Health Insurance and Other Boring Matters

Today has been an unusual day for me in that I titled a post directly related and relevant to the subject matter and I actually did medical-like things.

The last time I was this involved, I still had an appendix.

First, I got my health screening, which is what we have to do if we want to save $500 on our insurance premium next year. Since I'll finally be on my own plan next year, I gots to do what I gots to do.

"Why don't you just get on Mike's plan?"

Because Family coverage >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Single coverage in both cases.
Plus, he's not on a high deductible plan, which means I couldn't do this REALLY COOL TRICK with an HSA which I will tell you about on #3.

So I got my health screening done. It amazes me how I keep on getting healthier the older I get.
It's weird. Seems counter to society. I guess I'm just afraid of things getting worse, so I think my motivation to BE better has outweighed any actual negative aging effects.

"I have decided at 25 something must change."
-Bloc Party; Kruezberg

In a continuous improvement effort to continuously improve, I'm starting this program called 16 Century.

It's a program created by me so if you try to Google it, you'll just get a bunch of Italian art, Protestant reformation, and guys wearing tights.

16 Century is my goal, from September 2016 to August 2017, to bike 1600 commuter miles (e.g. 16 centuries).
"Commuter miles" are miles that I would have driven in a car had I not biked. So your mamby-pampy-bike-casually-around-the-neighboorhood miles don't count.
I'm planning to buy a fabric guitar case so I can bike to church and still be musically involved.

 It's going to be DANK.

The only loophole to this goal is if I become injured/unable to bike, or my bike gets stolen or otherwise totaled/un-rideable during this time period.

And I'm going to track this. A progress chart with how many miles left to go.
Spreadsheets like you wouldn't believe.

Capt Jack Sparrow: Who makes all these?
Will Turner: I DO. And I practice with them 3 HOURS A DAY!

More like 8 hours a day, but we're not going to a butcher a pirates quote just to be more accurate here.

Spreadsheets so that at in the next year I can see fuel $aving$ and any health improvements as compared to this year's health screening.

My motivation lies in the fact that I am very fortunate to live within biking distance of pretty much everything I need to get to:
Work - 8 miles
Store - 6 miles
Church - 5 miles
Ice cream shop - 1 mile

Plus, I wanted to start a "new years resolution" early not to be all hipster, but to enjoy the nice new fall weather that I hear is going to start happening sometime soon-ish maybe just maybe.

So I better, like, buy some spare tubes for this.
TUBULAR.

Secondly, (going back to original subject of post) I went to the dentist today.

Nothing too earth shattering here. It took me 6 years to get just one cavity.
Also, I didn't realize that having "beautiful teeth" is such a nice compliment, but it is.
More motivation to stay away from sugar.

Thirdly, since I am going to have to start footing the bill for any medical expenses that may come my way, I started slightly super freaking out.

"You mean I have to pay for this out of my FUN MONEY?"

Fun money = that $50 or so of little cushion you kind of know you can spend without totally wrecking your aggressive investment plans.

"Sorry, guys. I can't go out to lunch this month. I had to go to the dentist last week."

This is life, man. This is what real life looks like for me now.

But it'll all be worth it if I can stick it out for a few more months. Just a few more months and then I can totally turn around and tea-bag the government.

Before I got my totally awesome job that I have today, I had a totally un-awesome job. But that job had a 3% matching SIMPLE IRA so I jumped on in because why not.

I'm not yelling at you; that's just what they're called.

So when I got my job last year, I discovered that you can't roll a SIMPLE into a 401(k).
This did not make sense to me because they're both tax-deferred until I'm wrinkly so who cares.
Whatever, I'll just sit on this money and sort of invest it until I find a better use for it.

And find a better use I did. Turns out you CAN roll an IRA into an HSA.
Apparently this is a one time deal, and I can only do up to the individual contribution limit ~$3,350 but that means I get to use it for medical expenses next year instead of 30 years from now.

Plus, I get to invest the HSA and earn stuff tax free and then use earnings to buy dental appointments and I pretty much just figured out how to give myself free healthcare for the next decade.

Isn't that great!?!?
So great.

And since the contribution limit is about half of the value in the account, it's almost like my prior employer is paying for it because I had that 3% match.
Thanks, prior employer. You're the best.

Summary in case my mom skimmed this:
I will bike 1600 miles in a year, I have beautiful teeth because the dentist said so, and I made a plan to roll my rather useless IRA into a useful HSA.

Not a bad day.

Fun fact: geometry means earth (geo) measurement (metry).
What did the acorn say when he grew up?

Gee, I'm a tree,
TWS