Insurance in the driver's seat on NOT HAVE CANCER on 43 Things

A Girl in the Curl is making some tough decisions

Insurance in the driver's seat 11 months ago

We pay for the first $500 of each day in a hospital…we pay 30% of the outpatient procedures (and chemo and radiation will likely be several weeks long, daily)

And there’s a list of meds that are covered…I’m worried that I will be picking a care plan based on its affordability.

I don’t have much savings, and this is TOTALLY understandable to me how people lose everything and max out credit cards, because what can you do?! it’s scary to not get treatment, yet it’s so expensive.

And…I’M A NURSE!!!
This country is something else, with it’s healthcare issues.
(sigh)

More ranting, sorry.
I don’t expect there will be any Pro-Cancer posts here…

Jul 23, 2008, 01:03PM PDT | 9 cheers

Comments:

CropTillDawn~ Summertime R&R on the Beach.

I was at the National Museum yesterday

and I saw a line drawing of a woman. It may have been the same one that you use as your avatar from time to time or similar, but it reminded me of you :)
Take Care,
Dawn

Jul 23, 2008, 03:13PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

A Girl in the Curl is making some tough decisions

aw, thanks Crop

That’s sweet.

Jul 26, 2008, 02:00PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this

CropTillDawn~ Summertime R&R on the Beach.

Good luck

Kicking cancers ass Girl!

Jul 26, 2008, 10:31PM PDT | Respond to this 1 cheer

mahinui aloha from the Big Island

This is going to sound funky

We need taxpayer funded health care. You work, you pay taxes, you get your card. You have a little co-pay, maybe $35 to go see the doctor. $100 to use the ER.

Have to be admitted? $500 co pay. That’s it.

Operation? $500 co pay, for all the docs and everything.

Meds? $10. whatever.

I know, a hefty tax bill. But then, no worries.

You don’t pay taxes? How come? Are you exempt because you’re past a certain age, and your retirement falls below the line? No co-pays. Or are you indigent? If so, what’s your story?

Veteran? You’re exempt.

Whacko? We’ve got a special deal for you. Come on over and join the wellness collective. As long as you do your part, you’re exempt too.

What happens to your druggie ER admits? What should happen to them? Sometimes I think our medical priorities are all screwed up. It makes no sense to put all kinds of energy into saving a crackhead who’s dying, and refuse treatment to a working person who gets sick and can’t pay the $500 a day or whatever the charge is.

Jul 23, 2008, 04:19PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

A Girl in the Curl is making some tough decisions

I like this idea

pretty much, you described my copays exactly! Down to the $500/night hospital stays, and $100 ED visits…my copay just went up from 20 to $30.

We have the same discussions about all of this. We have had our fair share of Drug seekers (people who know how to lie in the emergency department to get free drugs) and we also have tons of people who are there for overdoses…and all on taxpayer money because they can’t pay or won’t pay in the long run.

Still, at the bedside, we don’t think about that, so much as it’s just our job to keep people alive and make them well again…we have no idea how the “paying stuff” goes.

I’m learning about it now through this experience for sure!

Jul 26, 2008, 02:04PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this

mahinui aloha from the Big Island

people can be so weird

I know someone whose second home is the hospital. Of course she never pays. I could go on and on about how she has abused the people in her life, using their identities to get admitted.

She’s got some sort of disorder that means she believes she has all sorts of diseases, but the diagnoses don’t confirm any of it. She has a bunch of quack doctors who find all sorts of esoterica wrong with her, the sorts of things MDs generally don’t diagnose.

I imagine hospitals get people like her who do need some sort of attention, and the only place that is open to them is the hospital, but they don’t belong there.

It is just wrong that people who are genuinely in need of medicine can be denied while others manage to get whatever treatment is available.

Jul 26, 2008, 03:45PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

A Girl in the Curl is making some tough decisions

It is frustrating

We frequently have to decide whom, among two or three patients waiting in the ER, can have the one bed we have open in the ICU—it’s a tough decisions, the docs frequently come up and ask us “we have this guy, who might have had a stroke, another guy who might have had an MI, and a guy who had a seizure…the ER nurses don’t know how to watch any of them.”

(this is true of our ER, not all)

I feel most comfortable with the cardiac cases, so when it’s me that has to take the patient, and I’m waiting for them to decide which one comes up, I’m almost always hoping it’s the MI.

But, once, this guy comes up and within minutes I figured out he was drug seeking.

He checked out after a few hours AMA (against medical advice) and having received several hits of morphine for chest pain, shortness of breath…he knew how to fake it really well.

I told the MD this guy was drug seeking, and the guy had his door open and within ten minutes rang his call light and said “I just called India…my wife is in the hospital, giving birth…I have to check out AMA…uh..or whatever it’s called…heh”

I felt bad we wasted so much time and effort admitting him while there was a little old guy with a possible stroke downstairs, getting “watched” by the ER nurses.

Sad.

Jul 27, 2008, 05:35AM PDT | Respond to this

Benji is very happy

I don't understand

how a country like the US can have such a totally screwed up health care system.

Over here we complain about “Healthcare Tourists” but you know what, as a nurse in this system of free healthcare for all regardless of everything, I find it very hard to critisize them for coming here for treatment if there is no other option, it is what I would do myself in their position.

I cannot imagine how sressful it must be to even have to consider finances when you should be staying positive and focusing on recovery.

Jul 24, 2008, 03:29PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 4 cheers

A Girl in the Curl is making some tough decisions

It's true

And, I have “good” insurance!

I think this country used to be much better in many ways. When I was a teenager, the community college was free, then they started charging a few dollars per unit for courses and people were angry about it.

Now, you can only be sick, or go to college if you’re rich, or willing to get into loads of debt.

We are only a great country because we “Were” a great country…I think we’re resting on our laurels quite a lot and places like Sweden are far superior.

Free education, free healthcare, both parents can take leave for the birth/raising of children…it’s far better.

(but, they only get a few months of sunlight too…)

Jul 26, 2008, 02:08PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 2 cheers

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Jul 26, 2008, 05:15PM PDT

Uncle Enore

I couldn't sympathize with Chewie more.

And I agree with Benji that our health care system IS certainly a fucking mess, and not likely to get better any time soon. I’m facing the loss of my own personal insurance next week.

I’ve also been and remain a huge critic of a lot of what goes on in this country, as you know. But I can’t agree with you or Lisa that we are great only because of our past. I think that is just histrionic posturing.

Jul 26, 2008, 05:53PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this

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Jul 26, 2008, 06:08PM PDT

LOL...gotcha! - Uncle Enore

LOL - A Girl in the Curl

couple - Shelly's been cast out by God

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Jul 26, 2008, 06:10PM PDT

Ah, well...now we get to see yet another fucking taking place. - Uncle Enore

Does this mean - Shelly's been cast out by God

No. I've been a long time vested in the plan. - Uncle Enore

I wasn't talking bad - Shelly's been cast out by God