Do you have private health insurance...??

I currently do not have health insurance. I did up until a little over a year ago, but I left my job I had at that time and was unable to pay for it all myself.

My current job I am only technically part time, even though I get the max. amount of hours a person can get and still be considered part time (they claim they have to many full time people, but they just hired several new part time people???? go figure?? ).... so I can't get health insurance thru them, and even if I did I couldn't afford for them to take anything else out of my check at this point in time.

I haven't looked into private insurance, but I know I couldn't afford it right now....

I have had Kaiser for years. Never had any problem. My employer pays 1086.00 a month and I pay 200 something. We have a 15 dollar co pay when we go in for a visit. This covers the whole family of course.

I have never had any problem with kaiser, they were pretty good with my pregnancies. You just have to find the good doctors.

My health insurance has covered most of my medical charges. I look at those charges and my mouth drops open at the amounts. Why do the insurance companies keep paying such high amounts for everything? It worries me alot because I can't help but think that they will all eventually run out of money to cover these charges and we will all be without any coverage.

A few years ago, I was forced to try for one of those that are advertised on tv. Humana One and Blue Choice One. I was turned down because I have hig blood pressure and other medical conditions. I was told those policies are underwritten and underwriters are reluctant to approve many people. Unlike the group policies that we have through work, these people are much more particular. If I run out of my current insurance, where will I go? It's really scary.:eek:

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Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

My health insurance has covered most of my medical charges. I look at those charges and my mouth drops open at the amounts. Why do the insurance companies keep paying such high amounts for everything? It worries me alot because I can't help but think that they will all eventually run out of money to cover these charges and we will all be without any coverage.

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Terry - I know exactly what you're saying here. When I fractured my wrist 18 months ago, it was too badly damaged for just a cast, so I had to have an external outrigger surgically screwed into my hand and arm. For that piece of hardware by itself, my insurance (private at the time) was charged $14,000!! Yup - you read that right! Of course all the other charges were right in line with being over the top - emergency room, surgery to install it, surgery to take it off, physical therapy for over a month, all the follow up visits to the orthopaedic surgeon! One of these days I should total it all up to see the grand total. I'd probably get sick! Lord knows what the fractured hip came to, since I'm still going for follow-ups and x-rays for at least another year for that!! :(

Here's a pic of the pricey hardware I had to wear for 7 weeks!

WOW!!! That must have been uncomfortable to say the least. The cost is insane!

With the three knee replacements I had, the prosthesis' alone were $27k, 36k, and the last one(I have it in now), 54k. It was almost like the doctors/companies kept jacking up the prices to see what they could get. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful it was paid but I feel this can't continue forever. At the same time, it's keeping other people that are dying from possibly having funds available for their needs. I know I'm not explaining this too well but I think everyone knows what I mean.

People might think I'm crazy but I actually think twice before making an appointment, etc. Why? So my insurance company won't cancel me.

The cost of medical insurance is breaking many employers as well. That is why they hire "part-time" who are not eligible for group coverage. Or stop offering group coverage all together. Or go out of business.

Who are the uninsured? Well...we see on this thread who some of them are. People who have lost their jobs (and therefore their insurance) people who work for employers that do not offer insurance, the self-employed, kids who graduate and cannot find jobs, many agriculture worker and retail employees.

It is not just the unemployed or the unemployable. They often qualify for what public programs there are. It is usually those who can least afford it - working folk - not rich folk.

Uninsured medical expenses are a major contributor to bankruptcy filings in this country. So in the end...we all pay for those expenses one way or another.

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Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

People might think I'm crazy but I actually think twice before making an appointment, etc. Why? So my insurance company won't cancel me.

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That's an expensive knee you have there girl!

Can they cancel you? I don't know. My private insurance was always thru my employer, and I never heard of anyone getting cancelled. If anything - they would have cancelled me with all that they paid out on me over the years. An when I was still married and my now ex was on my insurance, they paid out over $300,000 for his quadruple by-pass.
So now I'm on Medicare and have a supplemental policy with United Healthcare thru AARP. Now I'm wondering if they could cancel me at their option - or maybe raise my rates. However my brother has the same supplemental policy that I have, and he's had mega bucks worth of surgery, procedures and treatments, and they have never even raised his rates. Actually his premiums went down when he moved from FL to NC since it's based on where you live. And I pay even less than he does for the exact same coverage.

If you need to go to the doctor - go!!!!

I don't know if they can cancel me or not but it concerns me.

I forgot to mention that the last implant was a femoral implant only. They had to order several models to match it correctly so I think that's why the charge was so high. They can't remove the tibial implant. It's too hard to take out(doctor's words).
Sorry I'm off topic again.

My husband and I are blessed. He works for a small company but they provide excellent medical coverage. We don't pay anything for it, the company covers 100%. It is considered part of his pay though. Our co-pays are $10-$20 for doctor visits and $15 for prescriptions. I didn't pay a penny to have Ty - not for any doctor visits or any hospital charges. Ty was added on to the insurance plan free also. As I said, we are blessed to have this insurance.

I think that insurance can vary from state-to-state too. In PA we have a children's insurance program that can cover children who don't have insurance through their parents. We also have low cost clinics, though I am not sure how the quality is. Our health care in this country is in a sad state for sure.

I am so thankful to have our community services card, as i said before it cuts down our doctors fees, and our prescriptions are $3.00 per item.

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Originally Posted by carole

I am so thankful to have our community services card, as i said before it cuts down our doctors fees, and our prescriptions are $3.00 per item.

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$3.00???? :eek:

I have osteoporosis, and one med my doctor wanted me to take would have cost me $950 per month. The cheapest I found it was thru a Canadian pharmacy for $750 per month. I guess you know who isn't taking it!! :p

Yes well not every medication is subsidised by the government, i have to take some medicine that i have to pay for as well,luckily it is still cheap compared to the prices you are quoting,this is what the article was saying also that the USA are paying double the price anywhere else is, that is terrible.

The normal price you pay for a prescription on a government funded medication is $15 per item, so is a big saving for me.

I am getting even more thankful for the system we have in place here in NZ as i read your posts, i would not be able to survive paying what you people pay, i have to have one particular medicine otherwise i would be unable to eat, so if i had to pay those outrageous prices i guess i would truly be down under.

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Originally Posted by carole

luckily it is still cheap compared to the prices you are quoting,this is what the article was saying also that the USA are paying double the price anywhere else is, that is terrible.

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And this is exactly why so many people (mostly seniors), choose to buy thru Canadian pharmacies!

Dad still has really great insurance coverage, through his prior employer, under his pension plan. That kicks in after Medicare, and with all his health issues, thank goodness!

For 15+ years when I was working I had health insurance through my employers. Then I stopped working to care for Dad. There is only one company in this state which even offers private pay health insurance, and only one plan, so you have no choices. It costs me over $700 per month. It is going up again in April. I have high deductibles, and high co pays. I don't qualify for any group plans. :( I often wonder if it is worth it.:confused:

I have insurance through my work. I think it's about $80 every paycheck (every 2 weeks, so about $160 per month). If I ever quit, try to be self-employed, or work for a company that doesn't offer insurance I'm in trouble. I tried to get insurance through private companies because the work insurance isn't that great...yeah none of them will insure me - because I have poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, which is fairly common (I've worked with 3 other people that have had the same thing), and for the past several years I haven't even had any symptoms. It's a pretty ridiculous thing to be turned down insurance for :rolleyes: but I was by two different companies.

I went several months without insurance because I was dropped from my parents for being too old and I couldn't sign up for the work insurance until open enrollment. Luckily nothing happened to me during that time but I worried about it.