Still on the subject of health, I'm currently in the process of applying for health insurance. I honestly cannot figure out why so many citizens of the USA see this as somehow preferable to a system which allows you to see a doctor without worrying about cost. I won't say the NHS is perfect, but it is, to my mind, a damned sight better. I think that the best system would be one which keeps basic healthcare free (ie you can go see a doctor about this thing on your leg for free) but which allows for insurance and/or copayments for anything beyond "the basics". To take an example, if your appendix goes bad, "basic" is in you go, you get opened up and out comes the appendix, and they sew you back together and keep you in till you can get up and about safely, while you can if you wish pay for less invasive surgery, etc etc. "basic" vision care covers checks and basic lenses in uncool frames, but you can pay extra for contacts, nicer frames, thinner lenses and so on. I would consider universal access to healthcare to be a human right, but it's not the job of the state to support everyone's health.
I'm also applying for a credit card. Yes, Mum, I do remember what happened last time, and it's certainly NOT going to happen this time. The sad fact of the matter is that life is very difficult in the USA of modern times without a credit card and the accompanying credit rating, and so it's a good idea for me to have one, no matter that I will be using it very little. I chose which one to apply for in consultation with the LA, and it carries good interest rates, no annual fee, and some spiffs which make a great deal of sense when considered with respect to my preferences.
While the LA has been feeling under the weather, she's been continuing to knit. Her latest completed project is shown below:
Yes, that's a cabled dice bag. I have the perfect wife.
And now, I'm going to get ready for tomorrow. I have to go to the library to return some books, and to the gaming store to fill in my Consumermas wishlist. If anyone should buy me anything which is on there (and that will probably be high-dollar non-essentials such as a battlemat, maybe some minis, paint, and moar dice, rather than such things as GURPS Myth or Rippers which I would be sure to use) I will get double points for that item on my rewards account there. I'd shop at this store anyway, since it's a) got a wonderful atmosphere and b) the only gaming store in the area now, but the rewards card is icing on the delicious dice-shaped cake.
It actually makes a lot of sense to have a credit card in the UK as well.
ReplyDeleteI use mine just like a debit card - it's set to automagically completely pay itself off every month.
However, because it's a credit card I get quite a lot of protection due to the Consumer Credit Act [insert year]
This means that I use it for anything I buy that might become an 'issue' - TV, flights, other hardware.
And if they do become an issue, I tell the credit card company, they refund me my money, and then I can leave the credit card company to raise hell with the faulty supplier.
Raising hell with suppliers is a pain in the proverbial, so it's great if I can get a big company to do it for me!