1.  We have switched the primary platform for the Barnhardt Podcast to the YouTube version.  Apparently the bandwidth consumption from having almost everyone using the version that lived on this server was… non-trivial.  So, hey, let YouTube stand the lion’s share of the bandwidth consumption.  That’s what it is there for, I reckon.  And thanks again to one and all for the kind words of encouragement to SuperNerd and myself.
2. Because some people have asked recently, and I had occasion to visit with my ContinueToGive customer service pixie, ContinueToGive has upgraded their platform, and one of the functionalities they have added is the option to set up a recurring donation that continues until either the donor or the recipient says stop.  So, like PayPal, one can do a weekly or monthly recurring profile without a set expiration date.  The only thing ContinueToGive asks is that recurring profile donors remember to keep their email address updated, and also remember to update if their card expiration date rolls forward. I can’t tell you how nice it is to work with a company that you can call or email directly, and deal with a specific person, who is kind , knowlegable, helpful and responsive.
3. Speaking of which, remember, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for all of my benefactors, including all of the ones who have decided that they hate me.  Hey, I have that effect on people.  But I have an arrangement with God, once you’re on the list, you’re on the list.  As Don Henley once said, you can check any time you like, but you can never leave.  Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!
4. Also, because I get this question regularly, my snail mail address in Colorado is still the same.  It is on the Contact page.
5. And, yes, because I had a couple of inquiries over the past week, my Cattle Marketing DVD is still available.  Email me with “Cattle Marketing DVD” in the subject and I will send you the ordering instructions.  I had a voicemail from a student who took the live course working on nearly ten years ago now, who has been utilizing the skill set consistently over the last decade, and wanted to get the DVD to have on hand for the future. So it ages well, as arithmetic and stone-cold common sense tend to.

MAILBAG

Childbirth Cost in ARSH 1972

Dear Ann,

I read with interest your post, “Back To Work,” especially the section regarding medical costs.

I had my fourth child, August 5, 1972, in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania. I was in the hospital three days. The hospital bill was $379.00. The doctor’s delivery fee was $125.00. Prenatal office visits were $12.00, which included routine urine tests. Blood tests were performed by the medical group lab and were extra but were usually only done once unless there was a problem (like anemia). The reason I know these figures after all these years is because I kept a little book of our expenses, which somehow survived all the years and all our moves.

My husband had just taken a new job as a construction laborer, and childbirth hospital expenses were not covered until an employee had been employed for nine months. In those days routine doctor visits of any kind and blood tests were not covered by insurance. In other words, what people had was “hospitalization.”

Because we did not have maternity insurance, we had to give the hospital the money no later than one month before my due date. This was no hardship to us. We simply put money away each week and paid as required. Keep in mind we had three other children. My husband was the sole breadwinner and worked in construction, which meant he didn’t work when the weather was bad.

I have often wondered why medical costs have skyrocketed. As you mentioned, I thought it was because of technological advances. I also thought malpractice insurance was involved.

Thank you for this post. It explained a lot.

May God bless you and keep you in His care.

Sincerely,
J

Childbith Pricing Differential Using a Health Sharing Ministry (Which Looks Like Paying Cash To the Hospital)

Ann,
I’ve been reading/ listening to you observations on the disaster of “insurance,” and am wondering if you are aware of health sharing ministries and weather you would want to explain these to your listeners as a wonderful alternative to health insurance.

I used to be terrified to not have insurance, but now I realize that fear is all manufactured by the government. Instead of insurance, my family belongs to Samaritan Ministries, where millions of dollars are voluntarily shared each year between Christians to directly pay medical bills, without involving any insurance.

The positive consequences of doing this are enormous. When my recent baby spent 20 days in NICU, my hospital slashed all my bills by 87% because I was self- pay. The physicians group who attended the baby in the hospital has a policy to match the discount of the hospital, so those were slashed too. In fact, all of the providers who have serviced me have dramatic discounts for people without insurance. So for the whole experience, (my hospital stay, delivery, NICU, external physicians, pre-natal care, lab work, visits to specialists, etc.) instead of many hundreds of thousands of dollars, my total is under 30K, and the money is all shared with me from fellow believers. This month alone, I am receiving $23,000 in checks from Christians all over the country. After it’s all done, I will have personally spent $0 for the birth of this baby. In contrast, when I had insurance, each child cost me out of pocket about 8,000, on top of the monthly premiums. AND, there’s an exemption in the insurance mandate for members of health sharing ministries, so it’s legal, at least for now. Once we learned about this, we have opted out of the “excellent” insurance that my husband could have through his work, and can’t see why anyone wouldn’t do the same.

God bless,
M

Recommendation Request For Water Purifier

Hello Ann

Thank you for taking the time to do the podcast for Reluctant Preppers.
It is always riveting to hear your views, which are so eloquently articulated.

In a recent podcast you made mention of a water purification system using ceramic and silver.
Would you be so kind as to reply with the brand name or link for this system?

Best regards,
C

Certainly.  I recommend the Katadyn Pocket.

And here’s the link for additional/replacement filters.  Probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to stock up.

He Went To Confession After FIFTY YEARS Away…

Ann,

Want to pass along how much I appreciate your podcast (as well as your other work). Thanks especially for the Our Lady of Fatima Novena. (I’m one of those Catholics who got to make a priest’s day in the confessional with “Bless me father, for I have sinned. It has been 50 years since my last confession.” So I’ve got some ground to make up).

I have been following Karl Denninger since well before coming across you, so I was surprised when you mentioned him (what are the odds of coming across both of you? You two are not exactly household names. Coincidence or just another example of God “maintaining His anonymity”?).

It is refreshing, to say the least, to be able to hear a voice like yours that dispenses with the fan dancing and euphemisms, and gets on with the direct truth with uncommon clarity.

God bless-
B