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Paying For Small Indignities

Each month I pay $700 for health insurance. Does this make me an idiot?

David Farrier

09 Apr 2025 — 4 min read

Hi,

The piece I wrote last week about the chances of being rounded up and evicted (and/or detained) by the United States seems more… pressing.

To be clear: antisemitism is fucking horrible — and in that same breath I also wonder what today’s statement from The Department of Homeland security means for those of us who don’t support the genocide in Gaza:

"WASHINGTON— Today U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin considering aliens’ antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests. This will immediately affect aliens applying for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students and aliens affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity. Consistent with President Trump’s executive orders on Combatting Anti-Semitism, Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism and Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats, DHS will enforce all relevant immigration laws to the maximum degree, to protect the homeland from extremists and terrorist aliens, including those who support antisemitic terrorism, violent antisemitic ideologies and antisemitic terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, or Ansar Allah aka: “the Houthis.” “There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here,” said DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin. “Sec. Noem has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism – think again. You are not welcome here.” Under this guidance, USCIS will consider social media content that indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative factor in any USCIS discretionary analysis when adjudicating immigration benefit requests. This guidance is effective immediately."

By now I don’t need to point that the current administration’s definition of “antisemitism” is a wee bit flawed — and my writing here on Webworm (daring to suggest that wiping out Gaza and all the Palestinians in it is a fucking horrific move) may fall under it.

Now, onto the lighter topic I wanted to talk about.

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Paying For Small Indignities

Each month I pay about $700 for health insurance.

$683.83 US dollars — or $1,210 NZ dollars — to be exact.

I do this because I don’t want to be bankrupted if I am hit by a car or have high caliber bullets pass through my body in a mass shooting.

When I first got to the US, I got the cheapest health insurance I could find at $360 a month — but as I wrote previously, when I had to see an expert about my dicey spinal column, it proved utterly unusable.

So I upgraded Blue Shield’s “Silver 1750 PPO” plan, which promised to be more flexible. I was too scared to look at what the Gold plan would cost.

Increasingly, I’m wondering if it’s worth it, because everything I do in the world of American healthcare still costs money. If I need to see my GP, it takes a month to book him in and costs $55.

The last time I went in, I tried to pack in as much as possible, asking him to burn a tiny disgusting wart of my little finger. He grabbed a canister of liquid nitrogen, blasted my finger for 15 seconds, then gave me a bandaid which I applied myself. I assumed the $55 would cover it.

It didn’t.

I think I keep paying for these small indignities until I hit my deductible, which is $1750. If I go to a healthcare profession not covered by my insurance I have to hit $7000.

I figure this year if I pack in some physical therapy for my stupid spine I might hit it before it gets reset?

If I cut my insurance off, I could put that $8,205.95 aside — using it for an urgent care walk-in if I get sick and need pills.

But I keep paying because, well, America. If shit goes down and I’m uninsured, then it’s kinda game over. It’s a gamble I’m not yet willing to take. At least I can’t get pregnant, I guess.

"Woman Gets $783,000 Hospital Bill After Giving Birth"

This week I discovered Blue Shield had kindly passed on my personal health information to a “third party” who may have “accessed, acquired, used or disclosed” it. This was a bonus feature in my monthly $683.83 that I hadn’t been aware of.

"We are writing to inform you about a potential data breach. It is reasonably believed that certain elements of your protected health information may have been accessed, acquired, used, or disclosed to a third party."

They left me with an array of tasks to complete if I wanted to protect myself, including “closely reviewing” my statements and credit reports for the next year, and placing fraud alerts on my account.

My insurer, who takes $683.83 a month for their services, told me all this respectfully.

"Respectfully, Blue Shield of California 601 12th Street Oakland, CA 94607"

I responded, respectively:

And here’s the thing — I’m one of the lucky ones. I am able to afford to pay for this health insurance plan, so that if I’m shot or run over I probably won’t go bankrupt.

But still — I wonder. I wonder if it’s worth it.

And I wonder why most voting Americans continue to be repulsed by universal healthcare. I mean, I know why of course — here in America, if bad things happen to you it’s your fault and you deserve it. You pay to fix your broken body, because you chose to be in that accident.

This is the other side to the American dream — another juxtaposition, another injustice — and it’s almost enough to make you a little bit mad.

David.

For those that choose to pay for Webworm - thank you. If it ever causes you financial hardship, stop paying immediately.

PS: I know it’s tempting to go “why the hell are you remaining in the US” and look, I get it, but I’d also point back to my explanation towards the bottom of this piece.