Do you have health insurance?

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lindy

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Just wondering how many of us are able to go to a doctor or neurologist whenever we want - have whatever tests we want done - because we have health insurance. How many of us don't and are really working on our own? I don't have health insurance. We did but the cost was prohibitive ($3000 a year with a $5000 deductible each) so we decided that we would rather put that $3000 into health care than into making Mutual of Omaha rich. When you have to self-insure (as opposed to getting insurance through employment), it's extremely expensive! It makes my doctor crazy that I don't have any insurance but, unless she wants to pay for it, she'll just have to accept it. What's your situation?
 
We have gone through periods of time both with and without insurance coverage. Even when we have coverage, most of the treatments that Stacy tries are not covered anyway. It (health care) is expensive, but what better investment can you possibly make than one in your own health?
 
That's why we dropped our insurance. We decided that we would rather invest in our health than in an insurance company that never paid for anything. Doctors are always so sure that everyone has insurance! They order tests without a thought to the cost and, if one asks what a test will cost, the doctor really has no clue. The last time the neuro ordered a new EEG and MRI on me, I told him that we didn't have insurance that would cover it and asked how much the tests he ordered would cost. He said that I shouldn't worry - it would only cost a couple of hundred dollars. The bill came to almost $4000!
 
The only reason that I have insurance is because I have SSDI, which I would love to get rid of, but can't afford to loss the insurance. I would love to go back to work but can't because of this. I know that I will never be able to work full time again, at least not while I still have children in the house.
I feel so stuck in the "system" , because I would love to work part-time but then I would loss everything!
We don't have enough money to self insure, or not insure at all. My meds alone would run us $500.00 a month. Not to mention the blood work that I need to have done each month, because of the Felbatol.
 
Guess I'm the lucky one here. My husband is retired military, he is covered by VA (which is better than nothing, but not always)and I have Triwest. They pay but always need a referal. That last sleep study I had in Nov was over $4000. but since I was an inpatient, there was no co-pay.

The co-pay varies. My neuro is $12 but other doctors are $25+. My meds I can get on base, but that system is such a $&%(**%$$ that I use Walgreens. Generic drugs run $3, Dilantin is $9

Both hand surgeries (done by a civilian doc) ran over $25,000 total My knee was done at the base hospital but a guesstament is around $15,000.

My out of pocket pay for all my medical last year was around $6000.

I did cap out my insurance once about 15 years ago when I went thru major depression.
 
I've read on several of the posts on different boards, about the difficulties people are having trying to get some kind of medi-care or social assistance. I'm reading about people having to wait two or more years or having to get a laywer and go up against a court judge to explain your case when it seems obvious that you need the assistance.

I'm from Canada and I find it mind boggling when I hear about all the trouble that you're having, especially when I consider that I have epilepsy and ulcerative colitis (both under control) and I had no problems at all and no questions asked and I WAS APPROVED both by Sun Life of Canada Disability and Canada Pension Disability, also unemployment insurance medical for one year (all at the same time), all I needed was a medical from ONE of my Docs. so I went with my Neurologist (he is also familiar with my ulcerative colitis).

My former employer of 30 years recommended to the head office that I go off on Disability, and when that is expired-medical retirement til age 65.

We also have free health benefits FOR ALL PEOPLE for most drugs (if approved by the FDA) or if it's not covered, I pay for the drug and send in the receipt to my wife's employment health care plan for full reimbursement.

I realize that your Government is trying to cut down on fraud (ours is too, always people trying to defraud the system by trying to put in a false claim) but this is taking it too far.

In this country, Health Care is the number one priority (as I think it should be because of the baby-boom population getting older).

Sorry for the long post but I had to vent.

Randy (ontario)
 
Well, in this country, if you have a job with good benefits, you get good health care. If you have alot of money and can afford comprehensive insurance coverage, you get good health care. But if you have a job with no benefits (like my husband) and not alot of money, you're on your own. In a way, it may make people in my position smarter about themselves. When you can't run to the doctor over everything, you learn alot more on your own and become much more aware of your own body and needs. When my husband had a job that came with insurance and I was able to see any doctor I wanted and have any test in the world run, I was being treated incorrectly and my seizures only became worse. Once I had no insurance and was on my own, I figured it out on my own. I would like to think that I would have ended up as I am now no matter what but....
 
That's an interesting way to look at it and it seems to make sence.
I never thought of it like that.

Randy
 
Dear Lindy,

I found your previous posting of much interest but I would like to interject several points. Having medical insurance certainly can tend to make life easier from a standpoint of reduced stress and financial burdens but it still does not preclude the need to utilize one’s intelligence and ability to research and educate oneself as well as advocating for one’s own wellness and not to be intimidated by anyone least of all one’s own health care practitioner(s) as I have read on various message forums.

I am aware of many individuals who are financially destitute who through the available governmental health care services in this country (USA) navigate with difficulty through the system and do as best they can and they do so by being educated as it pertains to their illness (TRD) as well as being knowledgeable of the available services.

As you indicated, what good are the available services whether one can or cannot afford the health care insurance and/or health care fees if one is not achieving wellness?

Warmly,
Herb

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So many people look at doctors as being the all-knowing beings who can take them by the hand and lead them down the right path. That's how we ended up with so much arrogance in the medical profession! I have no problem at all with going to a doctor to ask for advice and information - just let me make the decisions! My internist and I have a yearly argument about one thing or another but she knows that, in the end, I'm going to do what I feel is best for ME, based on the information I'm given and my own research and not what she thinks is best. It drives her crazy that I don't have health insurance and she always brings up the "what ifs" - what if you develop cancer? what if you have a car accident (we have car insurance that would cover that)? what if you fall off of your horse? I'll deal with the "what ifs" if and when they happen but I'm not about to live running scared all of the time.
 
Dear Lindy,

I align myself with a number of your thoughts. In trying to be polite I often state as a health care advocate that there are doctors, good doctors and better doctors and when they hang their shingles out to practice it does not state if they graduated first or last in the class.

In my own personal opinion I wouldn’t care if the practitioner were a witch doctor so long as he/she was able to achieve wellness for my spouse. I do applaud the fact that you do take responsibility for striving for your wellness and that you reasonably educate yourself to your therapies and treatment options and evoke positive attitudes toward wellness for others instead of laying blame and dwelling in recriminations.

I am a support person and advocate for all treatment options and as one comes to learn both with depression and epilepsy it is often a “trial and error approach to wellness” without definitive answers.

Thanks for sharing with me. I appreciate the positive attitudes and encouragement you exude in your writings.

Warmly,
Herb

.
 
Health Insurance Canada verse USA

I no longer have health insurance, the monthly rates were so expensive from Empire BCBS. Their are days I am sorry I dropped them when I think of having my leeds fixed. BUt overall I am happy to be without them.

As for Candian medicare System I have lived on both sides of the border and my complaints about it are the following:
You can't sue the Drs, unless they caught raping you.
You have to wait a year or more to go to another province to see a Dr.
When I felt like going to the Mayo Clinic I called and made an appoinment. NYS didn't restrict me.
The Canadian Drs dislike any treatemnt that treatenss their pharmaceutical Industry.
The Candaian Drs are slow to change your meds,espically if your sz free, side effects doesn't matter. Their mentality is Old World.
Changing Drs in Canada is a cardinal sin.

Yes it would be great if all American were covered, but we are use to having rights and choices .

My husband says the Canadian system is better. I am angry as you can see from my writings, I loved Canada, the country and people. I hated the epileptolgists and all the kiss ass internists who covered for them.

No system is perfect , but I feel safer in the USA.

Positive Person
 
We are lucky i guess in that we do have health insurance through y husbands job. Not only do i have medical issues but so do two of my children....I would not be able to afford my medications alone if i didn't have it---we pay 129 a month for a family of 5. Our co pay at the drs is 5 dollars...then we have a deductible of 750 per person or 2250 out of pocket total for the family. Then it's 90/10..I can use any dr in my network WITHOUT referal....and have yet to be denied ANY medical services or medications...I pay 50 or 25 or 7 dollars for my prescriptions per month depending on if they are formulary non formulary or generic. My out of pocket a month on meds for me alone is 400 dollars. My sone is 80 and my daughter is 25....so our insurance covers that.

A hospitalization costs 100 dollars
Er vists are 50 dollars....everythins in network is 90/10 except counseling etc....that's 70/30 we make around 30000 a year but i would rather have the good insurance than make another 5000 i spend that alone on counseling.....and my daughters nuerologist too[ she has a mild form of spina bifida] if my husband were to switch jobs----none of the three of ux are insurable...

I am in the appeal process for SSI

that's my story
Kim
 
nope, no health insurance. half the bill the neuro said he take off the other half... so i pay 150. for a 300. bill Or if I can pay 100.00 he will match 100.00... theyve started giving me my meds for free sample packages...
 
Yep, we do have health insurance. In fact that's the only real reason I work. I took the top of the line package so we don't need any referrals especially when it comes to my son.
Marian
 
I do have health insurance at the moment (my husband is fixing to change jobs in a couple of weeks). The only thing its kind of good for is my Topamax. Its not on their "precious list" so it cost me $50/month and it has to be pre-approved. They would only pay for one EEG and when it came back normal they denied every other test my neuro ordered because they say its un-necessary. I hope the next insurance company is easier to deal with because this one was a little local hole in the wall company.
 
Disability

I was recently put on Disability by my Neuro. I have not been able to hold a steady job in years because of my memory. I am under my Dr's advice that I carry around a note pad with me to write down questions I might have for him that I'll probably forget and bring it with me to appts. I take meds twice a day, and for me, the rule is, wake up, take meds, go to bed, take meds. That's the easiest way for me to remember to take my meds. I have them in a M-F, AM-PM container to help avoid confusion. That's working so far, but if I start to forget them again, my Dr wants me to get either an alarm clock set to go off when it's time to take them or a pill box with a timer on it. I like the pill box with a timer idea anyway, I might just get one if I look around and find one.
 
I feel so blessed that my husband has a great job and we have excellent health, eye and dental insurance. Of course he pays for it but we have it taken out from a seperate account therefore we never even know it's missing. We also put back money for a "Flex" account which covers our copays and deductible. I know some insurance's have a huge $5000 ded. however there are different plans to choose from. We have a $500 personal ded and a $1000 family. My husband works hard to support us and I'm so thankful for him and what he does. I know it not easy working a 21 swing.
 
I hit my head at work, and that is what caused my epilepsy. I didn't get any settlement in cash, but the judge ruled that workman's comp has to pay anything that is "causality" (sp?) related to my injury for life. And that includes epilepsy and all related costs.
:bjump:
 
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