onepoorguy: Self-fund. It's a bit risky, depending on the health of your family. But, at some point, it may be worth it to pay yourself those premiums in a "safe" account that pays a bit of interest or dividend, and draw money from it as needed for medical stuff.

That reminds me of Steve Martin's opening monologue for the 2003 Academy Awards (which I stumbled across a week ago), a year when the industry was facing layoffs. Martin advised the audience at one point that they should be like Tom Cruise: “You should do what Tom Cruise does. At the end of each week, he takes a million dollars and just puts it away. And then at the end of the year, you’ve got a little cushion.”

Here's what self-funding gets you with an advanced cancer: docetaxel (a chemotherapy drug), degarelix, and zoledronic acid run about $27,000 a month. Add in darolutamide at $15,000 a month and you're looking at $42,000 a month until your six rounds of chemo are done. Then you're only paying $30,000 a month for the next 24-30 months. After that, you're still paying $15,000 a month until darolutamide stops working.

Now add in office visits (weekly for at least the first few months), other prescriptions, bloodwork and the occasional MRI or PET scan (up to $14,000, depending on where you live) and, well, umm, you get it, right?

Self-funding only works if you don't have a major medical event.

Or you're Tom Cruise.