I am glad this is a civil discussion, I find it very refreshing to know that all side can communicate without leading to bashing. Thank you.
Now something I don't think I've read so far:
I lost my job a year ago, our income dropped by HALF and the insurance left with my job. Sure I had 'cobra' for 6 months (employer wasn't big enough to quality for the 18 month thing). Cost me the same as when I worked there since we had to pay in full. Once the continuance was through I had to find my own. According to this state hubby is uninsurable through regular insurance because he is on 5 medications and has a disorder that is an automatic disqualifier. He has to go through the risk pool. I tried for 3 months to get private insurance for myself but have been informed that having CONTROLLED high blood pressure and a thyroid disorder also controlled, disqualifies me as well even though my total medical bill for almost any given year including medications only cost $500. I'm now in the risk pool as well. I had a rep for one of the insurance companies tell me that my doc was a total idiot because she hadn't put me on cholesterol meds for a total cholesterol of 199, with an HDL of 89!!! My doc was furious, she and I decide on my care, not an underwriter for an insurance company.
Let me tell you about the cost of this risk pool. We recently bought our house and our mortgage payment is CHEAPER than our insurance. This insurance has a $5000 deductible for EACH of us and the RX coverage has a $200 deductible for EACH of us. I have been turned down for 2 procedures my doc says I need because the risk pool says they'd rather pay meds or treat the aftermath rather than preventive care. They would rather pay for a hip replacement than orthopedic shoes. They would rather pay for a major surgery on my shoulder plus how ever many visits to a specialist, instead of having my tendons tightened and ending the problem. They would rather pay for hormones that increase my BP than approve an implant, or an IUD as my doc insists I need. I'm having to save up for one or the other.
2/3 of our income is taken by our house, insurance and copays. After all is said and paid at the end of the month we only have $150 for groceries, animal feed, clothing, emergencies.
It would literally be cheaper to live without insurance but we are too afraid to take that chance knowing that one simple accident could cost us our home and everything we've worked so hard to achieve.
There needs to be reform to stop insurance companies from doing this to people. Period.
Now something I don't think I've read so far:
I lost my job a year ago, our income dropped by HALF and the insurance left with my job. Sure I had 'cobra' for 6 months (employer wasn't big enough to quality for the 18 month thing). Cost me the same as when I worked there since we had to pay in full. Once the continuance was through I had to find my own. According to this state hubby is uninsurable through regular insurance because he is on 5 medications and has a disorder that is an automatic disqualifier. He has to go through the risk pool. I tried for 3 months to get private insurance for myself but have been informed that having CONTROLLED high blood pressure and a thyroid disorder also controlled, disqualifies me as well even though my total medical bill for almost any given year including medications only cost $500. I'm now in the risk pool as well. I had a rep for one of the insurance companies tell me that my doc was a total idiot because she hadn't put me on cholesterol meds for a total cholesterol of 199, with an HDL of 89!!! My doc was furious, she and I decide on my care, not an underwriter for an insurance company.
Let me tell you about the cost of this risk pool. We recently bought our house and our mortgage payment is CHEAPER than our insurance. This insurance has a $5000 deductible for EACH of us and the RX coverage has a $200 deductible for EACH of us. I have been turned down for 2 procedures my doc says I need because the risk pool says they'd rather pay meds or treat the aftermath rather than preventive care. They would rather pay for a hip replacement than orthopedic shoes. They would rather pay for a major surgery on my shoulder plus how ever many visits to a specialist, instead of having my tendons tightened and ending the problem. They would rather pay for hormones that increase my BP than approve an implant, or an IUD as my doc insists I need. I'm having to save up for one or the other.
2/3 of our income is taken by our house, insurance and copays. After all is said and paid at the end of the month we only have $150 for groceries, animal feed, clothing, emergencies.
It would literally be cheaper to live without insurance but we are too afraid to take that chance knowing that one simple accident could cost us our home and everything we've worked so hard to achieve.
There needs to be reform to stop insurance companies from doing this to people. Period.