$18,000 in medical bills since Aug. 14th....

[Muenkel 0]

Thank God I have medical insurance. How do people without insurance handle this?

_________________________________________
Chris

[hooked 0]

OMG!!!!!!!! Sadly, some just don't get the medical attention they need. I have a sister-in-law that needs some treatment for a medical condition (not life threatening right now) that she can't have because she doesn't have insurance.

Geez, $18,000, really???? Unbelieveable!

J

--------------------------------------
Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings.

[Muenkel 0]

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to see some of the finest specialists in Massachusetts. The majority of the charges are due to a hospital visit, MRI, 2 Cat Scans, and about 8 X Rays. Then there were extensive tests on my eyes. The bills just keep coming in, but I don't have to pay them as my insurance company has also been billed. I'm sure there will be some left over for me, like deductibles.

_________________________________________
Chris

[skydiverbrian 0]

$18,000! Do you know how many skydives that is?!

In a world full of people, only some want to fly... isn't that crazy! --Seal

[Tonto 1]

So.... are you happy you have the insurance?

or..... bummed that your body is so fucked?

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[Blahr 0]

Are you still grounded, dude? Whats the prognosis?

[skybytch 273]

Quote

How do people without insurance handle this?

They a) don't go to the doctor in the first place, b) go and spend the rest of their life trying to pay the bills or c) go knowing they'll never be able to pay it off but accept the fact that their health just ruined their credit.

My medical insurance ended on September 1st. It's a good thing I jump a big boring main... and also a good thing that I can't really afford to jump much right now. My big worry is that the discs above and below the fused vertebrae will go out before I have insurance again...

[flyangel2 2]

Not even close to what I've had to pay in the past.

Here in Colorado, those that don't have insurance can go on a program call "Colorado Assist". Payments to the doctors and hospital is figured out according to the income of the person. I'm sure most states offer some kind of help.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[RevJim 0]

Quote

My medical insurance ended on September 1st. It's a good thing I jump a big boring main... and also a good thing that I can't really afford to jump much right now. My big worry is that the discs above and below the fused vertebrae will go out before I have insurance again...

http://info.insure.com/health/cobra.html

I know you probably don't make alot of money Lisa, and COBRA benefit extensions can be brutal, but if you weren't even offered the chance, you are standing on legal high ground.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[usedtajump 1]

Heard an item on the news driving to work this morning relating the fact that the number of people covered be insurance provided by employers is down in the last five years from 75% to 50% of all workers. What a disturbing trend!!!

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[skybytch 273]

Quote

if you weren't even offered the chance

I was. I continued it through the end of August on my own nickel (lots of nickels... $250 a month worth of nickels...). I stopped it because I ran out of money.

My previous employers are awesome - Kate spent hours searching for less expensive insurance for us, then when a better deal was nowhere to be found they paid the difference between what it was last year and what it went up to this year.

Not having insurance now was my decision, and is no one else's fault but mine. As soon as things start happening at my new job we'll be looking into it. In the meantime I just have to be careful and hope nothing major happens to me medically.

[sunshine 2]

I do have medical insurance through my employer. However it doesn't cover everything. I'm having a very hard time paying my portion of the medical bills from my surgery back in May.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[riddler 0]

Quote

$18,000! Do you know how many skydives that is?!

I prefer to think of numbers this large in terms of rigs. This week, I paid one rig's worth of taxes. 18,000=6 rigs, which is about what I paid in April

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[RevJim 0]

Wow, is that Cali rates?

I can insure my entire 6 person family here in Wisconsin through Blue Cross (damn good insurance too) for a little over $300 a month. That's an individual policy too. Group rates are even better.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[nightjumps 1]

You may wish to investigate "Catastrophic Insurance." I've used it in the past and it cost $75.00/month. It is a $5,000 deductible with a cap (in my case capped at 2 mil). How it works is; you pay for all eye, dental, and runny nose doctor visits. Its there in the event you're in a car wreck, fall off a ladder, or something like that as in "catastrophic."

[HeatherB 0]

Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida has some decent individual medical plans if you are worried about not having any coverage.

I had that for about 6 months at one point. It was $60 a month, with a deductible of course ($1500 I think) but it was better than nothing....

Maybe once you have a little more money you could try for one of those plans.

[QuickDraw 0]

Quote

Thank God I have medical insurance. How do people without insurance handle this?

They die don't they ?

-- Hope you don't die. --

I'm fucking winning

[CrazyIvan 0]

Well..there is always 'Charity Care'

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[QuickDraw 0]

Quote

Well..there is always 'Charity Care'

Or if you want to skimp on that, there is our National Health Service.

-- Hope you don't die. --

I'm fucking winning

[dbattman 0]

I did this for a while as well. BC/BS accident/hospitalization is relatively cheap- I think its about a case of beer a week.

Please people, get some damn insurance if you don't have it. I'm tired of seeing my rates go up because my provider needs to cover the medical costs of the people who refuse to contribute to the pot.

[juanesky 0]

You should always try to maintain an HMO...

Here are FAQ from it:

HMO Q&A

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: What does HMO stand for?

A: This is actually a variation of the phrase, Hey, Moe! Its roots go back to a concept pioneered by Doctor Moe Howard, who discovered that a patient could be made to forget about the pain in his foot if he was poked hard enough in the eyes. Modern practice replaces the physical finger poke with hi-tech equivalents such as voice mail and referral slips, but the result remains the same.

Q: Do all diagnostic procedures require pre-certification?

A: No. Only those you need.

Q: I just joined a new HMO. How difficult will it be to choose the doctor I want?

A: Just slightly more difficult than choosing your parents. Your insurer will provide you with a book listing all the doctors who were participating in the plan at the time the information was gathered. These doctors basically fall into two categories -- those who are no longer accepting new patients, and those who will see you but are no longer part of the plan. But don't worry -- the remaining doctor who is still in the plan and accepting new patients has an office just a half day's drive away!

Q: What are preexisting conditions?

A: This is a phrase used by the grammatically challenged when they want to talk about existing conditions. Unfortunately, we appear to be pre-stuck with it.

Q: Well, can I get coverage for my preexisting conditions?

A: Certainly, as long as they don't require any treatment.

Q: What happens if I want to try alternative forms of medicine?

A: You'll need to find alternative forms of payment.

Q: My pharmacy plan only covers generic drugs, but I need the name brand. I tried the generic medication, but it gave me a stomachache. What should I do?

A: Poke yourself in the eye.

Q: I have an 80/20 plan with a $200 deductible and a $2,000 yearly cap. My insurer reimbursed the doctor for my outpatient surgery, but I'd already paid my bill. What should I do?

A: You have two choices. Your doctor can sign the reimbursement check over to you, or you can ask him to invest the money for you in one of those great offers that only doctors and dentists hear about, like windmill farms or frog hatcheries.

Q: What should I do if I get sick while traveling?

A: Try sitting in a different part of the bus.

Q: No, I mean what if I'm away from home and I get sick?

A: You really shouldn't do that. You'll have a hard time seeing your primary care physician. It's best to wait until you return, and then get sick.

Q: I think I need to see a specialist, but my doctor insists he can handle my problem. Can a general practitioner really perform a heart transplant right in his office?

A: Hard to say, but considering that all you're risking is the $10 co-payment, there's no harm giving him a shot at it.

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[skymama 37]

Lisa, I've been talking to an insurance guy lately also. He told me that if you go more than 60 days without coverage and want to go from group plan to group plan, the new insurance company can choose not to cover a pre-existing condition. But, if it is less that 60 days, then they HAVE to cover your pre-exisitng condition. I'm not sure if this just applies to FL or not.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[sunshine 2]

Quote

Here in Colorado, those that don't have insurance can go on a program call "Colorado Assist". Payments to the doctors and hospital is figured out according to the income of the person. I'm sure most states offer some kind of help.

Well i'm in IL, but do you have any idea where i would find out about such things? My portion of my medical bills is way more money than i have.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[jessd 0]

I hear you there Chris. When I had my surgery last fall I could not believe how much everything cost - nearly $25,000 for all the tests, procedures, and hospital stay. I had a hard time just paying my deducatables.

How are you feeling now?

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away..."

[Jayruss 0]

Wait wait wait, $18,000 in medical bills is like an ingrown toe nail

__________________________________________________
"Beware how you take away hope from another human being."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes