Thread Drift

[Crankin]

I saw that thread on Facebook a couple of days ago. The ignorance is chilling.
I guess I will keep living in my bubble and am thankful for 2 things: I live in the bluest of blue states, and when I thought I might need the ACA, it was an option.

[emily_in_nc]

As for going without health insurance, everyone must remember accidents happen, as shootingstar points out -- it's not just for disease-related issues!

The only time I had a serious need for healthcare services was when I had a bike accident in 2005, fracturing my pelvis in 3 places. One was serious enough to require orthopedic surgery, and I still have a 5" plate and four pins in my ilium to show for it. I was in the hospital for five days. Between that and after-care, I would have been out over $40K if I'd had to pay out of pocket. As it was, I had employer health insurance at the time that paid 90% of everything. The last 10% I paid out of pocket and could afford, no problem. In the end, that ended up being paid by the homeowners insurance co. of the folks who let their dogs run loose in a county with a leash law, which caused my crash. It was the principle of the thing more than the money, really.

[Crankin]

Exactly. To think that you can go without health insurance is just irresponsible. Sure, I could pay for a physical, a mammogram, and and a colonoscopy. And maybe a couple of office visits a year. But, every year I get sinusitis and occasional UTIs. Medications for those things, without insurance are crazy expensive. As an adult in my 60s I am comparatively healthy, but I have allergies, a history of asthma, and I have just one prescription in addition to the inhaler I have for just in case. That one prescription is over 1,000.00 without insurance and I pay 120.00 a year for it.
Just because one's relatives lived to a ripe old age with little issue, it doesn't always mean you are free. Generally good genetics help, but my mom died at 67 from a horrible liver disease (autoimmune) and a failed transplant. Every other member of her family lived until 90+. My dad was unemployed and working in a retirement type job with no benefits. If it wasn't for MediCal, they would have been in jail from the medical debts. She was not old and wanted to move forward with treatment. I could not have helped pay for that.

[Catrin]

My concern is the action taken last week by the Republicans did not retain the protection regarding preexisting conditions. There was a time when I would have been denied any coverage at all, so yeah, I'm a bit on the nervous side. I'm fine as long as I'm with my current employer but if they don't replace that protection I am looking a a potentially serious problem in the future. There has also been a change at work where we are no longer paying premiums for the next month but for the current - so our insurance coverage ends the last day of our employment instead of extending one month in the future.

Time well tell, part of me wants to think they REALLY wouldn't remove that protection but this is a new political landscape, it's hard to know what will happen. And, on the scale of serious preexisting conditions mine are on the lower end of that scale, there are many lives that would be seriously impacted if the insurance companies were once again allowed to choose who they would cover.

What I am saying is the situation is far more complicated than those who have the ability to get insurance of some kind and choose not to do so for some reason.

[ny biker]

<sigh> Just got a call from the doctor. I have to go back and repeat the mammogram I had a few days ago because "the image is incomplete and there is an asymmetry on the right side." No indication of a mass, just something that causes 10% of us to be called back for more pain. And the insurance doesn't cover this. I went through the same thing a few years ago and had to pay out of pocket for it. The technician looks at the images when she takes them and there was a time when they would take another image on the spot if things didn't look clear enough. Apparently now they just send you home so you can come back and pay extra for the privilege.

Mad props to the doctor for calling me before the letter arrived from the radiology place. He's at a new practice now where he has to do a lot of things that were handled by nurses and assistants at the last practice. But he still makes the time for these sorts of phone calls to minimize the anxiety that these situations can cause.

===

Update, insurance company says I have a $200 deductible for "outpatient radiology."

I had it scheduled for Tuesday but had to call them back and reschedule for Thursday so it would fall into the next credit card cycle.

[emily_in_nc]

Sorry, NY...that stinks! I remember having to have additional images made before, but it was the same visit; she just took a look and decided a couple were not up to par and took the replacements on the spot. Horrible to have to go back and have more made.

Shouldn't mammograms fall under the preventive care 100% paid by the ACA? I know I haven't had to pay a penny for mine since being on the ACA; they don't fall under any deductible rule, same with my normal "well woman" yearly checkups.

[Crankin]

They may not be aware of that, Emily. Seriously, my gyn tried to charge me for my co-pay the first year the ACA went into effect. Some dumb (male) receptionist was arguing with me! So, I paid the 20.00 and then called later and spoke to the more senior person.