Got medical bills to pay off? Not so fast. While you could put your hard-earned money toward those bills, have you ever considered enjoying a single trip away from home instead? Take this quiz to find out: Should you pay your medical bills or leave for vacation?
Are your medical bills substantial?
- Not terrible, but enough that I would have to put other, more fun aspects of my life on hold for the time being if I want to pay them off in a timely manner.
- I’m going to be paying off these bills for years to come. We’re talking tens of thousands of dollars.
Did you actually receive the services listed on your bill?
- Yeah, I went to the ER with a high fever, they gave me a flu test, sent me home, then billed me $1,500.
- Yes, I broke my leg and had to have surgery a few years ago and it has haunted me ever since.
No, but, did you actually though?
- Oh, wait, you’re saying that I should call and dispute the services listed on my bill? I can do that.
- There’s no way I’m getting out of these bills.
Which sounds more fun: paying a bunch of money toward medical bills for services you may or may not have received, or drinking Mai Tais on the beach in Miami?
- Mai Tais, baby!
- Again: I definitely received the services listed on my bill. And, of course, Mai Tais sounds like more fun, but I can’t just not pay my bills.
Picture this: boogie boarding in Sydney.
- Picture it? I’m already booking my ticket!
- I mean, yeah, it does look fun…
Watching sea turtles hatch in the Maldives.
- You don’t have to tell me twice!
- Is this a question? Or are you just trying to convince me that I should disregard my medical bills?
Results:
Mostly 1s: You should travel! The U.S. healthcare system is a pathetic shitshow, don’t give them another dime. Medical debt is basically fake, anyways, if you don’t think about it too much. So, burn those bills the hospital keeps sending you, play dumb about ever seeing a “doctor” in the “emergency room,” and hop on that plane to Tokyo – did you know credit scores don’t matter in Japan?
Mostly 2s: Damn, those medical bills are crazy, but you should still definitely travel! It seems like you have a pretty serious ailment, so you could probably use a vacation. Better to spend your time jetsetting than funding a predatory system that is designed to bankrupt you. We hear Sweden’s free healthcare is amazing this time of year!
