Health insurance. A heated topic among many Americans. After my experience yesterday, I have some clue why.
My most "generous" employer (I should add "selectively") provides me health and dental insurance with no detriment to my wage. How nice! I do not have vision coverage, which for my four eyes, means I fork over a few hundred dollars a year in optometry visits and new contact lenses. I haven't had new glasses frames for probably five years; no new lenses for three. My glasses see my face for an hour before bed, if they're lucky, so I'm not as concerned with these, but I do need them.
Since being back from Costa Rica, I've suffered from "bowel issues." (They say the water is safe to drink there!!) Jeff hasn't developed any troubles, so I'm not sure what I ate or drank that spawned this fun. He thought I should see a doctor as soon as we returned to the States. I would have, but I'd never used my health insurance, so I was wary of the cost of seeing a doctor, especially since we spent a wad in CR.
Finally, yesterday, after 2.5 weeks of unpredictable intestinal fistfights, I decided it was time to pay The Man and get some antibiotics. I had no clue what my co-pay was, or even if I had a co-pay. I saw a PA for 15 minutes, long enough for her to diagnose me with what I'd diagnosed myself with, thanks to mayoclinic, and send in a scrip for some bug killers, and send me back up to reception to pay.
My heart raced. How much will this visit be? $25? $50? $100? No. It couldn't be over $100, I thought.
I was shocked when I was charged $117.34. All out of pocket. Insurance paid nothing.
This is how the real world is? This is why the little man wants Obamacare? This is why so many other countries have socialized medicine? This is why I want to find a new job? This is why insurance companies are evil? This is why I will procrastinate seeing a doctor, even in a matter of life or death? Because the partners at the company I work for make hundreds of thousands of dollars each per year, and I make about 4.6 percent of what they make? What if BouBou and I accidentally get pregnant? Literally, we couldn't afford our baby!!!!
It makes me sick. Many of you are probably worse off. I feel cheated. I don't think I'm alone in this either!!!
Friday, April 01, 2011
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2 comments:
You're not alone. We don't have any insurance because it's so expensive in NV. The sole reason we are baby-less. It would cost me $522/month to be insured with maternity because I am self employed...
Although I would try an Urgent Care clinic next time you get sick. It might be cheaper if you just pay cash. It only cost me $100 total with meds, my visit and test when I had a UTI.
Definately make sure you know what your policy covers before you have a baby. Mine changed 2 days before McKay was born and my insurance said they were only going to cover $600 worth leaving us with over a $10,000 bill. Luckily we fought and appealed it and they are covering more now but we have had nothing but problems with insurance since McKay's been born. Pretty sure insurance companies are evil.
Hope you feel better soon though!
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