About 4 months ago when I officially quit my day job, I joined thousands of Americans who currently have no health insurance.  As a rockstar, with several expensive medicinal needs, I was relatively concerned.  In fact this last week while on-tour, I ran out of a couple key medications and had to stop by a Walgreens.  The total price for two medicines… $650.00!  Unfortunately, these medicines are name brand and come with no generic substitute.  Luckily, I have used the same physician for the last 5 years – he is a friend and also a fan of my music.  It’s actually a unique and humbling feeling to look out into the audience during a show and see a man who actually knows the size and weight of my prostate staring back at me on-stage.  He is the finest doctor I’ve ever known – attentive, detail oriented, non-judgemental, and a great listener.  And, he’s always willing to try different treatments in order to come up with the right solution to any medical problem.  So, when I contacted him about my new health insurance status, he told me – “Not a problem… I’ve got some great ideas on how we can work with that.” It is from my meeting with him that I pass on these nuggets of wisdom to uninsured people everywhere in hopes that they can get the medical care and treatment that they need as well: The Rockstar’s Guide to Healthcare in America!

1)  First it is important to understand that having no health insurance just means that some of your options pertaining to your healthcare may have to be changed, but it doesn’t mean that you should go without medical care.  Treatment plans for the insured may have to be altered a bit once your health insurance is gone.  For example, one such treatment for my psoriasis costs an uninsured person about $24,000 per year – luckily (or unfortunately) that treatment made me very ill, so I don’t mind that it’s no longer an option financially.

2)  Find a doctor who is a medical rockstar himself.  A good doctor will understand your specific situation and will find ways to work with you to keep costs down.  I want to thank my personal medical advisor, Dr. Brooks, for several years of helping to keep me healthy. 

3)  You may, or may not, know that Walmart and Walgreens both have programs for inexpensive prescriptions medications.  Print off these lists below (or at least the ones that may concern you) and see if your doctor can prescribe a medication that can be both helpful and inexpensive.  I left my doctors office today with 5 prescriptions to try – total cost, about $25.  Here are the websites that will provide these lists for you – Walmart $4 Prescriptions: http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/four_dollar_drug_list.pdf Walgreens $12.99 Prescriptions: https://webapp.walgreens.com/MYWCARDWeb/pdf/Value-PricedGenericsList.pdf

4)  Samples of medications, especially ones needed for a temporary problem, can be completely helpful and obviously free.  Ask your doctor (if they didn’t already suggest it) if there are any samples of any name brand or generic medication you can try for your specific ailment.

5)  Most health insurance companies have programs for individuals who just want “major catastrophe” type coverage.  This might be a good idea in case of an accident or some kind of major ailment.  For $70 per month, for example, I could get an IHC plan that would cover me for anything over $5000 per year.  Would something huge happen costing me hundreds of thousands in medical bills (i.e. like having my arms and legs broken by an angry unsatisfied fan at a show), it may make sense to consider a plan like that.  Additionally, ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) members can also qualify for “Rockstar Insurance” from MusicPro which has several cost effective options a musician might consider (see http://www.musicproinsurance.com/).  To learn more about high deductible insurance, a great place to start is:  www.hsaofamerica.com

6) Preventative maintenance is the best form of medicine.  When on the road try and drink less, exercise, take vitamin supplements, avoid high-risk behavior (i.e. don’t have unprotected sex with midget prostitutes) and do your best to eat healthy.  Note:  Taco Bell has a healthier fresco menu and McDonald’s and Wendy’s also have healthy choices on their menu now as well.

As a final tribute to health (and how fragile it can be), I want to post this memorial video my friend Jared Platt created and my sister put on Youtube the other day.  It’s a beautiful memory of my late daughter. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQZhWZJ1tME]