Health tales of woe, or tales of health woes.
After reading Spin's tales of insurance woes, I decided I should go ahead and post my own. It never ceases to amaze me that despite all of the problems consumers are experiencing in this country we still fear universal healtcare to a huge (as my friend the Spin Doctor would say "gynormous") degree. Folks here believe that they would not be able to pick their doc, would have to wait for a long time for proceedures and appointments and would receive sub-par treatment.
Of late, my experience has been that healthcare in this country meets all of those despite increasing and obscene insurance prices. The level of care continues to decrease, restriction of available physicians increase and the problems in getting payment or treatment are worsening.
I currently work three jobs for a total of about 50 hours a week, but since it is not at one company (heaven forbid I should like the freedom of doing different things) I have to pay my own premium. Since I worked at a single job for 6 years, I can have a elect to use my COBRA for 18 months and pay about $300 a month. That's my insurance premium. Then I have a deductible of $250 a year, then I have co-pays. Each Dr visit is $20, not too bad, and medications (which I have 6) are $40 or $25. So I pay about $200 a month just for meds. Yes, they do keep me in good shape and able to function well, but that is $500 a month just for health care. And I don't know what happens in 18 months, when I am no longer eligible for COBRA!
My newest job, at a Hospice, the insurance is not very good because most of the employees are older (median age 50) and less insureable. The insurance is Blue Cross and greatly limits which physicians a person can use. I'm not sure I want to work more and sign up with them.
Be healthy my friends, the alternative is just scary!
posted by P'tit-Loup @ 10:05 PM
5 Comments:
To add my 2 cents: when I went to my MD on Monday, I checked to see if they accepted my PPO plan, and they don't. So now I have to choose between paying out of pocket at the tune of $145 per visit to keep seeing the doctor I'm comfortable with or finding a new doctor...taking the chance that I won't feel as good about them.
And while my university health insurance is supposed to be great, it's not much use out of the area. It doesn't work for the Bay Area dentist I've gone to my entire adult life, it's not one of the plans used by UC Berkeley's eye clinic, and I don't suppose I can get Kaiser Permanente to let me in for a blood test now that I'm no longer on their member list. I might be able to fill out extra paperwork to deal with some of this, but it seems easier just to pay out of pocket. Which I'm sure is what all the insurers want.
ugh ugh ugh!!!
It gets better, the idiots cut me off for a couple of days because one stupid piece of paper was not filled out by my employers! of course that's the week my meds expire and I need new refills!
Thanks for the comment, Lisa! You are my DIY home restoration heroine so with your luck on my side, I know I can caulk the f*%$!! out of those windows ;) Ugh, hope your insurance woes don't get you too down for the holidays - is Sarah on her way? Miss you, love you and see you in 2007!
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