Blasted Health Insurance

[sewingmom]

I live in the US. From the time we start working till the time we quit working, we pay into a fund for medicare when we turn 65. Then we have to pay for the medicare coverage and other coverage that medicare wont cover. Dental coverage is not included. We also pay all of our working years toward our social security and then it is designed to keep us living in poverty. They tell us we should save toward our retirement. They are saying that the people living on social security are an entitlement group just want the government to support them. Makes me so bloomin mad. My husband has been diabetic for many years. It is inherited. He has always been fairly within the perscribed weight range. Poor Marty, I don't know what you will do about the cost of the diabetic supplies. I hope you will find a remedy because my dh will go on medicare in march and I am afraid they wont cover the supplies for 4 shots a day and four test strips a day and the lancets and alcohol swabs and the A1c test every 3 months and the doctors visits. He already pays around $100 per month for the copays for his meds.

[sewingmom]

Marty, I hope you get some help from your lawyer. Someone should have clued you in on the precertification and if they wouldn't precert the surgery and hospital stay what were you gonna do??/Die!!??? Makes me so mad.
Oh by the way everyone. While we are paying toward medicare and socialsecurity out of every paycheck. some of us must contribut to our companies insurance plan so we can have health care coverage now or we pay out of pocket for every medical expense. Medical costs here have skyrocketed in the past 30 years. Just because insurance companies manage the money, we are paying out of pocket every time we pay the insurance compayies.

[MartySews2]

Sewingmom, I knew about the pre-certification & asked that it be done before any hospital admission & surgery. I was told that it was done by the nurse case manager. The hospital messed up in this situation & then has billed me. That's why I took it to my attorney to handle. He is very good at what he does. I am on the phone several times a month with my insurance company arguing over what they will/will not pay. It's been this way for years. While I have a nice little pension & my hubby is still able to work full-time at almost age 69, I can pay my bills. It concerns me for all of the people who do not have the income to pay for these supplies especially some elderly church members who are on a low fixed income or young parents with a diabetic child. One of my friends recently had to decide between some much needed medication & gas/groceries for her family. The gas/groceries won out. If I could, I would buy the medication for her. It's these situations that make me mad especially when we pay high insurance premiums.
Marty

[carman]

she had some insurance, it was just that the event was a private one and not a sanctioned event of the sport. They in the in end needed less than $300,000 or so and raised that and more in less than a day, but if she did not have ANY insurance i think the bill would have been over the moon considering her horrible injury, surgeries etc, if she had not her normal insurance coverage. they are still hoping the Ski federation will pick up the balance of the bill.

carman

One of our Olympic freestyle skiers just died in Utah after a freak accident with no insurance. But the fundraising here has been phenomenal and enough has been raised in less than 48 hours to pay for her medical bills and start a foundation in her memory. A very tragic and sad thing.

[MartySews2]

I read about that Carman & that was a sad ending for someone so young.
Marty

[HeyJudee]

That's why they always suggest extra medical insurrance when travelling outside your home province and especially country. I made sure I had extra coverage when I went on the cruise. I even have coverage for short trips...like spontaneous trips to the US to buy fabric. If a major accident happens when I'm south of the border and I don't have coverage...it would be devastating financially (providing I lived of course)

[missfleecy]

They shouldn't have wasted money on that new big screen TV they didn't need

I wish! I wasted my money on feeding, educating & clothing my children.

Such an extravagant lifestyle! That's why I have cats and not kids.

~ Miss Fleecy

[sewhappyrtr]

Marty, Some pharmaceutical companies will furnish you your diabetic meds if you write them and tell them your situation. Perhaps the test strips and lancets are taken care of that way also. I wouldn't know where to start though.

I think if you go to the medicine's website.. you will find a link to get all or part of your med free.. or the website of the company that makes your med.

[sewingmom]

Msfleecy, I have a 15"TV to play dvd's and videos in. It is at least 10 yrs old. I drive a 2008 car that I bought used. My computer is one I saved for for 3 years and paid cash for. It replaced a 12 yr old computer. The last vaction trip to my brother's in Phoenix was paid for him by sky miles. I sacrificed to put mykids through private school and one through part of his college. We are frugal and live in a 30-40 yr old house that we are continualy making repairs on and trying to keep energy effecient. Most of my sewing stuff was bought cheaply or used or both. My colsets are full of colths and stuff but the closets are small most of the clothes are old. I do ralize in comparison to Honduras, most of us are rich and I am thankful to have the medical care and and other benifits that living in a western nation gives us.

[LeapFrog Libby]

Marty,
I have been reading quite a bit about Medicare this past few months, because I was thinking of changing my additional coverage. (Advantage type). But they kept saying Medicare covers a lot for Diabetics. Sooo, I just googled Medicare Part B and limited my search for the state of Tennessee, and here is what they had to say about that. Looks pretty good to me. Check it out. http://www.medicare.gov/Coverage/Search ... esults+%3E
I did not read all of it, just the equipment involved and the 1 paragraph on insulin. Then I stopped.