< Back to Assignment Attempts: Keep the Highest: / 7 2. Benefit of health insurance - A cautionary tale In 2016, Sam became responsible for providing his own health insurance. He obtained suitable coverage and paid annual premiums as shown in the following table. Compute Sam's total premiums: Sam's Premiums 2016 $4,479 2017 4,704 2018 4,824 2019 5,049 Total $10,299 Except for an occasional minor illness requiring a doctor's attention, a drug prescription, and periodic, routine tests, Sam enjoyed good health during those years. Because he had no reason to think that would change, by the end of 2018, Sam was considering dropping his health insurance coverage. After all, he could think of a lot of other uses for the thousands of dollars he spent each year on increasing premiums. Sam decided to pay premiums for another year but planned to take another look at his health care plan at the end of 2019. It Could Happen to You, It Could Happen to Me In December 2019, Sam accepted an invitation from friends to go snowboarding. Sam did everything right: took a lesson, stayed on trails well within his skill level, and maintained an awareness of people and objects near him. Even though he thought it was a bit dorky to wear wrist guards and a helmet, his friends insisted that he take standard and reasonable safety measures. Sam was enjoying the day when, from out of nowhere (actually, the woods), came an out of control skier who ran into Sam. Sam was injured and taken to the nearest hospital by ambulance.