Why does my brother refuse to get health insurance?

I believe it is offered through his work, but the premiums are somewhat high.

My dad and I are worried if he's hospitalized for an accident or illness he'll wipe out his entire savings. (He's not the one who saved it. My parents intended it as a college fund for him, but he never went.)

We've researched cheaper individual policies for him; we've worked out complicated arrangements where his investments pay for the premiums without him having to spend a dime of his income as a cashier; but every time we bring it up he gets annoyed. I can't understand why it should be such a touchy subject.

I used to think he was afraid to take the blood test because he was smoking marijuana, but I believe he has quit since meeting his wife. He is overweight, if that makes a difference. I'm starting to wonder if he has some secret medical problem he's afraid we'll find out about if he applies.

Unless a man is in pain, he does not want to go to a doctor. This is normal for males, stupid as it is. Most males believe that they can stand the pain if something happens. If they die all of a sudden then the insurance will not do them any good.

Ask your brothers wife to get insurance for both of them. Once the policy is written pay for it through some loop hole that your brother does not sign off on.

Are you concerned about your brother's health or the amount of money in his savings account? Your brother is an adult, and while you think he is acting irresponsibly, it's his life to choose. If you are worried about his health, you should let him know you care about his health and leave the financial decisions to him. Making those decisions for another adult, even ones you feel are in their best interest, is very controlling as is giving someone money with the stipulation that they spend it only in the way they are directed. You are speculating all kinds of negative things you have no proof of about your brother simply because he chooses not to carry insurance.

First, he's your brother, not your son and if he's married then it's up to his wife, not you. Stay out of it.

One more thing, did you ever think that he's already blown through all the money your parents set aside so there's no income to use to pay premiums? That would also explain why he's not willing to have the premiums taken out of his paycheck, he needs all his income to make ends meet.

You can't make someone make smart decisions.

He's being cheap, or stupid. In any case, he's an adult, and he's free to be uninsured if he wants.

You might want to remind him that the number one cause of bankruptcies in the US is uninsured medical costs.

Depending on how young and healthy he is, insurance may be a bad bet.

I spent the time from when I was 22 to 32, paying insurance every month, average of $2000/year, for maybe 5 doctor's visits, no major ailments.

He's making a bet. If he is young and healthy, he probably has a less than 5% chance of losing it. But if he loses, he loses big.

Let's just hope he never ends up in the hospital, otherwise he will be paying that huge hospital bill forever! Hey, maybe you should say that line to him, "If you end up in the hospital, daddy and I are not going to pay for it because we can't afford it. So if you don't get health insurance, you are the one who is going to pay the $10,000 hospital bill. Is this what you want?"