Denied Medical Care

[Polly]

Si how do you handle medical costs on Medicare?

Si how do you handle medical costs on Medicare?

Sirry ti reply to myself but @Jean4 it sounds like medical care has become unaffordable fir you under Medicare but you sound like you find it useful in the end, si I am confused

 

[Jean4]

Si how do you handle medical costs on Medicare?

Sirry ti reply to myself but @Jean4 it sounds like medical care has become unaffordable fir you under Medicare but you sound like you find it useful in the end, si I am confused

I would rather have Obamacare. I was forced onto Medicare.
Obamacare paid for my meds, hospitalizations and medical equipment
Medicare does not.

Obamacare costs $100 more a month than what I pay monthly from my disability check for Medicare.

I would rather pay more for Obamacare, as it provides more services than Medicare, saving money in the long run.

 

[Polly]

I would rather have Obamacare. I was forced onto Medicare.
Obamacare paid for my meds, hospitalizations and medical equipment
Medicare does not.

Obamacare costs $100 more a month than what I pay monthly from my disability check for Medicare.

I would rather pay more for Obamacare, as it provides more services than Medicare, saving money in the long run.

You were fortunate. I and my friends have not found any quality coverage on the Exchange at that low rate.

 

[NeverMatteredAnyway]

I understand you perfectly. I also have perilymph fistula and doctors did the surgery to prevent fluid leakage. Sadly, my ear is already damaged. As a consequence I have high frequency hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo. My quality of life is also almost zero. The earlier you do this surgery and prevent further ear damage, the better.

Same here... My family say me things like: "There are people paralyzed down from the neck" or "You'll get used to it" but it's debilitating condition. Additionaly I was born as premature so I'm hearing impaired. I need to use hearing aids. Now when I'm not wearing them I hear nothing except this stupid sound. Surgery didn't help me because it was done too late. This injury is most commonly found with divers and requires instant medical treatment. There are two articles about it: here and here.

While I was trying to figure out/understand, HOW and WHY I was so so damaged, I never even suspected perilymph fistula bc 99% of the websites say its from pressure change injuries and head trauma. It was the Dr I unofficially saw who told me this may be it. It can happen from acoustic trauma too, but that isnt mentioned on many websites. Idk. The person also hit me on my back and I jolted, so I really dont know.
My heart goes out to you. Im 100% alone, and it really only messes with me when Im hurting or happy, bc theres no one to share things with. But to have ppl close say those unsupportive things is terrible. Well, I for one can vouch how terrible this is! My apt that i can no longer keep clean bc bending down hurts also vouches this is debilitating! I mentally, in a day, go from suicidally in dispair, to almost deliriously idk like trying to joke, to seethingly full if rage. I feel insane and out if control off and on through the day. Then Im exhausted. Depleted and I sleep. And the first thing I hear when I realize its morning is the relentless BLARING ringing, and how my ears want to explode, and instead of waking up from a nightmare, Im waking up in a nightmare. If I slide off my pillows in the night so Im flat or close to flat, I wake up hurting. I'll never fkn get used to this. I'll never say to you you will either. Im sorry the surgery happened too late for you. Im really sorry. This life can really be fkd. Its funny though, Ive gotten more kindness and companionship in the last 24hrs from ppl after posting on this site than in my life. So, to everyone reading and responding, thank you. Honestly.

 

[k75]

I would rather have Obamacare. I was forced onto Medicare.
Obamacare paid for my meds, hospitalizations and medical equipment
Medicare does not.

Obamacare costs $100 more a month than what I pay monthly from my disability check for Medicare.

I would rather pay more for Obamacare, as it provides more services than Medicare, saving money in the long run.

I think I'd be screwed if I didn't live where I do. I'm in Massachusetts. Disability forced me onto Medicare, but I also have MassHealth (basically our version of Medicaid) as a secondary. Between the two, everything is always 100% covered. MassHealth picks up the premium for Medicare, even. I can't fathom why people are against a system similar to ours. Of course, the downside is I'm scraping by on disability, but my medical needs are high, so I'll take it.

 

[HopeDiesLast]

The Affordable Care Act ("Obama Care") has been a financial disaster for me and everybody I know. I used to have decent and affordable health insurance through my employer. After the ACA went into effect the cost for the same coverage tripled and my employer (like so many others) stopped offering a company health plan.

Now I pay $400 a month (with a $26 monthly tax credit. Woo hoo) for the cheapest plan available through the marketplace. That comes with a $3,600 deductible, 50% co-insurance after the deductible, and an annual out of pocket max of $8,200. Two years ago I had terrible abdominal pain, tried to avoid going to the doctor, and ended up with a ruptured appendix and sepsis. Bill was over 125K and I paid the out of pocket max. The next year I passed out in public and someone called an ambulance. Hospital did every expensive test they could. Then ultimately told me my electrolytes were just out of balance. Again paid the out of pocket max. Now this year I just found out that I have a ( most likely benign) tumor that needs to be removed. That surgery is going to cost me the $8,200 out of pocket max. Between the premiums, deductibles and co-insurance I end up paying $13,000 a year for health care...which is a third of my income. I feel like I just can't ever get ahead. I live in constant fear of getting sick or hurt because I can't fucking afford to see a doctor.

The healthcare situation alone is making me want to ctb. The Affordable Care Act is anyhing BUT affordable. The only ones benefitinga are the insurance companies.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[NeverMatteredAnyway]

The Affordable Care Act ("Obama Care") has been a financial disaster for me and everybody I know. I used to have decent and affordable health insurance through my employer. After the ACA went into effect the cost for the same coverage tripled and my employer (like so many others) stopped offering a company health plan.

Now I pay $400 a month (with a $26 monthly tax credit. Woo hoo) for the cheapest plan available through the marketplace. That comes with a $3,600 deductible, 50% co-insurance after the deductible, and an annual out of pocket max of $8,200. Two years ago I had terrible abdominal pain, tried to avoid going to the doctor, and ended up with a ruptured appendix and sepsis. Bill was over 125K and I paid the out of pocket max. The next year I passed out in public and someone called an ambulance. Hospital did every expensive test they could. Then ultimately told me my electrolytes were just out of balance. Again paid the out of pocket max. Now this year I just found out that I have a ( most likely benign) tumor that needs to be removed. That surgery is going to cost me the $8,200 out of pocket max. Between the premiums, deductibles and co-insurance I end up paying $13,000 a year for health care...which is a third of my income. I feel like I just can't ever get ahead. I live in constant fear of getting sick or hurt because I can't fucking afford to see a doctor.

The healthcare situation alone is making me want to ctb. The Affordable Care Act is anyhing BUT affordable. The only ones benefitinga are the insurance companies.

Sorry for the rant.

To everyone who posted abt ins. Firstly, thank you. I dont understand health ins myself. It seems, you have to only make or get enough money for food, to qualify for ins thats really going to take care of you. I mean, rent and car ins, is also mandatory, I mean, to me. I cannot rely on the bus to get to my job, its not feasible, and I do need a place to live. Honestly. To qualify for whats going to take care of me/you, it seems well, Id have to be homeless and working, very little or possibly living in a car, working very little. Whoever is dictating numbers, IS SMOKING CRACK. Its a dance of deception. I have a pretty strong sense of right n wrong. But, when WRONG dictates the rules, where does that leave the hurting person? In reality, I think its all about survival and to survive, you dance, until the music stops. It seems, if you make enough to 1 eat. 2 pay for shelter. 3 pay for a car, if you want medical coverage, theyre gonna take EVERY PENNY one way or another. Theres no getting ahead. Ever. If, you only make enough for food, theyll take care of you. I do NOT live in the lap if luxury, but I have been able to eat. Ive paid my rent and car ins I make the min payments on 3 cc very very high int. I dont understand the names of these insurances, medicare, obamacare etc. The difference between them I mean. All i know is, if you can afford to eat AND pay rent, and car ins, youre screwed. My premium is a grand a month. So, copays and a 4 grand deductable? Its not realistic or sustainable. But Im desperate, and thats what theyre counting on. I'll be bled. Hell I only had 5 grand saved lol n rents due now again. Its a system of desperation. My hope is, 1 Ill get what I need before Im penniless 2 I wont have to choose between rent/1000 premium 3 what they do works.
Hopedieslast, a fkn third of your income gone. Gross income right? Ugh. Im sorry theres like 2 others who have written abt ins, Im scared if I hit the back button to see your names I'll lose what I wrote.

I would rather have Obamacare. I was forced onto Medicare.
Obamacare paid for my meds, hospitalizations and medical equipment
Medicare does not.

Obamacare costs $100 more a month than what I pay monthly from my disability check for Medicare.

I would rather pay more for Obamacare, as it provides more services than Medicare, saving money in the long run.

Hello, ok, so Im wondering, you are living on disability? Which Im assuming is way less than a living wage, yet is too much for Obamacare and now youre on Medicare? which isnt covering what you need as Obamacare did? Am I understanding this the right way?

 

[Jean4]

To everyone who posted abt ins. Firstly, thank you. I dont understand health ins myself. It seems, you have to only make or get enough money for food, to qualify for ins thats really going to take care of you. I mean, rent and car ins, is also mandatory, I mean, to me. I cannot rely on the bus to get to my job, its not feasible, and I do need a place to live. Honestly. To qualify for whats going to take care of me/you, it seems well, Id have to be homeless and working, very little or possibly living in a car, working very little. Whoever is dictating numbers, IS SMOKING CRACK. Its a dance of deception. I have a pretty strong sense of right n wrong. But, when WRONG dictates the rules, where does that leave the hurting person? In reality, I think its all about survival and to survive, you dance, until the music stops. It seems, if you make enough to 1 eat. 2 pay for shelter. 3 pay for a car, if you want medical coverage, theyre gonna take EVERY PENNY one way or another. Theres no getting ahead. Ever. If, you only make enough for food, theyll take care of you. I do NOT live in the lap if luxury, but I have been able to eat. Ive paid my rent and car ins I make the min payments on 3 cc very very high int. I dont understand the names of these insurances, medicare, obamacare etc. The difference between them I mean. All i know is, if you can afford to eat AND pay rent, and car ins, youre screwed. My premium is a grand a month. So, copays and a 4 grand deductable? Its not realistic or sustainable. But Im desperate, and thats what theyre counting on. I'll be bled. Hell I only had 5 grand saved lol n rents due now again. Its a system of desperation. My hope is, 1 Ill get what I need before Im penniless 2 I wont have to choose between rent/1000 premium 3 what they do works.
Hopedieslast, a fkn third of your income gone. Gross income right? Ugh. Im sorry theres like 2 others who have written abt ins, Im scared if I hit the back button to see your names I'll lose what I wrote.

Hello, ok, so Im wondering, you are living on disability? Which Im assuming is way less than a living wage, yet is too much for Obamacare and now youre on Medicare? which isnt covering what you need as Obamacare did? Am I understanding this the right way?

Yes. I am on Disability. When I received Disabililty, I was given Medicare automatically, which yes. It does cost less than Obamacare. However, it pays for basically nothing and bills are more than on Obamacare.

I would rather pay lets say $600 a month for Obamacare when my medicine and what not costs (a low ballpark $5000 a month). My Obamacare bill (minus doctors appointments) for my meds and medical equipment would be $100. On Medicare, my medicine is not covered at all. So that would be $10,000 a month. My Oxygen which was 100 percent covered by Obamacare, costs $500 a month.

How do I survive? I don't pay my bills. My PCP is giving me my medication (she has samples from the drug companies).

Medicare is the best thing if you want to CTB. They were killing me because I couldn't afford anything.

 

[Polly]

To everyone who posted abt ins. Firstly, thank you. I dont understand health ins myself. It seems, you have to only make or get enough money for food, to qualify for ins thats really going to take care of you. I mean, rent and car ins, is also mandatory, I mean, to me. I cannot rely on the bus to get to my job, its not feasible, and I do need a place to live. Honestly. To qualify for whats going to take care of me/you, it seems well, Id have to be homeless and working, very little or possibly living in a car, working very little. Whoever is dictating numbers, IS SMOKING CRACK. Its a dance of deception. I have a pretty strong sense of right n wrong. But, when WRONG dictates the rules, where does that leave the hurting person? In reality, I think its all about survival and to survive, you dance, until the music stops. It seems, if you make enough to 1 eat. 2 pay for shelter. 3 pay for a car, if you want medical coverage, theyre gonna take EVERY PENNY one way or another. Theres no getting ahead. Ever. If, you only make enough for food, theyll take care of you. I do NOT live in the lap if luxury, but I have been able to eat. Ive paid my rent and car ins I make the min payments on 3 cc very very high int. I dont understand the names of these insurances, medicare, obamacare etc. The difference between them I mean. All i know is, if you can afford to eat AND pay rent, and car ins, youre screwed. My premium is a grand a month. So, copays and a 4 grand deductable? Its not realistic or sustainable. But Im desperate, and thats what theyre counting on. I'll be bled. Hell I only had 5 grand saved lol n rents due now again. Its a system of desperation. My hope is, 1 Ill get what I need before Im penniless 2 I wont have to choose between rent/1000 premium 3 what they do works.
Hopedieslast, a fkn third of your income gone. Gross income right? Ugh. Im sorry theres like 2 others who have written abt ins, Im scared if I hit the back button to see your names I'll lose what I wrote.

Hello, ok, so Im wondering, you are living on disability? Which Im assuming is way less than a living wage, yet is too much for Obamacare and now youre on Medicare? which isnt covering what you need as Obamacare did? Am I understanding this the right way?

Yes. I am on Disability. When I received Disabililty, I was given Medicare automatically, which yes. It does cost less than Obamacare. However, it pays for basically nothing and bills are more than on Obamacare.

I would rather pay lets say $600 a month for Obamacare when my medicine and what not costs (a low ballpark $5000 a month). My Obamacare bill (minus doctors appointments) for my meds and medical equipment would be $100. On Medicare, my medicine is not covered at all. So that would be $10,000 a month. My Oxygen which was 100 percent covered by Obamacare, costs $500 a month.

How do I survive? I don't pay my bills. My PCP is giving me my medication (she has samples from the drug companies).

Medicare is the best thing if you want to CTB. They were killing me because I couldn't afford anything.

So, soon to be in a similar situation, how can you judt not pay your bills? Doesn't thst cut off your care?

 

[Jean4]

So, soon to be in a similar situation, how can you judt not pay your bills? Doesn't thst cut off your care?

Bill collectors call. I am in collections. I don't pay. Simple. Medicare is taken directly from my disability check.

 

[HopeDiesLast]

I guess it all depends on someone's individual situation. In Jean's case, Obama Care is the better alternative compared to Medicare. But for most, Obama Care is a horrible option compared to traditional employer health plans. About ten years ago I spent several weeks in the psych hospital undergoing ECT treatment. Insurance paid everything except for my $250 deductible. Now, with crappy Obama Care I can't even get them to pay for a 5-minute visit to my psychiatrist to get a new prescription. And therapy? Forget it.

And yeah, roughly a third of my gross income goes towards medical care. And that doesn't even include dental and vision. I needed a root canal. Dentist told me it would be $4,500. I asked him if he could just pull the tooth instead. He said he wouldn't recommend it (because my other teeth would shift), but he could pull it for "only" $900. WTF? When I checked out, the receptionist slipped me a note with an out of state phone number and told me the guy would "do it on the cheap, cash only". I ended up taking a road trip to a shady garage where the guy (a former veterinarian who had lost his license) yanked out my tooth for $150 cash. Yup. And we're supposedly a civilized nation...

 

[NeverMatteredAnyway]

Yes. I am on Disability. When I received Disabililty, I was given Medicare automatically, which yes. It does cost less than Obamacare. However, it pays for basically nothing and bills are more than on Obamacare.

I would rather pay lets say $600 a month for Obamacare when my medicine and what not costs (a low ballpark $5000 a month). My Obamacare bill (minus doctors appointments) for my meds and medical equipment would be $100. On Medicare, my medicine is not covered at all. So that would be $10,000 a month. My Oxygen which was 100 percent covered by Obamacare, costs $500 a month.

How do I survive? I don't pay my bills. My PCP is giving me my medication (she has samples from the drug companies).

Medicare is the best thing if you want to CTB. They were killing me because I couldn't afford anything.

Im beyond words how sad that makes me to hear. I dont even know how to respond its so terrible.

I guess it all depends on someone's individual situation. In Jean's case, Obama Care is the better alternative compared to Medicare. But for most, Obama Care is a horrible option compared to traditional employer health plans. About ten years ago I spent several weeks in the psych hospital undergoing ECT treatment. Insurance paid everything except for my $250 deductible. Now, with crappy Obama Care I can't even get them to pay for a 5-minute visit to my psychiatrist to get a new prescription. And therapy? Forget it.

And yeah, roughly a third of my gross income goes towards medical care. And that doesn't even include dental and vision. I needed a root canal. Dentist told me it would be $4,500. I asked him if he could just pull the tooth instead. He said he wouldn't recommend it (because my other teeth would shift), but he could pull it for "only" $900. WTF? When I checked out, the receptionist slipped me a note with an out of state phone number and told me the guy would "do it on the cheap, cash only". I ended up taking a road trip to a shady garage where the guy (a former veterinarian who had lost his license) yanked out my tooth for $150 cash. Yup. And we're supposedly a civilized nation...

Keep that guys number! Lol I may be needing it someday! Joking maybe not joking. It seems the goal is in exchange for medical coverage, the price is poverty.

 

[NeverMatteredAnyway]

The Affordable Care Act ("Obama Care") has been a financial disaster for me and everybody I know. I used to have decent and affordable health insurance through my employer. After the ACA went into effect the cost for the same coverage tripled and my employer (like so many others) stopped offering a company health plan.

Now I pay $400 a month (with a $26 monthly tax credit. Woo hoo) for the cheapest plan available through the marketplace. That comes with a $3,600 deductible, 50% co-insurance after the deductible, and an annual out of pocket max of $8,200. Two years ago I had terrible abdominal pain, tried to avoid going to the doctor, and ended up with a ruptured appendix and sepsis. Bill was over 125K and I paid the out of pocket max. The next year I passed out in public and someone called an ambulance. Hospital did every expensive test they could. Then ultimately told me my electrolytes were just out of balance. Again paid the out of pocket max. Now this year I just found out that I have a ( most likely benign) tumor that needs to be removed. That surgery is going to cost me the $8,200 out of pocket max. Between the premiums, deductibles and co-insurance I end up paying $13,000 a year for health care...which is a third of my income. I feel like I just can't ever get ahead. I live in constant fear of getting sick or hurt because I can't fucking afford to see a doctor.

The healthcare situation alone is making me want to ctb. The Affordable Care Act is anyhing BUT affordable. The only ones benefitinga are the insurance companies.

Sorry for the rant.

I just reread your post. Thats so much to have happen. Im so sorry. Sepsis is a very dangerous thing. The bills suck, but Im glad youre ok. If you didnt have insurance, you may not have gotten the care you needed. I mean idk for sure but they seem to do the most for the ones who have someone to bill. Not good in the case of the electrolyte imbalance, but possibly very good in the case of sepsis.