Biggest VanLife Issue Stopping Nomad Newbies: What about HEALTH INSURANCE!? To Live or Not to Live
We are faced, at least I can speak for the US, with an unforgivable modern debacle: To Live or Not to Live. This is a created issue, not an innate one. People lived for thousands of years without health insurance and even without jobs as we know it. They had food, clean water and well-being with close family units and rivers to bathe in and medicinal plants and most importantly: freedom to live. What is freedom? Is it being allowed to shop for things we donât need? Or is it being allowed to do whatever you want, live the way you want in a given day? How many people wake up to an alarm clock to go sit in traffic to work at a job they hate with people they donât really like for the entire length of the day until the sun goes down, not so they can make a paycheck, but because they have that dooming question: But what about health insurance!? That to me, my friends, is not freedom. That is the exact opposite. Why should we even need the insurance at all? What was so bad about simply paying a doctor for a service and saving up for an emergency, and even more so, coming together as a community when someone we know is in need!? That has all nearly vanished in todayâs society and were left with this: overpriced health insurance plans.
And so, we wanted to live more freely, as modern nomads, the simple van life dream if you will. And we chose to do this life for a real purpose. We wanted to live simple and spend as little as possible and consume less than the average person. We could easily give up all the luxuries. No shower? No problem! No heater, no cooling, no generators and no on grid power. Ever. Got it! Tiny home? Tiny issue. Eat on a budget? Yep, I can do that too. Iâll even forage some food and live very frugally to make this life a reality. BUT WAIT!? What if… what if. What about health care costs? Well, I donât have any health issues right now. âBut if you do, youâre screwed!â says the modern masses. Well, I say, thatâs pathetic. Thatâs terrible that this is the reality of our society. If someone is willing to give up so much, and keeps their bills low and works to pay for any bills they make (food is inflated too and I shouldnât pay for water or fish, but thatâs another rant for another day), why should they then have to give up everything, the life they want to live, not for an issue but for a what if!?! Thatâs ridiculous. And so weâre faced with only a few tough options: 1. Live without it and take the risk. One life. And itâs a form of protest by saying I choose not to pay into this system! 2. Live on an extremely small expense and income budget and qualify for discount health insurance. 3. Nomad alternatively and have to pay for insurance by working a full time job with benefits or paying out of pocket, therefor needing to work all more and give up a lot of time and freedom, which is supposed to be the whole point of the nomad lifestyle, or finally 4. Give in and give up. Work in a city, making good money with good benefits, because what else could you do!?
None of these are perfect. But I for one happen to like options 1 and 2 because they speak against the current system but still allow a person to live now they want. I donât think health insurance alone should stop someone from van life. Now, on the question of mooching. Is someone mooching the system if they qualify for health insurance? What, no!? But people will say that is the case. If they âqualifyâ then they qualify. That means they live with less. People have already complained to us that they are paying for our way! Well, for one, weâve never used it. So no they arenât. And two, Iâd be more concerned with all the other things being taken out of our pay and in our taxes that are ridiculous. People are looking for solutions to a problem they didnât cause. Besides, if more people chose not to pay in, the whole thing would break down. It keeps going because people keep paying. Because the system makes us all feel desperate and without options. This is one of the few options we still have. And so, that is what weâve done, for now. THIS is not just a Van Life channel. We are about changing the world for the better, starting with ourselves. We are about living an alternative lifestyle because we werenât happy with the options presented from the standard society view. Is it perfect? No. Is it working? Maybe.
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There is nothing you need to explain. Everyone deserves healthcare!!! No matter how frugal or not frugal they are, disabled or not disabled, smart or dumb, good or bad. It's just that the US healthcare system is so perverted by the greed of Pharma and privatized hospitals that humanity is out the door…you pay or die.
I'm glad you are living the life you want to live. Good for you!
I totally agree… and I want to live that simple life too, but the thing I'm trying to figure out is how to manage a problem I already have. I am perfectly healthy and capable otherwise, but to maintain this level I need a medication that would be extremely expensive if I didn't have health insurance and had to pay out of pocket. I just don't feel right going on medicaid knowing I am going to be running it up in the $1,000's every month. There is a way I can manage my condition without it, but it would still require some kind of "medication" type thing that would be in the hundreds and my diet would get waaay stricter… like more strict than vegan.
I lived without health insurance for years. As it is, I pay several hundred dollars that doesn't really cover anything until I pay several thousand in health expenses…. And most types including this don't pay for things that are more natural like the chiropractor or my vitamins and supplements that I actually need to be functional. It's sad.
I thought this video would give me some ideas about getting health insurance for myself in whatever state I'm travelling in, but instead most of the video was you telling people why you DESERVE to have insurance. Know what I think? You do you. F#@$ what everyone thinks. You do NOT have to explain yourself so extensively to your viewers – or anyone for that matter. Our Healthcare system is terrible as it is so take what you qualify for, and don't feel guilty. That is my opinion.
screw those haters…continue to live your healthy and happy life
Pennies, please don't be offended by the idiots of youtube. Live your own lives. Hike your own hikes as we hikers always say. Please stay safe. Stay awesome, guys.
PREACH!!!!!! So agree with you, I also gambled and don't regret my choices. Look at so many people who do have some type of health coverage and still are forced into bankruptcy. Stress has a huge impact of your well being. I know so many people who had a heartache and died in their mid 50's, never got the chance to really do what they dreamed. Live now because that is all you have.
Good idea, I have been wondering about insurance, I guess I never thought of the fact that if I'm not working I'm technically at poverty level no matter how much I have in the bank
America's health care system is a disgrace. It costs too much for everybody, including people like you who have to give up so much to get it for free. You pay for it through what you don't earn.
Live your life as you please. If you're happy im happy for ya. No hate
I think that is great. If illegals can get it. Why can't legal people. I think it's great if you want to live that way do it.
Hey Pennies, we love your channel:) Can you guys talk about your heating source? Even the desert gets cold:)
The Question that I had with your monthly budget was that $100.00 / month food spending. I am astounded that you 5 can eat for a whole month for $100.00 Please tell me just how you do it. I cant eat for $100.00 each week. I usually spend around $3-$4/day on my 1 large dog Greta Pyrenees
You should look into a health sharing company. It's sort of like communal healthcare where all the members pay into the plan and it get's redistributed when needed. You need to be healthy to qualify but it's very cheap (relatively speaking to ACA insurance).
Coming from a country where there is general health insurance, Iâm be happy to pay my share to support anybody with lower levels of income. Health shouldnât ever be a question of income or life choice. Ever.
Health care system in the us is too business oriented it no longer function as it is suppose to. Itâs primarily function is to help patient not to scam and prescribe medication that patient may not even need.
People can still choose to, in your own words, live as people lived for thousands of years without health insurance and even without jobs as we know it. They had food, clean water and well-being with close family units and rivers to bathe in and medicinal plants and most importantly: freedom to live. But, they provided for themselves. No one provided those things free of charge to them. They tilled the land, hunted, drew water, learned the medicinal plants and most importantly earned the right of freedom to live as they wanted. No one should be expected to provide for someone else anything that they can provide for themselves if they are physically and mentally capable to do so. Choices have consequenses, risk and responsibilities for all of us. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Being responsibility for ones self and ones choices earns each of us the liberties and freedoms we all want to enjoy. I don't want the system to take care of me. Why give up my freedom to the system, corrupt or otherwise ? Be well and happy.
Tell da truth! So many people have no idea how messed up this whole system is. Keep telling it like it is, if one more person starts to question their presumption of what is reality you have made a difference. Sending u guys Mucho Amore from New Mexico
Keep in mind most Americans don't have $900 in the bank and live knee deep in debt! Your doing just fine. Stay healthy and wise. Timmy C
I worked really hard, as a single parent, and was one time out of work and needed to get food stamps many years ago. I got a total of about $80/ month for my son and it was primarily because they considered the value of my vehicle as some type of "income". I'd go pick up the food stamps and see people driving Cadillacs who would be bragging about how they worked the system, getting paid under the table and putting their vehicle under a relative's name so that they could max out their government benefits. It certainly didn't do me any favors to be honest and play by the rules. I've struggled and worked everyday since for health insurance and to put food on the table. Your points are valid and I hope to experience that type of freedom one day.
I applaud you for living the life you desire and opting out of the rat race. Don't let the naysayers get you down. Best regards to you.
As a self employed person I would not be able to afford health insurance if it wasn't for Obamacare.
I find it interesting that when large corporations, or the well off pay very little in taxes, it's considered that they were smart and used the system for their advantage. When someone making very little uses the system to their advantage, they are looked down as scamming the system.
you make excellent points. health care is a human right and we shouldn't
have to make hard choices for it.
Stay happy! Whatever it takes. PERIOD