Re: Amy - Cost of Medical in the US - My Story - VERY LONG!
From: Judy (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri Jan 31 06:24:11 2003
I understand your problem concerning insurance. I had my surgery when I
had insurance, but now at age 50 I no insurance and have developed
rheumitoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, fibromyalgia, problems with my vision
and asthma to name a few. I have not been able to get disability SS and
don't qualify for any state help so we have to pay for all my medicine
and doctor's appointments out of pocket. There is a drug program that
you can find at www.needymeds.com <http://www.needymeds.com> that will
give you a list of meds that are free or you only pay a small co-pay.
Talk to your doctor, I needed gall bladder surgery this past July and my
doctor reduced his charge from $3000.00 to $1150.00 and told me I could
pay him by the month. If you go to a federal funded hospital they have
to take you and there are government programs that will help with your
bill and then you can pay as little as $5.00 a month and they can not
hurt your credit. I know this because my 27 year old son had a short
stay in the hospital in June of 1998 and the program paid about half of
the cost and he is still paying $10.00 a month and has the bill down to
$940.00.
You just have to ask about programs that hospitals and doctors' offices
have. My rheumotologist cuts my bill by 20% if I pay as I go.
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<-----Original Message----->
>
> From: tanya
> Sent: 1/31/2003 12:14:45 AM
> To: endo@mail.medispecialty.com
> Subject: Re: Amy - Cost of Medical in the US - My Story - VERY LONG!
>
> At Wed, 19 May 1999, yenta wrote:
>
> >China Rose,
> >In my dreams -- I wish my insurance premium were $160 a month -- that
is
> >why I need to get my endo under control for at least 2-5 yrs in the
> >future -- no new insurance will cover the endo for at least that
period
> >of time - "pre-existing condition":0(
> >Amy,
> >Insurance, especially individual insurance , is very expensive and
they
> >hike it every 6 months!
> >Amy, the bottom line is, it sucks! It truly is absolutely horrible
that
> >people who are ill and in need of medical care are denied that care
if
> >they don't have the money to pay for it. I think it is a heartless
> >system -- after all, medical treatment is or should be considered a
> >"necessity", not a luxury -- and yet, it is only those who can afford
to
> >seek out the medical assistance required, who get the necessary
> >treatment.
> >As you said, in Canada, although I'm sure your system also must have
its
> >problems, at least you are permitted to get treatment from a
specialist.
> >In America, (and I do love my country but I hate this part of it),
only
> >those who have the insurance or the cash can gain access to the
> >specialists necessary for quality medical treatment.
> >I can only imagine how miserable it must be for someone with a severe
> >medical ailment who is suffering with chronic pain, to be left to the
> >mercy of those less qualified.
> >I've heard of so many endo sisters who have been misdiagnosed or who
> >have been subjected to "poor surgical expertise" who have ended up
worse
> >as a result.
> >You see, even with medical insurance and money, many of our drs are
not
> >of the caliber they should be and yet they are more than willing to
> >"treat" you (I'm trying to be subtle here because I don't want to get
> >into trouble with the forum). I've learned this from my own
experience
> >as well as from the experience of others.
> >I had a lap a couple of years ago in which my gyn literally
misdiagnosed
> >me with PID rather than Endo. My complaints/symptoms were dismissed
--
> >he had already decided on my diagnosis. Had he diagnosed me
correctly,
> >my endo could have been caught before its rapid progression to Stage
3.
> >Instead, my endo flared out of control and rapidly progressed,
engulfing
> >my sacral/back region, etc.. I was living a life of PAIN and misery
--
> >a living Hell. On one of the particularly bad endo "attacks", I went
to
> >him, groveling in pain, begging for help. He suggested a laparotomy
in
> >which he would cut and shorten the ligaments to suspend the uterus,
cut
> >the nerve bundles and the presacral nerve, lyse any adhesions, and
guess
> >what -- I would have still have had endo! I didn't understand how his
> >recommended surgery would keep the pain from recurring and asked him
> >about possible causes of the inflammation I was experiencing, about
> >"interceed" since he contended it was the adhesions and chronic PID
> >responsible for my pain, etc. @Three days after that appt, I received
> >from him a "Dear John" letter! Had I not had the good fortune to
speak
> >with a specialist, Dr. R, on the phone who accurately dx'd me via
> >telephone!!! and sent me to a local specialist, Dr. J, to have my
last
> >lap, G-d only knows where I would be now.
> >I still have sacral pain and my specialist has suggested additional
> >treatment to check out possible bowel endo:0(.
> >Endo is truly a nasty disease, one that requires a specialist.
> >I'm more than happy to share names but only through personal email --
I
> >don't want the forum to get upset -- although I really feel it is in
our
> >best interest to know which drs are "good" and which are "bad" -- I
hope
> >the forum agrees and understands.
>
> >Very long, I know,
> >Yen
>
> >At Tue, 18 May 1999, ChinaRose wrote:
> >>
> >>--=====================_78678160==_.ALT
> >>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> >>
> >>Hello Amy,
> >>
> >>Yes, you are very fortunate and I'm glad you are! :o) I hope that
> >>you get great care.
> >>
> >>I will give you my take (My opinion & experience ONLY!)
> >>
> >>The US is very capitalistic and doctors that are under HMO/PPO
> >>or some kinda of health plan, do not make much money unless
> >>they schedule enough patients for the day to earn the fee's the
> >>Health Plan deems is resonable. So doctors schedule alot of
> >>patients, therefore no one really gets the time needed with the
> >>doctor for the doctor to consider all the ailments of one patient.
> >>Unless of course, a patient is paying out of his/her own pocket.
> >>Now if you go out of network, the plan will only pay a percentage
> >>of what they deem is a resonable fee, for example; my second
> >>surgery the surgeon cost $3,500 (just the surgeon) the Health
> >>Plan said $368 was a resonable fee and they only pay 70% of the
> >>$368.
> >>
> >>Well, after being so mistreated by the Health Plan system of
> >>America, I had to go out of pocket or I would've ended up on
> >>welfare. Needless to say, I'm in debt. 1-surgery under medical
> >>plan and 3 surgeries out of network. As long as I make some kind
> >>of payment ($20 a month to each hospital, surgeon, lab, etc.) every
> >>month, they cannot turn it over to collections and there is no
> >>interest charge (well not yet anyways).
> >>
> >>Insurance can cost anywhere from $60 - $160 a month for single
> >>women between the age 21-30. Or some business will pay for 100%
> >>of medical benefit. And then one has to consider too, some plans
> >>if you're new and have had pre-existing conditions, will not accept
you
> >>at all. It's all a scam!! Only the heatlh insurance and lawyers make
> >>money out here!! While we suffer. Oh, here in Los Angeles, CA,
> >>it's the plastic surgeons that make money.... LOL (please excuse the
> >>sarcasim), gotta laugh otherwise I'll cry.
> >>
> >>In some instances, I have written letters to the labs, hospitals,
surgeons,
> >>doctors..etc. to plead my financial plight and some have actually
either
> >>taken a percentage off or written the bill off. I have had one
doctor also
> >>make arrangements with the hospital to accept whatever payment the
> >>Plan pays as payment in full. I still owe $ XX,XXX in medical debt.
> >>
> >>If I could do it all over again, I would have gone to seen Dr.
Redwine the
> >>first time around, I think I would have saved myself ALLOT of money,
> >>frustration and my health may be better, as some of the treatment
feels
> >>as it's taken some years off my life, not to mention the quality of
life is not
> >>as full as it use to be... perhaps in time.
> >>
> >>Anyhow, this has been my experience in the last several years. $$
denotes
> >>your quality of care here. I hope this answers some of your
questions. Again,
> >>this is only my experience and opinion.
> >>
> >>Hope you are welll.
> >>
> >>Peace, Love and Light
> >>~ ChinaRose
> >>
> >>Educate yourself. Endometriosis Awareness:
> >>http://members.xoom.com/China_Rose/endohome.htm
> >>My personal experience with Endometriosis:
> >>http://members.xoom.com/China_Rose/endohome2.htm
> >>
> >>At 08:20 PM 5/18/99 , you wrote:
> >>>Hi ladies
> >>>I feel very fortunate that I live in Canada where I don't have to
pay
> >>>for medical procedures, and I don't say that to be insensitive, but
I
> >>>just wonder, how do you pay for all this stuff??!! If just baffles
me,
> >>>honestly, and I mean that sincerely. That's a LOT of money!!!!
Sorry
> >>>for being so dense, but HOW? Do you like have to pay over years, do
> >>>they charge interest too? I just think that is sooooo awful that
you
> >>>have to pay for th
>
> === message truncated ===
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