You are going to Ireland? I bet you’ll do just fine with the transition as you are bright & sharp, but very hard as you said to be far from your kids. Cell phones and computer monitor with a camera — Oh, Happy Technology! I wish you the Best. Soon?

We too were paying close to $15,000 a year for Blue Cross/Blue Shield for three of us through a company we retired with. The company recently changed medical carriers and my husband at this very moment is back “on the road” to earn enough hours of work to qualify for the new coverage and help pay for it. No longer retired-must pay for health insurance. I have read that huge percentage of medical costs are due “paperwork” for all the medical carriers. Stream-lining our system could be a means to lessening the costs.

Frannie Em - I agree with you. Here in New Jersey, Democrats have colluded with large insurance companies to keep smaller companies out, reducing competition. My alumni insurance is very affordable and would have covered my entire family, but NJ and NY do NOT allow it to be sold in their states. The corrupt government has “crowded out” the competition making insurance very expensive. Instead we have the state, welfare health care for our children: It is chaotic, unaccountable, and hands down the worst insurance I’ve ever had to deal with - and I used to process insurance for a living. There is no question that the people hired to administer these programs are from the bottom half of the bell curve. They had to be working somewhere. They’re in the government NJ health care system - that’s where. In the meantime the Canadian system is in complete meltdown, and their leaders are working towards a system more like the US. Name one thing that the government does better than any other company - The US government is not the best at anything.

Wowowow, since you are asking, our insurance is a PPO with Blue Cross of California, which has now changed itself into Anthem. Probably to charge more for nothing.

w G, Can’t you get health insurance as a student? My husband went back to college for his Masters in Architecture, although his original degrees were in aerospace and engineering, partly because he wanted the challenge of a new field (retired from serving as department head and fully-tenured professor at a State Univeristy-burned out) and largely for the student health insurance. Just as he got the degree, he turned 65, so he is now in Medicare and Social Security. Foxy guy, right? I on the other hand, have to buy it myself, from the proceeds of an extremely small and struggling small company. He felt while we were still married that I should exercise responsibility and pride of ownership and pay for my own, out of my company. Now health insurance is something I am wondering how much longer I can afford, too, and may either have to go without, or go on state funding. I understand and empathize with your fear. Please look into what benefits are available to students during your clinical rotation.