I have had insurance through corporate policies for the last 10 years or so, first through the companies I worked with, and now through my wifes corporate policy, but prior to that I pretty much self-insured. While I was lucky enough not to need massive healthcare, the $10K or so a year I stuck into savings rather than paying out to insurance meant that when I needed to get medical help- like a throat infection or earcahe or whatever, I just payed it out of pocket and went on my way. Of course that meant no going to the hospital for frivolous crap, but that was fine.