Was he really a savvy shopper?

David Null says he is a savvy insurance shopper, but the company deceived him. I'm skeptical of his story.

Null's 7-year-old daughter Tatum experienced an unexplained acute liver failure. She was in the hospital only 12 hours when the Nulls were advised that she had reached the $35,000 cap per medical event on her insurance. Null says he didn't know about the cap.

I would not consider myself a savvy shopper, but caps are certainly something I would inquire about. Null also says that he often bought and canceled policies just before low introductory rates expired. That may be OK for credit cards, but health insurance is a whole 'nother animal. If you're getting extremely low rates, there's a reason -- low caps and poor benefits.

As it turned out, the system did not fail the Nulls. The hospital proceeded with Tatum's $561,000 transplant. Medicaid picked up the tab. And the Nulls have the gall to complain that they must keep their income low to keep qualifying for Medicaid. I think they should be grateful that you and I are footing the bill for their stupidity.

"Adversity didn't end with transplant." The Dallas Morning News; September 20, 2009; p. 17A.