health insurance available on the market? (Yes, I know it's a pipe dream.) If you've heard of anything for Pennsylvanian authors, please pass it along!

P.S. Sorry this post lacks any humor whatsoever. I'll try harder next time to be a perky turkey! : )