Two more tales illustrating why those who think the current system is just fine and we have no need for health care reform are idiots. I don’t like the current proposals either, but “just say no” is not a helpful course.
Biking Diabetic says:
First off, I had a doctor’s appointment at 10:40 a.m. This called a fasting for blood work, since I hadn’t been insured for quite some time and hadn’t been to the clinic in quite some time. Since I recently got health coverage, I went in for a long overdue checkup. That’s when the proverbial sh#t hit the fan. The receptionist that check me in informed me that I would have to pay for this visit and try to get reimbursed from my insurance company. What? I had listed this clinic as my primary care facility, but my card listed some Warshowski outfit thirty miles away. A quick call to the company revealed that even though their forms listed this clinic as eligible, they were contracted with this other system. I would have to go there since it was “near by”. If i wanted to appeal, it would take about thirty days to change things. No physical for me. Not yesterday, anyway.
Next, a trip to the pharmacy to get test strips for my glucose meter. They don’t give them away, being around a dollar apiece. I use One Touch Ultra strips, probably the most common one out there. Now wait for it….. My new insurance company strikes again!! Here’s this tale of red tape and no common sense: The strips I use aren’t covered, I have to switch brands. Yes, they will buy me a new meter and strips, but here’s the rub. No alternate site testing. This is not good, since I test on my fore arm, not my fingers, since peripheral neuropothy has made my finger tips overly sensitive to things like finger pokes. And for the more serious problem with this whole affair, the meter they want me to use isn’t even available at this time. It’s on back order, as are the test strips. Do you thinks my insurance company would authorize the strips I currently use temporarily. No way, they will not budge. So there went another $100.00 out of pocket.
Second, “Phil” from Canada (who moved to New York to re-marry after his wife died of a particularly virulent form of breast cancer) says (unfortunately, this one is on a private forum and is not linkable):
1995 Phil [that is, Phil in Canada] earns a hundred dollars.
He ends up paying somewhere around $60 to various governments and walks away with an (off-brand) hockey jersey. Go Leafs go! He has $.47 left, which he throws on his coffee table and forgets. Real men don’t spend change. A week later he gets in a car accident. He needs several surgeries and months of rehabilitation. His critical surgeries are done immediately, and the rest over the course of the following months. He stays in physio until his therapist and doctor agree he is 100% recovered.
2010 Phil [that is, Phil in New York] earns a hundred dollars.
He ends up paying $30 to various governments and treats himself to a copy of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories on the Wii. He also picks up a new Wii remote to replace the one his wife’s friend’s kid threw in the midst of a sugar tantrum rage. A week later he gets in a car accident (unlucky, I know. That’s Buffalo drivers for you). He needs several surgeries and months of rehabilitation. His surgeries are done within the course of a month, and he begins physio. Three weeks in someone sitting in a cubicle at his HMO decides Phil is recovered and refuses to pay for more therapy. Phil will spend the rest of his life with a pronounced limp, unable to walk more than half a mile without stopping to rest. He’s lucky enough to have a desk job, and as such will not have to spend the rest of his life destitute. Still, he’s going to struggle to pay his roughly $3000 in co-pays on top of his regular bills.
Nope. We have no need for reform. None whatsoever.
I can only guess what my new insurance company is going to be like.
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on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 1:48 pm and is filed under Health.
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