I am a 40 year old female in overall excellent health non smoker. My insurance, for a decent policy, is $384/mo. 0 Deductible, $2000 out of pocket maximum, $10 and $20 copay’s.
Some of you may think that’s low, I think it’s expensive. It’s as much as a car payment.
The reason I had thought about procuring health insurance originally was because I was having neck and shoulder issues and thought maybe an MRI would be a good idea.
So, reluctantly, I climbed slowly and reluctantly onto the Obamacare bandwagon. I paid my premium and the policy was issued through Florida Blue (Blue Cross/Blue Shield).
I logged onto their website and began by looking in their provider directory for a general practitioner. After calling over a dozen listed I was getting frustrated. Disconnected numbers, private facilities that do not take public patients, offices that no longer accepted Florida Blue, even several numbers that all went to one doctors voice mail. Finally I found an office that answered. It was not in a convenient location and was a 20 minute drive out of my way. I didn’t have all day to keep calling around though. So I set the appointment.
I was thankful to have ended up with an office who’s staff was very nice and a doctor I actually liked. When my blood tests came back everything was perfect except I was hypothyroid. Strangely when I first searched the medication they suggested, I found all positive results, so out of character, I agreed to try it. Bad idea. Really bad. I had every single side effect known to man and thought I was going to have a heart attack or stroke out if I didn’t homicidally kill someone first.
Needless to say, that is the end of me ever accepting the idea of taking a prescription medication in this lifetime.
I requested an MRI. I was told they would not approve or pay for it despite the fact that the doctor could feel the damage in my neck with his bare hands. They instead sent me for X-rays.
The Imaging office I went to was insane. They don’t greet you. Just look blankly at you and point at a touch screen. Where you are to sign in and wait your turn quietly. One poor woman who was there as a patient came back up because she was there to do a urinalysis and had to give a sample. She was obviously in pain and about to burst. The receptionist could not have cared any less and told her to sit down and wait. Smartly, the woman went in to the rest room, came out, said a few choice expletives and left.
When the Xrays came back though it showed disc degeneration on C4 and C5 they still would not pay for an MRI.
I began physical therapy. This I will say was the best point so far. It has been very helpful in teaching me what exercises to do with myself to build myself back up to a stronger point.
While I was spending the money on insurance I figured I may as well use it.
My new doctor gave me a referral over to a podiatrist. Who took X-rays and suggested custom orthotics. In agreement, I shelled out the $400 and expected to be reimbursed. As it turns out, because the supplier they use is not approved there would be no reimbursement. On top of that, somehow that office has fallen off the in network provider list and they now believe I owe them more money than just the already paid co-pay. It is now nearly 5 weeks later and I still have not received my orthotics, only excuses as to why they are not here yet.
Do I feel like having health insurance is worth the money? With a premium of $4,608 per year, plus co pays, I cant say that I do.
All in all most of this has been a giant waste of my time and money but a good lesson learned not to doubt myself or overly trust Western medicine. What helps my body and health the most is STILL chiropractic, nutrition, supplements and massage.
I also called around and its less expensive to pay cash:
Dr. Office Visit $75 -what they charge the insurance company? $208
Lab work $75 – What they charge the insurance company? $402
Xrays – $80 – What they charge the insurance company? $205
Physical therapy $75 – What they charge the insurance company? $213
Insurance is just driving up the cost.
If everyone would pay cash, I think things would be a lot less inflated.
I inquired as to lowering my policy, but with Obamacare it’s all or nothing and screw you if something happens to your finances….There is no down grading.
Only termination.
Paying huge fees in expectation of illness or injury to me is not only a misuse of your money you could be saving and growing as a safety net, it is also vibrationally, negative programming of future events in your life.
Mostly this has just confirmed the fact that if I were ever very ill the last thing I would trust or want is hospitals or pharmaceutical medications.
Interesting Note/Update:
If I am interpreting this correctly, once you reach that 7.5% spent on medical (including insurance premiums), the rest can be deducted from your income tax at the end of the year.
If you are easily exceeding that – it may be one case where it would not hurt, if you can swing it, to carry the policy in the event of an emergency.