[treeswarper]

For some reason, what with the topic being fire insurance and then morphing into health insurance, the question of spontaneous combustion comes to mind. Like a person bursting into flames and then setting the house on fire, spreading to the neighborhood, then to the woods.... Life? Health? Fire? What kind of insurance?

[jinx'sboy]

[kiliki]

Not being able to get insurance isn't just for rural areas anymore! The three-unit building in San Francisco where a sibling lives was just dropped by Farmer's, which is pulling out of California. Allstate and State Farm will not accept new clients in CA so are fewer choices and they are more expensive. No one in my sibling's building has filed a claim in 20 years. Earthquake insurance there is separate so it's hard to understand what insurers think the risk is, in a residential area in a city.

[mike]

It may be an all or nothing forced decision. I don't know the law in CA but Farmers' may have made the decision that CA isn't worth it anymore. The others are pulling back.

[Chief Joseph]

So I ended up going with Ambetter health insurance, essentially the least expensive option at a couple bucks per month premium. $45 copay, RX, $35 copay, Urgent care, $60, ER, $2500 and $9250 ma out of pocket. I suppose it's better than no insurance but not sure if I will re-enroll next year. The $2500 ER copay is the most troubling, but then I have only been to the ER twice in my life, the last time trying to pass a kidney stone about 10 years ago. I ended up passing it while in the waiting room, so likely could have held off. I mean I could get an insurance plan for several hundred per month, but I typically only go to the doc once per year for a physical and have no prescriptions to speak of. But at least I am covered if a major event occurs and I have about 30 months before I am eligible for Medicare. I also went with Delta Dental for $35 per month, so now I can return to Sunrise dental of which I had good experiences in the past.

[treeswarper]

Back to fire stuff, I got the idea to plant hops on the south side of the house to shade it. I wonder what the flammability of hops is? Thay can be ripped down if enough time is given. But first, will see if they even grow. The plan is to hook wires to the hooks that are used for Christmas lights. The hops can attach and grow up. Hops are supposed to arrive in March.