So about medical care...

I'd just like to point something out that annoyed me recently... When I was un-insured, I was charged $15 for a one-month supply of the generic thyroid medication I take. When we got new insurance, the pharmacy assumed I would want the brand name. It was about $26, less than my $35 co-pay at the time for brand name medication so I had to pay 100% and the insurance company paid nothing. Then we got another new insurance when Charles was switched from contractor to full time. Now the same brand name medication bears a sticker that says such: Amount: 14.49 You pay: 5.07 Ins pays: 9.42 Reminds me of when a Ford dealership quoted us $4,000 for a repair, and then after they learned it was covered by insurance the quote dropped to about $2,500. This ridiculous price gouging is infuriating! Because I had no insurance, they were charging me almost twice as much as what they tell the insurance company the medicine is worth! I was being charged an $11 un-insured tax! Not only that, but generic medicine out of pocket costs more than brand name to the insurance company??? Horrible. This is why people should shop around for products and services and consult experts when appropriate. For example, see a mechanic you trust before you let an oil-change-only place fix anything on your car other than your oil. (Not random, that's on my to do list for the near future.)