Bam...
fastest post ever!
Seriously, every time I put something up about my knee, I get one, two
I love that you all care.
I just wish it were easy.
My job, that I have been at for 22 years... I'm old... took away our health insurance about 6 years ago.
Anyone ever had to get their own health insurance policy?
its a joke... a big fat stupid joke.
What you pay for? A lot of nothing...
I have to pretty much front everything on my own, all the while paying huge monthly premiums.
Seriously - I have a friend who is a fire fighter that had to just change to a family policy since he & his wife had a baby.... their amazing, fantastic health insurance is like $125 more then mine a month. Their coverage takes care of 3 people... a baby on top of that.. & only $125 a month?
Stupid
So if I go to the doctor, I know there is nothing he can do besides tell me to ice it, keep it up, go easy, blah blah blah
... & if it still hurts, come back & we'll do an MRI
Well, he told me the same thing with my bicep tendon & my back pain...& guess what - I still never went back...
& why I'm still in pain.
I had to have an MRI for an emergency a few years ago & do you know, I just paid it off a few months ago.
Seriously.
So yeah, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to go to the doctor & get it checked & have an MRI to know what's happening...
anyone want to front that bill? ... yeah... its not as easy as it sounds.
This is me
 |
| or at least having it but having a crappy plan |
The even MORE frustrating thing is our work still covers the top big wigs of the company insurance policies. How is that even fair?
A co worker that is on my level had some big health problems the past few years herself & ended up having to file bankruptcy... hearing her stories of how much she had to pay & the results of how it affected her whole life & that was the only thing she could do? That scares the fire out of me...that's how awful personal health care is...
I hope this doesn't offend anyone.. I know you all just want the best for a blog-sister... I really appreciate that... I do... I just felt like I needed to explain so you all didn't think I was some weird naturalist hippy or something... which I kinda am... but not to that point where I'm an idiot.
So some people say if they hit the lottery, they're going to Disney World... yeah, I would too - right AFTER I had a huge round of MRI's!
Health insurance for those of us who work and pay taxes is pretty crappy.. Sucks.
ReplyDeleteYou find the best graphics! It's crazy how expensive and un-efficient health care is. It is great to be a part of the blogging community because if you search hard enough you can usually find someone who has experienced the same pain and seek some advice that way ( although I do know that what works for one person doesn't always work for another, but hey its a start)
ReplyDeleteI have to keep epinephrine on me at aall times and had to get a new pen yesterday, I was so mad that the price had increased to $78 for something that I hope to not have to use. Without insurance it was $395!!! And this is just a precaution medicine! How in the world do people afford that! Hang in there. If I win the lottery i'll take ya for an MRI!
You so made me giggle but I hate that for you! Healthcare is so expensive! My husband works at a hospital so we end up paying "the man" that pays us. Irony? Hope you feel better without having to shell out a million dollars!
ReplyDeletexo Krissy @ Sneakers and Sequins
It does suck that it is so expensive. I pay 700 dollars a month for my family's health insurance and I still try to avoid going to the dr when I can. I try to get free advice at work from the surgeons. I was told I should get an MRI of my back in January to try and figure out what was going on with me, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. THankfully yoga and time took care of most of the problems. Hope you heal up!
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine how stressful you must feel :0( My husband and I are both on his work's insurance coverage, which is actually really good. I don't think it's even fair that 1) they took your insurance from you and 2) the big wigs still get it. That is horrible! I hope your pains go away!
ReplyDeleteI'm really sorry about your frustrations with the health care system/insurances/doctors.:[ There are a tonnn of hoops that doctors have to jump through in order to get certain insurance companies to pay for different medications, procedures, imaging studies, etc., and they often won't approve further studies until the most conservative treatments have been completed first. Do you have any FQHC's or free clinics in the area that you could go to?
ReplyDeleteThe standard of care with back pain is usually really conservative because it's most commonly a muscle strain (there are obviously exceptions, but yeah), and even in the case of a herniated disc, the treatment method would still be exactly the same (rest, Ibuprofen or some other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, ice, physical therapy if tolerated) so there's often no point in getting an MRI, because that would just incur unnecessary costs for the patient, and it wouldn't change the method of treatment either. That being said, I have no idea what the actual cause of your back pain is, so feel free to ignore the above. I'm sorry to hear that you're in pain and I hope you recover soon!
I don't blame you. Health insurance is a scam. I had a doctor order a series of blood tests a few years ago and they neglected to tell me that my insurance didn't cover it. It was something like three grand that the insurance company and doctor's office wrangled down to $1000 out of my pocket. It took me months to pay for it. With my job status right now I'm not considered full time so I don't qualify for insurance through my employer. All I can say is thank God for Obama and the Affordable Care Act. I know if it's helped me, it's helped people in much more dire situations than I'm in. I hope you find some relief soon!
ReplyDeleteOkay I know I might spark some argument and that I don't know nearly enough about American health insurance but I'm so grateful we have free health care in Canada. Yes, it might be slow if you have to go to the Emergency room or need an MRI, but if anything is actually wrong or you need to see a doctor about a knee, you can book an appointment and go...for free. My sister was sick in the hospital for 5 months and it would have crippled our family had we had to pay. But it didn't cost us a cent to have her in ICU. I understand why you don't want to go to the doctor just to have him tell you something you already know and not really help at all. That just sucks.
ReplyDeleteI typed all this out yesterday, and when I signed in it wiped it all :(
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you. We don't have health insurance...I mean who can afford $900 a month (and that's after the rebate) for a 10k deductible. Not us! I just can't pay that much for something that we rarely use. We have had a total of 3 Dr. appts in the last 2 years. That's not worth $22,000 to me!!
Check out the site www.mobilitywod.com. Search for your knee, bicep, and back pains. I guarantee he has a fix. This guy is a genius! Follow them on facebook because they post stuff everyday. We bought the book The Supple Leopard (which is written by the guy in all the videos) and it has been a lifesaver. Most knee pain comes from something above or below the knee...not the actual knee. I would bet money that either your IT bands or your hamstrings are way tight, and that is causing the knee pain! Do your knees every creak and pop? That means your muscles are tight and you need to roll out.
I pay for my own health insurance, because I am self employed. I'd go without, but it does save some money and 10 years ago I used to work in AG's office and basically my job as a Para Legal was to sue people who didn't pay their medical bills, and after having to take so much from people, including going in their homes to find things to auction, lets just say it left me with a very sour feeling about it all and I just can't do that to myself. But my insurance, It's not great, but I used to be seriously healthy so when I got it I took the high deductible route. Which was fine for years when I hardly ever visited a Dr.
ReplyDeleteLast year/this as I have been forced to, lets just say when you have a $5,000 deductible, ya I pretty much had to pay 100% for everything, only subtract the amount they wrote off for having insurance!
I'm glad I went for what I had I could have never healed it on my own, even though I am still paying on bills from last year and I will probably be on payment plans through spring of next year. But I understand the struggle, it literally made and still makes me sick every time I have to visit a specialist or PT, I just think to myself there is $300-$400 more in debt....
You may not need an MRI, and there is a much cheaper route with an Ultrasound which only costs as much as an appointment. It might just be something simple that a $30 cortizone shot could fix, its so hard to guess because everyone is different.
I hope you can figure it all out:) I promise not to suggest you see a Dr again:)
Ah, now I understand. If I didn't have insurance through hubby's work, I would never go to the dr. I'm totally ignorant on this, but isn't that what Obamacare is supposed to help with?
ReplyDeleteThat totally stinks. Insurance should not cost as much as it does. And doctor visits and tests are also ridiculously high. But I hope you're able to figure out what's wrong and get it taken care of without paying an arm and a leg. Do massages, soaks in a warm bath, or using a TENS unit help any? My husband had to get a TENS for his ankle a few years ago and I've used it on my back and shoulder. They're very reasonable (found on Amazon!) and might provide some relief. No one should have to deal with pain to do what they love to do, especially runners. Hang in there and know that you are NOT alone with this issue!
ReplyDeleteI'm a small business owner and we are only in year 2 of business. I love it and thankfully our business is growing, however I make very little money once all is said and done. I make too much for Medicaid (I think you have to make less than $100/month to quality), but I was told by the Obamacare people that I don't make enough to quality for anything in the new healthcare marketplace. So I can opt for healthcare or I can opt for shelter, food, and utilities. Which means I don't have any healthcare. At all. It's terrifying and scary and I haven't had any kind of preventative appointment, ever. It sucks, especially as a runner. I was all for Obamacare, but it doesn't help the people who are in that grey area and the state of Pennsylvania is so screwed up. Vent over!
ReplyDeletei just switched from employer provided insurance to paying for my own (my husband's plan sucks and is expensive). you should browse the marketplace in your state -- i found a very reasonable policy for a few hundred a month here in DC (and our system is a complete disaster so there may be hope for you!).
ReplyDeleteoh honey. this sucks so bad.
ReplyDeletemy husband and i had to pay for our own insurance before i got my current job and it barely covered anything. now i have better insurance but its still not awesome. well, it is for this country, but this is one of the reasons that america makes me sad, and is a huge 'con' in my book.