Life, Interrupted

This is considered a Silver, PPO plan, BTW:

For in-network providers $2,750 person/
$5,500 family
For out of-network providers $12,500
person/ $25,000 family

Does not apply to in-network preventive
care, in-network office visits, in-network
urgent care visits, in-network
prescription drugs subject to a copay and
pediatric vision.

Then...what dos it apply to? If this is a hospitalization plan entry fee, why not just say that? Others do.

Well, the week started out a bit fogged, and got further fogged when I realized I had not paid the VISA last month. This thrills them -- that $39 hit brings them joy, since I normally pay it off every month. I just paid it off, so I have a chance of remembering the next time it's due.

And -- those of you paying attention to the insurance crisis might remember that my health insurance has been increasing an average of $160 a month every six months for the last two years.

Just got another one of those letters. It's going up another $170 a month on July 1st. This sort of takes all the money saved by moving my one expensive Rx to Canada. I will be paying $885 a month for insurance that pays very little for my current treatment. But because of the current treatment, I will not be able to buy insurance anywhere else just for car accidents, etc.

I may have reached the wall. It may be time to cancel the policy and simply swallow the bills from now on. I won't be doing some of the things they recommend you do, like bone density (if you don't do the hip, my doctor considers it useless) or colonoscopy or such exciting stuff. I will join the legion of people who try to eat well and take care of themselves, because there is no alternative. But I have a lot of places I could use that $885 a month, since everything is coming out of savings.

Have been doing a pretty good job of not worrying, and just trying to get well. But this, shall we say, is stretching my ability to stay calm. I think tomorrow I will call Costco and see how much my drugs cost without insurance....

Following their "every six months increase" pattern of the past several years, my monthly health insurance will go up on January 1st to $711. This time at least it is not 25% of the policy, like the last two times.

Excuse me while I go scream a lot.

(Insert rant here.)

Muskegon Critic says: I need this ONE THING, RIGHT NOW. Affordable, portable insurance.

http://www.dailykos.com/hotlist/add/2009/6/3/121931/6434/displaystory//

Moi, aussi. I am paying $535 a month with a suggested $3000 deductible which is actually $6000 because everything except basic lab is out of network. (They charge the chiropractors to file -- even if they are affiliated with the Insurance company. Small wonder they have one chiropractor on board that no one has heard of.) It will go up $130 in July. I still am too screwed up to work outside.

Do you understand, Mr. President? Blame it on us, we have strong backs. Either the Congress figures this all out, or you add the entire country to the legislative insurance rolls. They have great insurance!

Or we all become little echos, bumper stickers and yard signs proclaiming: "My Senator/Congressional Rep voted against all portable insurance systems. I'm voting for the other guy. How about you?"

http://agonist.org/ian_welsh/20070514/hard_and_complicated_arent_synonyms

Take a look at this brief article -- probably the simplest I've ever seen to help folks draw conclusions about the current congress, administration, insurance warlords, drug companies and so on.

I live beneath my means. We all should do so -- or have a good budget. Here are a few pointed suggestions about some possible changes.