Everyone knows that without our health we have nothing, and without health insurance, we are told, we are at risk of losing everything.

Conventional health insurance, though, is expensive, and even the most expensive plans don’t cover all the costs of a catastrophic illness. But the fear of not being insured drives people to pay an ever-increasing percentage of their income for a specious coverage.

My wife and I took a look at the cost of health insurance many years ago, and decided against having any insurance, except during her two pregnancies.  For the past 33 years we’ve avoided paying some $200,000, averaging a monthly savings of $500.

We reject traditional health insurance, not primarily because of its high cost, but because it is a system based on fear and greed, and not one we want to participate in. Nor does it cover the type of health providers we call upon, like homeopaths, chiropractors, and other energy workers.

We decided to invest in our health, rather than in health insurance. We decided to live in the country, surrounded by trees and fresh air. We decided to grow as much of our own food as we could during the summer in our organic garden, and to eat organic food as much as possible through the rest of the year. We are happy to pay the premium these products call for, rather than paying for an insurance policy we don’t believe in.

We decided to strengthen our immune systems by avoiding conventional drugs whenever possible and using gentle yet effective healing modalities like homeopathic medicines and herbs.

When we do need to see a doctor for a condition we’re unable to deal with, we pay out of pocket. The number of times we’ve had to do this over the years has been quite limited.

Some would say we’ve been lucky, we’ve dodged a bullet, because if we had contracted a serious illness, or needed surgery, we would be paying off the bills for the rest of our lives.

But it hasn’t happened, and we think we’ve created our own luck in part by putting our energy into creating a healthy lifestyle, and rejecting the fear-based health insurance and pharmaceutical system.

We’re glad the Obama health plan is finally beginning to reform the abuses of the industry; and we hope future forms of insurance will cover visits to chiropractors, homeopaths, and other energy workers. Health insurance that focuses on preventive care is one we would whole-heartedly support.