Switching over to this insulin pump carries a risk. It might not work. Odds are strongly in my favour though. It's the fundamental reason I can't switch back to self-employment and a schedule more balanced in my direction, even though I carry lightweight disability insurance through my own company at a cost of $80 per month. The stakes are high.
I've been paying this premium for nearly 10 years. It's intended for critical illness. It kicks in at about the 3-month mark, and it works on the presumption that I keep a 3-month financial buffer lying around. I used to, but I lost financial ground in 2009. I'll get it back eventually, but not in this calendar year. I did not draw from this insurance, for example, when I went offline for a coma-related incident for most of August 2007. I was not sick long enough.
If the pump fails, my currently employer has my back covered. The group disability plan is much better than the one I secured on my own. I missed this point in my initial analysis a few days ago, but I think it's the kingpin. Rational fears are the scariest kind.
I also left out life insurance from my cost-benefit analysis. I maintain two private term insurance policies at a combined cost of approximately $40 per month, but I recognize the value of the additional coverage that my current employer provides for me.
