I had a high deductible plan with HSA (no employer contributions) and it worked okay, but it was still hella expensive.

I think the problem is that the definition of "high" has changed and is not what most people would agree on! I mean, especially given that recent survey that some ridiculous percent of Americans would have a hard time coming up with $400 if they had an unexpected bill?

I mean, it's one thing if your insurance is hella cheap because you have a 5k deductible. But it seems like these days even the "regular" fairly expensive insurance has a $1500 or $2000 deductible!

My company-provided High-Deductible Health Plan has a $2,500 deductible, then I pay 30% of covered expenses until I hit the $6,200 out-of-pocket annual maximum.

I am extremely fortunate not to have had to use it yet.

Damn it, you guys, I was searching old Natter threads for recommendations of which model of Fitbit to get*, and I just ended up getting posts from Ginger and ita and now I am sad.

*(Yeah, so, we have one full-length mirror in the house, sort of behind the bedroom door, so I'll check an outfit before I leave the house -- sometimes -- but that's about it. But the hotel I stayed at had a huge wall section of mirror, and...it was visual confirmation of the fact that my jeans have gotten tight again. [Yes, because it's the jeans' fault.] So I think a Fitbit would give me data I can track [because nerd] and accountability/motivation. Because my goodness, my beer belly is well and truly a keg.)

But anyway, what model of Fitbit do people have and/or what model would you recommend?

I have a Charge HR because I less-than-three continuous heart rate data. It does a nice job of not needing me to pay attention to it most of the time and giving me lots of charts and graphs.

I have a Zip because I don't need heart rate or sleep data, I just want steps and a way to keep track of my weight. And it was only like $50.

I also have my Fitbit account linked to an Aria scale, which on the one hand I think is faintly ridiculous but it let's me weigh myself everyday without actually looking at the numbers and then I have the information stored up for when I want to look at the trends over time. It's not anything anyone, probably, needs but I find I like it.

Hubby and I used to play "How soon in the year will we meet the deductible?" One year it was the second week of January.

The year I was hospitalized for depression, I met the deductible on January 4.

I'm so grateful for my Kaiser plan, which basically covers everything but the occasional office visit copay. Which I didn't get from my old Obamacare Kaiser plan, I will admit -- I paid $4K for my ear surgery, which didn't even work. Argh.

Today was a good day: I went for a run with the dog, which was hella slow, but at least we got a nice 45 minutes in the redwoods. Then I did some paperwork and banking for Dad, then I ran some errands, went to see Dad. He's doing well & we chatted a little bit. I called Comcast and had his plan dropped down, so I just saved him $140/month (!!!). Stopped at the grocery store, did some laundry, went climbing with a pal, and then texted another friend to come over for cassoulet. She brought Chinese food and we ate salt-and-pepper squid and drank a lot of wine and bitched about work and politics and aging.

And now it's time for bed. But I have 6 servings of cassoulet in the freezer for next week. And if I have time tomorrow, I'll make orange-honey bread. Nom.

Mmm, cassoulet. I read a book, found out the neighbor is getting rid of the chickens (hallelujah!), went to dancing even though I couldn't dance, met up with the girl, and got to hear her say to random stranger whose dog we were petting at the bar "oh, you're from Eugene? My girlfriend is in Eugene right now!" Me, in my head: "well, that explains why you've been home from vacation for days and only now got around to seeing me..." So that's basically done. Grr.