On the minds of many these days is not just mistletoe, holiday holly, slurping egg nog, sampling peanut brittle and just one more sliver piece of divinity fudge.

Hey, are those mocha balls? (Heavy sign) But health care coverage. And ho ho ho, what happened to the monthly payment to get compliant with Uncle Sam’s directives.

You hear the conversations on the grapevine as you move around small Maine towns.

Worry about increasing taxes, the cost of living in small Maine towns. Concern about the penalty if I don’t get health care coverage. But deep anxiety spiking about coasting, creeping along on the high wire of life without a medical safety net. If I am not a card carrying, up to date bronze, silver, platinum or whatever horse of a different color level of health care coverage.

Some physicians are seeing a flip flop in who visits their medical practices.

And what do the Amish do for health care coverage? Oh yeah, they don’t have to have health care compliant coverage. What about other religions, like Christian Scientists who don’t promote medical procedures as a way of life? Believing you and I are all created perfect, in God’s image and likeness. And to give into sickness, poor health is error in your thinking. So re-apply your faith states leader Mary Baker Eddy and delve into your Science and Health for guidance on the return path to perfect health. More on the religious rights debate on Obamacare, any health insurance coverage or penalties to elect out and say “pass” Chummy.  I’ll just go fish for my own brand of health care thank you very much Mister Man.

So the folks out in the audience considering can I swing a $1000 a month or whatever premium for health care coverage, even with a giant gulp deductible and deciding nope. Opting out at the fork in the road into the dark woods ahead. Taking the penalty on the chin. But obtaining coverage for health care wherever they can uncover the best, most competitive plan on the globe. Just not the kind that is A-Z Obama care compliant kind.

Do you know folks that are taking that route?

Or just paying the penalty to not be under a health care umbrella of any kind. Going without medical health insurance which makes them feel anxious, sick with worry.

Affordable health care, wouldn’t it start sooner rather than later if we worked hard on the youngest in the population? Less obesity, more exercise, eating healthier food that does not clog those arteries. Keep having the Marlboro Man telling the youth early on “I miss my lung Bob” as a pair of hop a long Cassidy’s lope their horses. Into the setting sun dropping low and then out of sight in the West. The End. Roll the credits. (Fade to black).

I remember wondering what the delivery, cost of the oldest daughter being brought into this World was and asking. Knowing down the road, the figure would seem so low, like peanuts because of inflation and escalating health care costs that seem out of control and picking up speed. And telling the tale.

Like I had heard about the family doctor performed the task for $35 years ago.

Back when they made house calls, carrying the black bag with the cold stethoscope. When smiling Eddie Williams doctored the entire family when laid up on the couch. Wooden tongue depressors in the arsenal. In the days when cod liver oil was big, along with coke syrup and lots of home remedies to make you fit as a fiddle.  Or just plain sick and tired of being under the weather. More on old time medical remedies for whatever ails you.

The local health care insurance provider snapped, what do you care? It’s all covered. Never did find out or really get to study the line items to make sure no double billing was done. Not on purpose but by the software that might have a hiccup or stuttered. What it costs does not matter so much when you don’t pick up the tab.

Emergency room visits in an ambulance because you get better service, quicker attention when attendants wheel you in.

Seeking pain killers because the weekend is coming. Want to get high as a kite. When there is not a cost and got you covered on the back it in, turn off the sirens and wave the cover charge through the ER double doors. When across town, someone else with an ailment, that just took a spill tells themselves to remain calm. The ER’s talk, compare notes and know who the chronic abusers of services are thankfully.

Stay put. Hold the phone. Park it.

See if it still hurts as bad in a few days. Or going online to scan the computer screen page fulls. Of the Web MD eerie monitor green glow radiation. To glean knowledge to apply to their own symptoms on what they can from the forums. Or considering maybe it would be cheaper to see a veterinarian. A simple distemper shot and some bag balm, a flea collar could save the day. Woof.

Staying healthy, getting off the couch and yanking the power cord to the the boob tube. It does a body, mind, and mood good. To get outside, filling the lungs with fresh air, the eyes with all this pure, all natural Maine eye candy that elevates the spirits. And fueled by the exercise high of climbing, skiing, hiking, biking, kayking, swimming or just plain old hoofing it.

The deadline for health care coverage lock in looms closer.

Have you got it all figured out? Coasting until retirement or waiting for some legislative change to re-shuffle the medical costs cards. The health care cost debate and how to tweak it was strongly debated during the recent Presidential campaign.

As I see my own monthly coverage take a hike from below $400 with a big hefty deductible, to approaching $1000, I take comfort in one son who pays $45 a month health insurance premium. That he fears is going up but when you average it all out, it works. And if more are put on the ranks paying in, and we all work to make sure we are getting our money’s worth for any and all health care procedures. Plus focusing more on personal health in our daily lives, that combination has to yield good fruit.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com | 

MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton Maine 04730