What is your Medical Insurance status?

[Floogeldy]

Poll question: What is your Medical Insurance status?

[Lady Effingbroke]

1. I have "git a shovel" medical insurance.

In case of catastrophic illness, git a shovel and bury my ass, 'cause I sho 'nuff can't afford any doctor's bills!

[LeftyMom]

2. I lost my health insurance with my job

Paying for it out of pocket would cost more than I get from unemployment insurance, so that won't work. Based on my income I'd qualify for MediCal, I should look into that before my presciptions need refilled (I was able to refill them before my insurance quit, at least.) My kid gets Healthy Families, which is pretty much like MediCal but I pay into it a bit.

[reyd reid reed]

3. We lost ours a year ago

And everytime one of the kids gets on a skateboard, I cringe. And we can't afford it privately.

Hopefully we'll get it back in a few months, though.

[u4ic]

4. This thread is going to make me very angry -

and very concerned for all that don't have it...:cry:

I voted 'other'...Canadian. Whenever I have to get any health services, I thank my lucky stars every time since reading some of the stories on DU.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. I have private medical insurance right now......

Via Cobra....

It runs out in October, and then I must find something to cover me until I'm old enough for Medicare.....

A few years down the road.....

:hi:

[u4ic]

8. Peggy - what is Cobra?

I've heard the name bantered around a bit.

(and when I think of cobras I think of venom and fangs...just like the insurance industry anyway...)

[NMMNG]

12. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act

You can read about it here

[u4ic]

14. Thanks, Buffy!

:hi:

[KitchenWitch]

13. Venom and Fangs is not far from the truth

When one quits/gets terminated from their job - A person has the option of continuing to receive their healthcare benefits (paying full group rates - which is generally more than the rate that was payroll deducted.)

For example, my husband carries our health insurance for a payroll deduction of about $250 per month for family coverage, if he were to lose his job (I am disabled), we would likely have to pay $600-700 a month in order to keep the coverage.

[u4ic]

15. Holy Shiite!

$700 bucks a month? :wow:

Now, from what I understand, you also have to pay the doctor, too, correct? A co-pay? So the insurance doesn't cover it all?

Thanks for the explanation, KitchenWitch. Can you be on Medicare or Medicaid (I get them both mixed up)with your disability, if, god forbid, your husband did lose his job? Or would they exclude you because you have a family (and most likely, some assets)?

[KitchenWitch]

18. I am currently in the process of applying for disability

If I get approved, I may qualify for Medicare.

[u4ic]

21. Good luck to you!

:hug: I've known a few who have applied, and it's taken quite a while.

[KitchenWitch]

19. And yes the copays to the doctors are ON TOP of the premiums.

[u4ic]

22. Does your insurance also cover

prescription meds? Here, it's usually 80%.

I found out the most ridiculous thing the other day...I pay (well, my provincial disability pays in full) for liquid b12, and also the needles. The b12 costs $3 (10 injections, and yes I do it myself).

I found out from someone on a US board that same b12 costs $20 there! Thirty cents for me, and $2 per injection for her. These are just low cost items...I couldn't even begin to imagine how much more expensive meds costs, compared to here. :-(

This just makes me sooooo flippin' mad...that health care is not a right down south. :grr:

[KitchenWitch]

23. Copay for prescriptions is tiered

for Generics it is 10 or cost if below 10. For brands it is 20.

It is fucking frustrating. And the way the laws are written, if one's insurance lapses and later gets new coverage, that person has to pay 100% out of pocket for pre-existing conditions for the first 12 month term on the new insurance.

[u4ic]

25. Un-fricking believable

So, really - having insurance doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get the health care that you need anyway? :banghead:

The Premier of our province once again tried to bring private insurance in...and once again, WE won!! The people of the province said they didn't want it, the stupid, wasteful (Conservative) gov't started a scare tactic routine, but we didn't buy into it.

For this time...we won a victory. Especially in this province (Texas north), they'll try again, but not for a few more years.

[KitchenWitch]

27. The insurance industry is mostly unregulated

As far as I am concerned it is akin to legalized racketeering.

I used to work in a pharmacy, and I had to call an insurance company for a patient, because one of her asthma inhalers was backordered indefinitely at the factory. Of course the brand they covered was the backordered one, but there was another brand of inhaler that had the same exact mediation at the same exact strength and delivery method, but they would not cover it. I was on the phone for two hours being transferred here and there before, finally, the director of pharmacy services at the insurance company approved the change. The thing with asthma medications, is that these medications are necessary for the patients to LIVE, without this inhaler, the patient would have likely died, or at least been hospitalized in the ICU. :banghead:

[reyd reid reed]

24. It's only a right

If you've got the $$ to Pay for that 'right'.

Makes me flippin' mad, too. A tiger at the zoo gets better medical care than a lot of people do.

It's illegal to turn someone away from the ER that needs care...but it happens all the time. Get 'em on their feet and shuffle 'em outta there.

[u4ic]

26. I'm sorry...

I just can't wrap my head around it. :mad:

[Oeditpus Rex]

6. Haven't had coverage for almost three years

And it was crap to begin with. But crap's better'n nothin'.

Thank Dog, I have a compassionate doctor who cuts me some slack and also gives me med samples rather than feed me to the pharm profit lions.

But if something catastrophic happened, I'd be screwed six ways from Sunday.

[u4ic]

9. If you're ever in need

I could do some...















trepanning :rofl:

[Alexodin]

7. I haven't had health insurance for 6 years.

I simply cannot afford it.

[u4ic]

16. Oh my goodness

I'm so sorry, Alexodin. :-(

Welcome to DU!:toast:

[amitten]

10. I have insurance. Thanks for the applause. n/t

[NMMNG]

11. Thankfully I still have insurance via one of my employers

The agency has prided itself on paying the entire mont ly premium for the basic plan (an HMO), though if you go for the "opt out" or add family members you have to pay the extra cost. On the flip side, each year our co-pays for doctor visits would increase, and about every other year the co-pay for prescriptions would increase. Still, the savings were substantial over what we'd be paying in premiums. In March we had to switch to a new carrier because the premiums of the former one increased more than 40%, and the agency simply couldn't foot the bill any longer. Fortunately my co-pays are nearly the same, with the exception of a $100 annual deductible for prescriptions.

My other agency would require me to pay at least $100 per month for premium plus co-pays similar to what I'm paying now, so I've definitely got the better deal where I'm at.

[Nicole]

17. Private Insurance & Medicare

Thankfully I don't have any co-pays.

[ForrestGump]

20. None, since last Fall

Making more money now (well, until I just sent it all on hefty unanticipated expenses) so I might before too long buy my own insurance, if I can find something reasonable. At the very least, those major-medical kind of temporary plans (basically just cover big-time expenses, like from an accident) might be called for...if I come off my motorcycle, or get hit by some of the hordes of bad drivers who daily try to kill me, I'll be in big trouble if I break something.

Health care and insurance in this country is messed up, big time...ditto pharmaceutical costs (not to mention overprescription). Glad I don't have any prescriptions -- some are a huge monthly expense for many people.