bye, bye insurance....
Here we go again...
My husband is self employed. My job (I have TWO) keeps us just under the hours eligible for benefits. We had NO insurance when I found out I had cancer. Now, two years later (lots of bills, assistance and blessings) we have a policy through the "Affordable" healthcare act. Affordable, not so much... It covers basically nothing but if we didn't sign up, we would be fined. Just to SEE my doctor is $150. We pay $135 of that on top of the premiums.
Now my premium is more than doubling for next year. My kids have regular ol' insurance policies. Not part of Obamacare. Theirs are going up $35 each per month. Even with the second job I just started, we now can no longer afford insurance. I will keep it on my kids, but not sure how we can scrape up enough for ours. There isn't one policy that we qualify for that we can afford. As a cancer patient...this horrifies and frightens me. Back to working on my budget to see what we can cut. I don't think there is much that can be trimmed. We actually moved after I finished treatments to the country to get out of the higher city taxes and to a smaller house payment. This sucks.
Comments
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This is crap....
and if you are going to try to go without insurance, please check into how much the fine might be for not having it on next year's taxes. Are you trying to use internet sites, rather than go into see an insurance person? Sometime they have insights that you can't get from a site.
This makes me feel bad....and yeah....how frigging scary is that....no insurance and a former cancer patient.
p
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Insurance
Tracy, I'm so sorry you have to deal with the stress of insurance problems on top of cancer. My daughter has dealt with this because she is disabled due to severe RA and can only work part time. We live in Wisconsin, so it might be different in your state, and you may have tried all these ideas, but here are some suggestions.
Check with the American Cancer Society to see if they have ideas for you.
Call your state representative. That office will be able to steer you to agencies for help. My state has a high risk plan.
Check if your or your husband's field of work has a professional organization through which you might get insurance.
If either of your employers offers insurance to full time employees, you may be able to negotiate something with them.
Try an insurance agency that isn't part of the big plans. We've worked with Thrivent and found the agents to be very helpful.
I hope you will find something that works for your family. You are in my prayers.
Beth
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Worries me to death
Tracy, I am so sorry you are going through this. It just isn't right.
When I think how much money - millions of dollars- were spent to get Obama care in place I am saddened to think how many lives could have been helped with the money.
What a waste of funding and how demoralizing for Americans.
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So it goes
I can only wonder why you had no insurance when you were diagnosed. I fully appreciate the cost of living in many areas being so high that people such as you could not afford it. I moved out of Chicagoland in 1993 mostly due to the cost of living, and knowing I could never buy a house with my income, so I was stuck looking at apartment living the rest of my life, which I did not like. I'm talking about moving 120 miles away to the Quad Cities, which has a more reasonable COL. If that was part of why you had no health insurance, well, that makes it somewhat understandable. Thing is, with a lot of people it's "the pride show" and where the money goes, such as two nice cars, a nice house, spoil the kids with all the new electronic things to keep up with the lifestyle of neighbors, and all that. But in this day and age of healthcare costs...
One of the reasons I ask this is due to a co-worker who died last week at the age of 43 from Colon C. It was only because of Obamacare that he had insurance to help with the costs of his major surgery, then follow-up Chemo(s) that could not stop the C from killing him. This co-worker told that he never had health insurance before Obamacare made it legally necessary. Never. The guy had two daughters, an ex-wife, who may have had the first daughter covered; but, he always considered the Company-provided insurance too high, so never got in to it. I always considered that along the lines of football's Buddy Ryan, who coined the phrase "Young and dumb," because of the costs of healthcare nowdays. A lot of things could happen that would result in the need for surgery and a hospital stay which could easily put a bill of +$10K in play, for example. An appendectomy? Tonsils need removed? I have a current co-worker whose been off work over 3-months, due to a broken wrist that happened with an accident- he and his father-in-law were cutting tree branches with a chainsaw, and a fallen branch knocked the ladder out from under him. Or the other co-worker who recently had both his ankles broken when a car he was working on came off the jack and rolled over both his ankles. Lotta things can happen. One does have to have medical insurance. That was, for instance, one of the reasons why states made it a legal necessity to have liabilty insurance- due to drivers causing accidents, resulting in injuries to victims they could not pay for.
That said, I fully agree that modern health insurance is a racket. United Healthcare paid for all my C&R, and 4 nights in the hospital. I documented the charges and what the insurance company paid, you see, and was shocked to see that for the rads the insurance only paid some 33% of the charged expense, and the rad people were okay with that!!! Just think of that. My rad charges were over $200K, but they were fine with accepting $68K in payment from the giant United. It made me wonder about the people without insurance, and if they were expected to pay the full amount? If that was the case with you, then I would make inquiries about it with any debt still owed. I could provide you with evidence of the 33%, if you need it. The insurance did, though, pay almost all of the charged amount for the Chemo and all the Drs charges. But it was the rads billings I'd get in the mail that blew my mind.
I don't mean to be too critical, and I hope you can understand that. My Grandfather was in the auto and property insurance business, and actually wrote 23 of the by-laws the Illinois Independent Insurance industry must abide by. He became a man with clout, and used that clout to get BC/BS to pick-up coverage of me after the auto accident I was in when I was 13. So, I am one who does think it's not smart at all not to have health insurance, as you never know what might happen tomorrow.
To the other extreme, my Cousin never really had a job in his entire life. When he was diagnosed with Esophageal C he fell into the "compassionate allowance" program the government has going. His Sister kept me updated on what was done to him, and I know his total bills had to run into the $350+K area, due to C&R, followed by a 12-hour Op in Peoria and one-month stay in a rehab center, at least 7 PET/CT scans, and then the last month in Hospice. Government paid for all of it, and he also collected Social Security disability. And yet those of us who work and come down with C...You, Tracy, are an example of how unfair it all can be, just as you are an example of why one must have health insurance.
I do apologize if you take this as a slap in the face. And, yes, I know because those of us here are already C victims, it serves no purpose to tell people ahead of time that they really do need health insurance, and hindsight is 20-20. Most of my co-workers are regular salt-of-the-earth men, but they know it; and, due to how expensive the premiums are with our Company insurance, I know of 3 workers who found work elsewhere because their income after the those premiums were taken out just didn't cut it for them, and a number of workers who get their insurance by way of where their wives work (several in local hospital systems). Sorry, but it is a fact of life that one does need to have it. And, I think Beth put out some good ideas in her post on this thread.
kcass
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sickeningphrannie51 said:This is crap....
and if you are going to try to go without insurance, please check into how much the fine might be for not having it on next year's taxes. Are you trying to use internet sites, rather than go into see an insurance person? Sometime they have insights that you can't get from a site.
This makes me feel bad....and yeah....how frigging scary is that....no insurance and a former cancer patient.
p
The fines are MUCH lower than the cost of premiums. It's sickening. And, we owe on taxes each year (self employment) so ours are even less. We fell in the "lower income" bracket. hahaha
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Health Insurance
Health insurance has become unobtainable in this country. But yet if you are an illegal or too lazy to work you can get all the help you need. Everyone thinks that Medicare covers everything, well it doesn't nor is it free. You have a monthly premium that comes straight out of your social security check, then you have a monthly premium for prescription coverage and a monthly premium for a supplemental plan if you can afford it, or you might take out a Medicare Advantage plan which is lower in premiums but you have co-pays and deductibles for everything. And now many doctors won't take Medicare patients unless you are already their patient before you go on Medicare. My primary charges $205 for approximately 10 minutes of his time (and I'm not joking on this either) and he is too busy sitting in front of the computer typing what I say instead of watching me or really listening to me.
My husband had a medicare advantage plan. We had a co-pay for each and every doctor visit, PET/CT scan, radiation and chemo treatment and hospitalizations for in-patient and out-patient procedures. I guess we were lucky because about two years before I retired my company offered us AFLAC and on a chance I took it on my husband and myself because the premium was so reasonable. When I retired I was able to take it with me at the same premium. Without AFLAC we would have had to file bankruptcy or lost everything we both worked so hard for. I can honestly say AFLAC was a god-sent to us.
I am now awaiting to see how much my supplemental plan will be going up next year even though Medicare has not increased their deductibles for hospitalization or doctors in several years (all this is thanks to Obamacare and taking money from Medicare and Social Security to pay for Obamacare). When my husband passed, my monthly income was cut to 1/3 of what we were getting. But because our home is paid for and I have a small retirement, I don't qualify for any help. Health insurance has become a racket in this country and those that have money don't understand how the rest can't go without it. I hear what my sons are having to pay for healthcare thru their employers and I don't see how they afford it. One son lost his job and health insurance, guess what his little retirement check makes him ineligible for Medicaid because it is $10 over the allowed monthly amount and it is too little for any help from Obamacare so he takes the penalty mainly because he doesn't get any money back from taxes and that is the only way the penalty can be collected.
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TracyLadylacy said:Health Insurance
Health insurance has become unobtainable in this country. But yet if you are an illegal or too lazy to work you can get all the help you need. Everyone thinks that Medicare covers everything, well it doesn't nor is it free. You have a monthly premium that comes straight out of your social security check, then you have a monthly premium for prescription coverage and a monthly premium for a supplemental plan if you can afford it, or you might take out a Medicare Advantage plan which is lower in premiums but you have co-pays and deductibles for everything. And now many doctors won't take Medicare patients unless you are already their patient before you go on Medicare. My primary charges $205 for approximately 10 minutes of his time (and I'm not joking on this either) and he is too busy sitting in front of the computer typing what I say instead of watching me or really listening to me.
My husband had a medicare advantage plan. We had a co-pay for each and every doctor visit, PET/CT scan, radiation and chemo treatment and hospitalizations for in-patient and out-patient procedures. I guess we were lucky because about two years before I retired my company offered us AFLAC and on a chance I took it on my husband and myself because the premium was so reasonable. When I retired I was able to take it with me at the same premium. Without AFLAC we would have had to file bankruptcy or lost everything we both worked so hard for. I can honestly say AFLAC was a god-sent to us.
I am now awaiting to see how much my supplemental plan will be going up next year even though Medicare has not increased their deductibles for hospitalization or doctors in several years (all this is thanks to Obamacare and taking money from Medicare and Social Security to pay for Obamacare). When my husband passed, my monthly income was cut to 1/3 of what we were getting. But because our home is paid for and I have a small retirement, I don't qualify for any help. Health insurance has become a racket in this country and those that have money don't understand how the rest can't go without it. I hear what my sons are having to pay for healthcare thru their employers and I don't see how they afford it. One son lost his job and health insurance, guess what his little retirement check makes him ineligible for Medicaid because it is $10 over the allowed monthly amount and it is too little for any help from Obamacare so he takes the penalty mainly because he doesn't get any money back from taxes and that is the only way the penalty can be collected.
So sorry you have insurance worrries. Just not right. Wish i had a solution to offer but sadly nothing.
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answersKent Cass said:So it goes
I can only wonder why you had no insurance when you were diagnosed. I fully appreciate the cost of living in many areas being so high that people such as you could not afford it. I moved out of Chicagoland in 1993 mostly due to the cost of living, and knowing I could never buy a house with my income, so I was stuck looking at apartment living the rest of my life, which I did not like. I'm talking about moving 120 miles away to the Quad Cities, which has a more reasonable COL. If that was part of why you had no health insurance, well, that makes it somewhat understandable. Thing is, with a lot of people it's "the pride show" and where the money goes, such as two nice cars, a nice house, spoil the kids with all the new electronic things to keep up with the lifestyle of neighbors, and all that. But in this day and age of healthcare costs...
One of the reasons I ask this is due to a co-worker who died last week at the age of 43 from Colon C. It was only because of Obamacare that he had insurance to help with the costs of his major surgery, then follow-up Chemo(s) that could not stop the C from killing him. This co-worker told that he never had health insurance before Obamacare made it legally necessary. Never. The guy had two daughters, an ex-wife, who may have had the first daughter covered; but, he always considered the Company-provided insurance too high, so never got in to it. I always considered that along the lines of football's Buddy Ryan, who coined the phrase "Young and dumb," because of the costs of healthcare nowdays. A lot of things could happen that would result in the need for surgery and a hospital stay which could easily put a bill of +$10K in play, for example. An appendectomy? Tonsils need removed? I have a current co-worker whose been off work over 3-months, due to a broken wrist that happened with an accident- he and his father-in-law were cutting tree branches with a chainsaw, and a fallen branch knocked the ladder out from under him. Or the other co-worker who recently had both his ankles broken when a car he was working on came off the jack and rolled over both his ankles. Lotta things can happen. One does have to have medical insurance. That was, for instance, one of the reasons why states made it a legal necessity to have liabilty insurance- due to drivers causing accidents, resulting in injuries to victims they could not pay for.
That said, I fully agree that modern health insurance is a racket. United Healthcare paid for all my C&R, and 4 nights in the hospital. I documented the charges and what the insurance company paid, you see, and was shocked to see that for the rads the insurance only paid some 33% of the charged expense, and the rad people were okay with that!!! Just think of that. My rad charges were over $200K, but they were fine with accepting $68K in payment from the giant United. It made me wonder about the people without insurance, and if they were expected to pay the full amount? If that was the case with you, then I would make inquiries about it with any debt still owed. I could provide you with evidence of the 33%, if you need it. The insurance did, though, pay almost all of the charged amount for the Chemo and all the Drs charges. But it was the rads billings I'd get in the mail that blew my mind.
I don't mean to be too critical, and I hope you can understand that. My Grandfather was in the auto and property insurance business, and actually wrote 23 of the by-laws the Illinois Independent Insurance industry must abide by. He became a man with clout, and used that clout to get BC/BS to pick-up coverage of me after the auto accident I was in when I was 13. So, I am one who does think it's not smart at all not to have health insurance, as you never know what might happen tomorrow.
To the other extreme, my Cousin never really had a job in his entire life. When he was diagnosed with Esophageal C he fell into the "compassionate allowance" program the government has going. His Sister kept me updated on what was done to him, and I know his total bills had to run into the $350+K area, due to C&R, followed by a 12-hour Op in Peoria and one-month stay in a rehab center, at least 7 PET/CT scans, and then the last month in Hospice. Government paid for all of it, and he also collected Social Security disability. And yet those of us who work and come down with C...You, Tracy, are an example of how unfair it all can be, just as you are an example of why one must have health insurance.
I do apologize if you take this as a slap in the face. And, yes, I know because those of us here are already C victims, it serves no purpose to tell people ahead of time that they really do need health insurance, and hindsight is 20-20. Most of my co-workers are regular salt-of-the-earth men, but they know it; and, due to how expensive the premiums are with our Company insurance, I know of 3 workers who found work elsewhere because their income after the those premiums were taken out just didn't cut it for them, and a number of workers who get their insurance by way of where their wives work (several in local hospital systems). Sorry, but it is a fact of life that one does need to have it. And, I think Beth put out some good ideas in her post on this thread.
kcass
The reason why we did not have insurance when I was diagnosed was we simply could not afford it. No, we do not have two fancy cars or a big fancy house. As you can see in my post, my employers keep us under the limit for benefits and my husband is self employed. We actually MOVED to get in a lower taxed area with a house payment that was much lower than what we had. We did not have insurance so our children could. I understand the importance. Believe me. I've been making payments on bills for 2 1/2 years and have about that long to go. WITH insurance, my son had an accident, broke his wrist, had two surgeries and we owed $13K AFTER the insurance. I know. We paid it off over 5 years. It was like paying for a car. Medicaid helped me with my cancer bills. They didn't pay all, but they helped me out a LOT. It took me 9 months to get help because "well, you have a job and a husband, so that will go against you". Really? The fact is, my premium for this upcoming year with the good ol' UNaffordable healthcare act is over double what it is now. More than double. Plus the premiums on my kids individual policies are going up. We live on a budget. We aren't frivilous. We are weighing our options, but it's a shame that I was paying less on my bills without insurance than I am now. A doctor visit is $150. My insurance covers about $15 so I am stuck with the balance. Before Obamacare, my doctor visit was $150. They told me to pay $85ish and that would be fine. It's beyond frustrating!!!!
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"Affordable" healthcare act.....Is a joke.
It is baced on all the young 20 ~30 year old's that don't need a doctor except to get then an antibiotic once a year. They pay out of pocket maybe $200 on the high side a year. Now they have to pay Hundreds of dollare every month and still never see the doctor and if they do, they have $5,000 deductable to be met before the insurance kicks in and pays 40% if they are lucky. It does not work and they only pay $200 in penalties to the IRS, and this is "not a tax"...yah right. So all the young won't sign up and many stats opped out so this will never work and they know that but refuse to admit that it is the bigest failure in history.
I have very good insurance through work and a $3,000 deductable before they start to pay, but that is not really true. They have agreed price they will pay and can be charged and I only pay that, until I meet the deductable which I meet in just a few months. I had to have an uppre and lower GI and they had to remove 3 pollips. The bill was a total of $12,000, but the insurance agrees that the $3,000 for the upper thay will only pay $300 and so on so the total was $1,200 and I had to pay 20% of that. So if I had no insurance I would owe $12,000 but with they will take $1200. Something is wrong. With my cancer and surgery and pre tests and hospital totaled just over $350,000. They took much less as by this time I had met the maximum out of pocket and insurance paid it all. Now pryer to reaching that and I had to pay 20%, my wife would call and explain we have lots of medical bills. She puts them all in a pile and each month see which we can pay and the others just go back in the pile until next month to see which will get paid. Now if they can reduce the amount we might be able to pay theres. Lets say it is for $100 dollare and insurance has paid there part. They agree to take 20% off the bill so we pay only 80% of it. Doctors and hospitals will work with you and if they don't, it goes right back in the pile untill next month or we let them know we will send in $20 dollars. You will be suprised how they will deal.
My question is why will they take $1200 from insurance, but want $12,000 from me? Yes it is a rip off and everyone knows it. So the answer was "Obama Care", and they voted for it but never even read it. It does not apply to congress or Senators, and that it where the problem lies. They should not be allowed to vote for something that doesn't apply to them as well. Sorry I got long winded and worked up some.
You need to only worry about your health and not the outrageous bills. You will fine some help with them or just file chapter 13 as they would as well. They will work with you and if you only send $5.00 they might not like it but they have to accept it. If anyone refusses the payment is will be concidered by law as paid in full, they won't refuse.
Bill
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Bullseyewmc said:"Affordable" healthcare act.....Is a joke.
It is baced on all the young 20 ~30 year old's that don't need a doctor except to get then an antibiotic once a year. They pay out of pocket maybe $200 on the high side a year. Now they have to pay Hundreds of dollare every month and still never see the doctor and if they do, they have $5,000 deductable to be met before the insurance kicks in and pays 40% if they are lucky. It does not work and they only pay $200 in penalties to the IRS, and this is "not a tax"...yah right. So all the young won't sign up and many stats opped out so this will never work and they know that but refuse to admit that it is the bigest failure in history.
I have very good insurance through work and a $3,000 deductable before they start to pay, but that is not really true. They have agreed price they will pay and can be charged and I only pay that, until I meet the deductable which I meet in just a few months. I had to have an uppre and lower GI and they had to remove 3 pollips. The bill was a total of $12,000, but the insurance agrees that the $3,000 for the upper thay will only pay $300 and so on so the total was $1,200 and I had to pay 20% of that. So if I had no insurance I would owe $12,000 but with they will take $1200. Something is wrong. With my cancer and surgery and pre tests and hospital totaled just over $350,000. They took much less as by this time I had met the maximum out of pocket and insurance paid it all. Now pryer to reaching that and I had to pay 20%, my wife would call and explain we have lots of medical bills. She puts them all in a pile and each month see which we can pay and the others just go back in the pile until next month to see which will get paid. Now if they can reduce the amount we might be able to pay theres. Lets say it is for $100 dollare and insurance has paid there part. They agree to take 20% off the bill so we pay only 80% of it. Doctors and hospitals will work with you and if they don't, it goes right back in the pile untill next month or we let them know we will send in $20 dollars. You will be suprised how they will deal.
My question is why will they take $1200 from insurance, but want $12,000 from me? Yes it is a rip off and everyone knows it. So the answer was "Obama Care", and they voted for it but never even read it. It does not apply to congress or Senators, and that it where the problem lies. They should not be allowed to vote for something that doesn't apply to them as well. Sorry I got long winded and worked up some.
You need to only worry about your health and not the outrageous bills. You will fine some help with them or just file chapter 13 as they would as well. They will work with you and if you only send $5.00 they might not like it but they have to accept it. If anyone refusses the payment is will be concidered by law as paid in full, they won't refuse.
Bill
wmc:
Voice of experience. Here, they quickly send to a collection agency and then sue you and get a judgment, then file a foreclosure action if you have sufficient equity and your home is sold at a sheriff's sale. Of course, at some point, EVERYONE files the Chapter 7.
Problem-reoccurence or new primary and you have to redo the treatment etc. Can't do the Chapter 7 again for 8 years, and you will loose your house. If no house to foreclose on, or insufficient equity, garnishment of your wages. If no house/equity and no wages to garnish, they get ziltch.
You don't negotiate to make payments on a three figure debt. They will squeeze you dry and sue/forclose/garnish anyway.
BTW, I just love the get a second opinion and go to a major treatment hospital posts. The second opinion is from your doctors golfing buddy at the same facility (insurance will not pay for out of network), and your choice of treatment facilities is limited by your insurance company (teaching hospital in the same city-nope, not in network, can go but you pay all).
Must be Tuesday (b*tch about insurance day). Deep breath.....calm thoughts...
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Terms & Conditions
This is Simone and I am one of the Support Team members here on the site. I have removed several comments on this post as they violate our Terms and Conditions.
While we appreciate that as a community many of our members become very involved in each other’s lives and medical decisions, it is important to remember that those are their decisions. None of our members should ever be put in a position to have to defend their own decisions or the decisions of others. We as a community are able to function because of the mutual respect everyone has for each other, and keeping mind of that respect is paramount in discussions such as these. Sharing one's personal experience or venting is certainly not a site violation, but verbally attacking others is and is never acceptable.
Best Regards,
Simone
CSN Support Team
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I understand
Traci,
For those with school age kids, we know the costs involed and how many places bills come a calling. Everything from school clothing, books, supplies, school parties gifts, friend's birthday parties, school field trips, PTA, etc etc. We want our kids to be "normal" as much as they want to fit in. Peer pressure is real and we want our kids to feel confident and have a good self image. We aren't talking about being excessive or stuck up or outrageous, just normal run of the mill kids. We don't want our kids to be burdened with being the outcasts, being hazed, heckled, or made fun of. We just want them to fit in and be happy so they can be productive.
Guess what - it costs a lot more to house and feed a family instead of a single person or a couple. More $ for food, even darn utilities. My two kids are now at home to finish college. I just watch the electric and water and gas bills all jump. That's not even counting the car gas. I swear all the cars got new holes in them since they came back.
As a mom it is a no brainer you want to insure your kids but you might want to do some math and see if it makes more sense financially to cover yourself rather than your kids. You know you are very high risk and nobody ever wants or things about recurrence but the odds are you are far more likely to run up big bills rather than your kids. It's the thinking why Obamacare is a failed program - the healthy ones are not signing up to cover the high costs of the older folks. In the case of a big medical event for you, it would surely be a better "bet" to insure yourself. If your kids get some typical medical issue, it will likely be far less costly. Just putting that thought out there.I hope my comments are taken positively as that is surely how it is being posted. Just be assured there are those here who know the really difficult position of a shrinking middle class. Unless things change there will be just the elites and a LOT of poor people.
Take care
Don
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I agree!donfoo said:I understand
Traci,
For those with school age kids, we know the costs involed and how many places bills come a calling. Everything from school clothing, books, supplies, school parties gifts, friend's birthday parties, school field trips, PTA, etc etc. We want our kids to be "normal" as much as they want to fit in. Peer pressure is real and we want our kids to feel confident and have a good self image. We aren't talking about being excessive or stuck up or outrageous, just normal run of the mill kids. We don't want our kids to be burdened with being the outcasts, being hazed, heckled, or made fun of. We just want them to fit in and be happy so they can be productive.
Guess what - it costs a lot more to house and feed a family instead of a single person or a couple. More $ for food, even darn utilities. My two kids are now at home to finish college. I just watch the electric and water and gas bills all jump. That's not even counting the car gas. I swear all the cars got new holes in them since they came back.
As a mom it is a no brainer you want to insure your kids but you might want to do some math and see if it makes more sense financially to cover yourself rather than your kids. You know you are very high risk and nobody ever wants or things about recurrence but the odds are you are far more likely to run up big bills rather than your kids. It's the thinking why Obamacare is a failed program - the healthy ones are not signing up to cover the high costs of the older folks. In the case of a big medical event for you, it would surely be a better "bet" to insure yourself. If your kids get some typical medical issue, it will likely be far less costly. Just putting that thought out there.I hope my comments are taken positively as that is surely how it is being posted. Just be assured there are those here who know the really difficult position of a shrinking middle class. Unless things change there will be just the elites and a LOT of poor people.
Take care
Don
I know exactly what you are saying! It's SO expensive just to live. My older son will graduate college this May and already is applying for jobs in his field. My younger one is in the Paramedic Program at our local college. They both work and take care of gas/date/expense $ and we handle their "bills". Within the next two years, they will both be able to carry their own insurance through their own jobs. We are just trying to make it until then. We are weighing all of the pros and cons of each scenario. I just wish our premiums weren't the same cost as our mortgage. It's crazy!
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Obamacare
I have the same problem; how can it be affordable if it doesn’t pay for anything. My ENT bill is $280.00. I have to pay a $40 co-pay, insurance pays $90 and I am left to pay the other $150.00. I just hope someone gets in there soon and fixes this. I could do better without insurance.
Tim
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ObamacareTracyLynn72 said:I agree!
I know exactly what you are saying! It's SO expensive just to live. My older son will graduate college this May and already is applying for jobs in his field. My younger one is in the Paramedic Program at our local college. They both work and take care of gas/date/expense $ and we handle their "bills". Within the next two years, they will both be able to carry their own insurance through their own jobs. We are just trying to make it until then. We are weighing all of the pros and cons of each scenario. I just wish our premiums weren't the same cost as our mortgage. It's crazy!
Tracy, I too am self employed. My wife Connie was on medicaid when she was treated for BOT cancer in Nov.2010- Apr.2011. I appreciated the help our government provided, without it I'm not sure if my wife would have received the treatment she needed to survive. In 2014 she had to see a doctor who decided whether she would continue to receive disability. Her medicaid and disability was discontinued in May 2014. She could have appealed but I told her we should try Obamacare and see if we could afford it. In 2014 our premium was $375 a month and it was nice to have insurance. In 2015 our premium jumped to $675 a month, although it was a lot more money and our income was the same I paid 6 months in Jan. as I sell Fireworks & Christmas trees and we make 90% of our income in Dec. and July When I was going to pay 6 months in July, I found out we had been cancelled at the end of Apr. Then I was told I could appeal but I would have to pay the full premium of $1,350 a month for May, June and July. We could not pay that and our premiums as our business was down for July 4th this year. Now Connie needs to do her annual mri and we have no insurance. It's a mess but the Affordable Care Act is not set up for self employed people. When we had insurance an mri was $3,500 although when we paid cash for a mri it was $450. So health care companies, doctors, hospitals etc. should not be able to charge more because a person has insurance. This practice drives up the high cost of insurance and needs to be stopped. Kent Cass says his insurance paid 1/3 for his radiation treatments but in most all cases if the insurance does not pay in full then the patient has to pay the difference. Healthcare is just unaffordable unless you get assistance from your job or government and it should not be that way. Best Regards, Homer & Connie
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Homerconnieprice1 said:Obamacare
Tracy, I too am self employed. My wife Connie was on medicaid when she was treated for BOT cancer in Nov.2010- Apr.2011. I appreciated the help our government provided, without it I'm not sure if my wife would have received the treatment she needed to survive. In 2014 she had to see a doctor who decided whether she would continue to receive disability. Her medicaid and disability was discontinued in May 2014. She could have appealed but I told her we should try Obamacare and see if we could afford it. In 2014 our premium was $375 a month and it was nice to have insurance. In 2015 our premium jumped to $675 a month, although it was a lot more money and our income was the same I paid 6 months in Jan. as I sell Fireworks & Christmas trees and we make 90% of our income in Dec. and July When I was going to pay 6 months in July, I found out we had been cancelled at the end of Apr. Then I was told I could appeal but I would have to pay the full premium of $1,350 a month for May, June and July. We could not pay that and our premiums as our business was down for July 4th this year. Now Connie needs to do her annual mri and we have no insurance. It's a mess but the Affordable Care Act is not set up for self employed people. When we had insurance an mri was $3,500 although when we paid cash for a mri it was $450. So health care companies, doctors, hospitals etc. should not be able to charge more because a person has insurance. This practice drives up the high cost of insurance and needs to be stopped. Kent Cass says his insurance paid 1/3 for his radiation treatments but in most all cases if the insurance does not pay in full then the patient has to pay the difference. Healthcare is just unaffordable unless you get assistance from your job or government and it should not be that way. Best Regards, Homer & Connie
I need to correct you on what my insurance paid: they paid for all of my rads. What blew my mind was when I'd get the billing summary for the rads, I'd see what the rad people's charges were, but the insurance only paid 33% of those charges, and the rad folks were happy with it, and accepted that 33% as paid in full. They must have had a negotiated deal with the rad folks that 33%, or a certain amount, was all they had to pay- which is bogus for those without, in my case, United Healthcare. And, perhaps that is where Obamacare failed- that insurance companies kept medical providers in line with realistic charges, rather than the inflated charges they must be passing-on to the patients to cover the costs of their hi-tech equipment, and payroll. And it opens up the question as to whether or not Obamacare companies are putting caps on what providers will get for what they do.
I do thank you for all your personal info on the Obamacare premiums you tell of. I recently read that Obamacare initially had some 24 different "companies" in their insurance system, and already 10 of those 24 have closed-down/no longer exist! I also remember reading some expert in the financial community who wrote an article explaining why the government would end-up having to subsidize these companies to keep them afloat, and in a matter of 10 years it would raise the national debt to almost double what it already is ($19-trillion). And to read of your premiums going from $375 to $675/month...seems to me Obama had no clue on how much the $ charges for a lot of things the medical community does really is, and how getting the government involved would only mess it up more for the people/patients.
As as footnote: the 43 year-old I previously mentioned had died had several fundraisers. He was in an Obamacare plan, and I've heard they paid for 80% of his major surgery and hospitalization, but would pay for none of his follow-up Chemo, which I found hard to believe. The Op he had removed parts of his intestine and liver, along with his spleen and appendix, and perhaps more. Could it be that the Obamacare company considered him "cured" after the big Op, so that any follow-up Chemo was not necessary? I mean, only that could be determined by C Drs- not an insurance company, though I'm sure they have Drs on their payroll to advise, but maybe with bias. The man is dead, now, even with the follow-up Chemo, so...
kcass
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Obamacare.........
I know it is somewhat different in each state. I have Aetna through work and I know about what work pays [$800]and I pay $132 a month for all of my insurance and it covers my wife also. I can go to anywhere they accept Aetna, which is all UC hospitals, Stanford, MD Anderson and just about every major place. As some know I chose Stanford for many reasons as it was best for my condition. They have agreed pricing and I only pay 20% after my deductial of $3000 is met. Yes that is high but I get the Aetna diacount so I don't pay full price ever. Once I pay the Max put of pocket they pay Full 100%, which did cover my surgery, thank God.
Now in California with Obamacare you can NOT go to any UC hospital or teaching hospital like Stanford. I would have to had it done local by surgens that have really not done very many, if any. The Local ENT removes tonsils but I kept mine and the "Best" ONC told me after doing blood work and reviewing my file from my PCP, "I do not have cancer". Well he was wrong, and if he would found it back then or send me to a ENT I might still have my larynx, and vocal cords, but now I don't. I have been told I most likely had this at least one year and most likely one and a half to get to this size. Nine months after being told You don't have cancer, they did cancer surgery. I know of a local person who was being treated with radiation local. She was air lifted to Stanford because of radiation burns almost killed her. We do have a very good Hospital and the best in the central valley. I was just not letting them do mine. I know too many people who went local and have way to many problems and can't rase there arms after having a laryngectomy, which they cut you from ear to ear, and removed 86 lymph glands. I know just how lucky I have been. I went to work and told them my doctor has put me on permanent dissability and was going to have to retire. I was told NO I do not retire now. I am to go on short term dissability which is six months and my company pays for that. Then I will go on long term dissability for 24 months and that is paid by the state. [they take it out of your paycheck as insurance] The reason I am to do this is I can stay on the company books and still be covered by insurance and I only pay my part. They could have just let me retire and they would have saved all that money, about $19,000 if I retired and that does not count the 6 months they paid me on short term which would bring it to $36,000. Oh I also do get to have my retirement party next year when I do retire which would have been 21 years. The insurance is the reason I went to work for them, but I never thought they would ever treat me this well. There is a very special place in my heart for Kraft Foods. I know how lucky I am, at least one more year of it.
Bill
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It's a huge messKent Cass said:Homer
I need to correct you on what my insurance paid: they paid for all of my rads. What blew my mind was when I'd get the billing summary for the rads, I'd see what the rad people's charges were, but the insurance only paid 33% of those charges, and the rad folks were happy with it, and accepted that 33% as paid in full. They must have had a negotiated deal with the rad folks that 33%, or a certain amount, was all they had to pay- which is bogus for those without, in my case, United Healthcare. And, perhaps that is where Obamacare failed- that insurance companies kept medical providers in line with realistic charges, rather than the inflated charges they must be passing-on to the patients to cover the costs of their hi-tech equipment, and payroll. And it opens up the question as to whether or not Obamacare companies are putting caps on what providers will get for what they do.
I do thank you for all your personal info on the Obamacare premiums you tell of. I recently read that Obamacare initially had some 24 different "companies" in their insurance system, and already 10 of those 24 have closed-down/no longer exist! I also remember reading some expert in the financial community who wrote an article explaining why the government would end-up having to subsidize these companies to keep them afloat, and in a matter of 10 years it would raise the national debt to almost double what it already is ($19-trillion). And to read of your premiums going from $375 to $675/month...seems to me Obama had no clue on how much the $ charges for a lot of things the medical community does really is, and how getting the government involved would only mess it up more for the people/patients.
As as footnote: the 43 year-old I previously mentioned had died had several fundraisers. He was in an Obamacare plan, and I've heard they paid for 80% of his major surgery and hospitalization, but would pay for none of his follow-up Chemo, which I found hard to believe. The Op he had removed parts of his intestine and liver, along with his spleen and appendix, and perhaps more. Could it be that the Obamacare company considered him "cured" after the big Op, so that any follow-up Chemo was not necessary? I mean, only that could be determined by C Drs- not an insurance company, though I'm sure they have Drs on their payroll to advise, but maybe with bias. The man is dead, now, even with the follow-up Chemo, so...
kcass
When we were uninsured, I would get an automatic 40% "discount" to pay in full at time of service. Now, I pay premiums AND basically 85-90% of the full bill price. I had to get help through Medicaid and it took me NINE MONTHS to get assistance, but they only "covered" certain months. They covered the month I had surgeries and one month of my rads. The other half month was up to me to pay in FULL....no discount because I was a current Medicaid patient but they refused coverage for that particular month. We honestly paid much, much less without insurance. Even having to do years of payment plans. It's scary, frustrating and discouraging. Our Obamacare that we currently have considers all of my follow up appointments as something above and beyond what they consider needed and refuse to pay.
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Insurance
I live in the Uk and find your insurance problems upsetting, I wish I was a billionaire to help you. I find it all so confusing, if you pay health insurance why don't they cover you 100%. I couldn't afford to live in the states for insurance reasons alone. I've had all the MRI and CT scans,surgery and radiation, medication etc on what was taken from my wages at source called national health insurance. It was something I had to pay so never noticed it. It wasn't very much but you pay it all your working life. When you have major treatment it's all paid for no extra costs. I'm over sixty that's the age i started getting free medication, free eye tests, free travel on buses. Etc. Some people complain about NHS but I have found it marvellous. As soon as I was diagnosed for head and neck cancer I was in for surgery within a month. I'm still under the hospital after two years they check me out monthly. I wish you could have a system like this. I read so much about your insurance problems. My sister married an American army officer he's retired now and she needs a lot of medical aid now but her insurance from her husbands army days is all covered. I guess it's from individual to individual the insurance differs. I really feel for you, the worry,the cost, the frustration at the insurance companies. What sort of price would you have to pay for insurance that covers everything. I'm not knocking your insurance policies but trying to understand them.
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Just curious...
Previous to Obamacare my husband paid $1000 per month for his health insurance and mine was $650. After we signed up for health insurance through Obamacare both of our premiums went down drastically and our insurance has covered everything so far. We seem to be the only ones who don't hate Obamacare and I can't figure out why it has worked out so well for us and not others? I mean we had to pay about $5000 out of pocket for radiation and chemo but the insurance company has been billed about $275,000 to date. I am just wondering why does it seem like peoples insurance is not covering things? Is it due to the plan that you are chosing? If you choose the least expensive plan does it not cover anything? I am just gathering information because it is time to sign up again and now more than ever we have some decisions to make about insurance. We need to choose carefully and weigh all the options and the information gathered here is so important. We sacrifice to pay for one of the better insurance plans and I'm wondering if that is why they cover so much and is it worth it??
So sorry that you are having finacial troubles on top of all the medical issues. It really is the icing on the cake isn't it??
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