<html> You have a bunch of excellent ideas there, Dean. I have done one other thing in the past: if one wants health care "lite", one can go to a naturopath. They cost a lot less, they can authorize basic blood tests, etc. and they are less hurried and more willing to listen. A guy just outside town sells raw milk "for animal use only" from an outbuilding behind his house, along with eggs from non-concentration-camp chickens. (They live nearby -- you can watch them scratch and cluck ...) I don't drink milk much, but I thought of getting some (he sells by the gallon), skimming some of the cream for butter, and making yoghurt and/or cheese from the rest. There are a few people in the country with hobby farms, who sell grassfed beef by the quarter. I keep meaning to buy, but never quite go ahead -- maybe next year. At that point, one is very dependent on having the freezer not fail -- perhaps a small backup generator might be a good idea. I agree that factory farm meat has a lot of issues, especially the pork. Best, Susan At 09:36 AM 12/23/2005 -0500, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Well said, Susan. By making healthcare free for many people it leads them to poor choices and drives the cost up for the rest of us.   We have developed something of a network of healthcare professionals who seem willing to work with us to help us make better choices. We know a chiropractor, for example, who does low cost xrays for us if someone is injured and we suspect a fracture. We use a nurse practitioner for routine type medical care- way cheaper than a doctor, easy to get along with, and can do most anything a doctor can, including stitches. We use a private hospital when we must that is more willing to negotiate on price. Be sure to make the negotiations up front. We use a midwife for home births- safer, cheaper, healthier, better care and it is a wonderful spiritual experience to boot.   Eat healthy. Avoid sugars, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils (its in everything and allows fats to move directly into your blood stream), homogenized milk (breaking up the complex fat molecules allows them to move directly into your blood stream), white bread and other bad carbs. We take another step of eliminating all trash eating animal meats: pork, shellfish, etc. If you are a middle aged man be sure to add Saw Palmetto (300 mg twice daily standardized extract) to your daily vitamin regimen and you ll likely never have prostate trouble.    Find an Amish farmer that uses natural husbandry methods for his livestock. Grass fed beef has a much healthier fat balance and gives lower blood cholesterol. Free range chicken meat and eggs likewise has numerous health benefits. And the one we use produces delicious chicken and turkey sausages. You may be able to find one that will sell you a share in a milk cow so you can get natural raw milk. If you are going to drink milk that is the only way to do it.   Of course you could just do like most people: eat trash from the convenience store or drive thru and take whatever drugs the HMO dr. tells you to.   We are members of Samaritan Ministries, <a href="http://www.samaritanministries.com/">www</a>.samaritanministries.<a href="http://www.samaritanministries.com/">com</a>, sort of a shared expenses cooperative. It is not insurance and it is only for those who profess to be Christian. My cost is $225 a month to cover my whole family and my payment goes directly to people who have a covered medical expense. The home office every month sends me the name and address of who gets my check for the month. I feel really good every month making out that check because I know every dime of it is going directly to someone who really needs it. Check out the website for more info.   Dean Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 Terre Haute IN  47802   -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" eudora="autourl">mailto:</a>pianotech-bounces@ptg<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" eudora="autourl">.org</a>] On Behalf Of Susan Kline Sent: Friday, December 23, 2005 2:05 AM To: Pianotech Subject: Re: health insurance   At 09:17 PM 12/22/2005 -0600, you wrote: What are you self-employed guys doing for health insurance? Just Say No. Pay for things like broken fillings out of pocket, swearing and cursing at all the people with dental plans, whose paperwork has tripled the cost of a normal visit. Try to avoid denatured engineered commercially motivated food and medications like VIOXX, diet sodas, etc. In fact, avoid all conventional medications till the doctors actually know how to fix more problems than they produce, instead of just compounding them by covering them up. Works for me -- you live till you die. I hate being poked and dosed and fussed over. I'm convinced that more than half of it shouldn't be done at all. However, I do wear the very latest version of Conrad's flamesuit ... Susan Kline</blockquote></html>