An Insurance Story. This past week

[paulsby]

Disclaimer: i support health care reform and think the current system is screwy. i think several european countries and canada have preferable systems. this is my recent experience.

This weekend i had a sports competition. i am a nationally ranked athlete. i take it very seriously. during the event, i suffered a quite painful shoulder injury. i iced it, and decided to sleep on it and see how it felt. the next morning it hurt... a lot. so, i went to the urgent care clinic. it was sunday, so my normal GP wasn't in, so i went to the urgent care instead. i have insurance through my employer. co-pay : $0 (once you pay about $400 in a year the co-pay goes to 0. before that, it covers 90%). i waited about 15 minutes, then got in to see the doctor. he did some basic questions, etc. and then off i went to x-ray. x-rays came back negative. he wrote me a script for painkiller, gave me some instructions, and said i should see my gp tomorrow (monday) and schedule an MRI.

monday I called my GP's office at about 10 am. my GP had no openings, but others in the office did, and I was able to set an appointment for 2pm. I arrived at 1:50 and saw the doctor (actually a registered nurse practitioner in this case), he did the interrogatory and gave me the referral to the MRI clinic. he also wrote me a (better script). I finished about 2:45. i called the MRI place and they were able to take me at 3:15!!!! basically drive time + 20 minutes. Sweeet!. i arrived at the MRI place and was on the table within about 15 minutes. 30 minutes later i was done. they said the results could take 48 hrs.

that EVENING, i got a call from the nurse practitioner saying the results were in. literally a couple of hours after i went in for the MRI. I didn't get a chance to call back until the next day. he said the MRI was very dramatic and i have a nasty full tear of the subscapularis. zoinks. gonna require surgery. sweet :( ... it's now tuesday. he refers me to an orthopedic surgeon. i call the orthopedic surgeon and they have me scheduled for THURSDAY. two day wait. not friggin' bad. whole thing so far has cost me $12 for the two scripts to get filled. nothing else. my insurance covers EVERYTHING. last surgery i had (gallstones), the whole thing cost me less than $25.

this is simply one man's experience. insurance companies do not always suck. mine has been incredibly helpful, they ahve a kick-ass searchable website (i can look up my claims, search for specialists that are preferred providers, etc.). they are responsive to questions, etc.

i think it's pretty sweet that i waited no more than 30 minutes to get emergency care (granted, it was a sunday), was able to make an appointment at my GP clinic the first day of the week, and instantly get into to get an MRI. and i got my mRI results back in hours.

[leftstreet]

1. "insurance companies do not always suck"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[paulsby]

5. so positive stories don't exist

for those of us who are interested in truth, not rhetoric, it behooves us to report the positive AS WELL as the negative. so far, i ONLY see negative stories here. that's a pretty blatant bias. my current insurance is EXCELLENT. the previous company we had (my employer switched us january 1st) was not as good.

if bad performance and bad policy deserves scorn and sunlight, so does the good.

i can go online right now and look at every claim, do searches, check various coverages, etc.

i get 60 massages a year. i get 30 chiropractic visits a year. free. i get excellent coverage for my family and me. it's a good company. that;'s reality. i still support nationalized health care, but i'm not going to lie and say my insurance company sucks. they don't.

[leftstreet]

10. I meant no offense. You're privileged, and we're all happy for you. n/t

[paulsby]

11. oooooooh the dreaded "privileged" word

i work my okole off at work, and i work in a unionized career. so, yes, in a sense i am privileged.

we're hiring if you're interested.

[Luminous Animal]

17. I'm interested. I'm looking for a ob.

[Javaman]

23. Crickets. nt

[noamnety]

27. He's a policeman

I'm guessing you can find applications for that online. Not sure it's what you're looking for though. :)

[noamnety]

20. Being "fair and balanced" regarding health insurance

The degree to which you think your positive story "balances the rhetoric" of people dying because they can't get health care depends upon the degree to which your goal is supporting the status quo or fixing the problems. The degree to which people want to support the status quo depends upon how much privilege they have, which is why that word was brought up. It wasn't to insult you, it was to point out that your perceptions of balanced reporting are affected by your status as a privileged person and the degree to which you would tend to uphold the status quo.

For someone who thinks that girl dying over three dollars is "balanced" by you getting immediate perfect cheerful care with no copay and your fancy weekly massages, yes I can see why you might think that story is relevant to the debate and part of the truth that needs to be told.

For the people who are being denied care, your story is nice for you personally, don't get me wrong, nobody wants to see you get substandard care. But as for its place in the larger debate, I don't feel it belongs. Attempts to balance out stories of tragedy with stories of privilege shift the debate from figuring out how to fix the glaring problems to trying to debate whether the system is maybe "good enough" as is, because privileged people somehow got it made.

It's abundantly clear to most of us that those glaring problems NEED to be addressed because they are unacceptable and abusive, regardless of how many free massages you get.


Q "Why report only the bad?"
A When there is an intersection with a broken traffic light that causes a deadly accident every single day, most people would agree traffic controls at that spot need upgrading. The most "balanced" way for the media to report it, however, would be to focus on the 50,000 cars that make it through the intersection each day without an accident, since the ratio is 50,000:1. The effect of that style of reporting is to portray the status quo as just fine, and to minimize the voices and concerns of those who have had their lives shattered by it.

[paulsby]

30. doesn't change the point

as i said, i am FOR nationalizing health care. that doesn't change the fact that presenting blatantly one sided only negative experiences with insurance companies is still intellectually dishonest and typical of partisan hackery.

honest people look at all sides of an issue. dishonest political hacks pretend it's simpler than it is, and discount any evidence that runs contrary to their preconceived notions. that's kind of sad. i can support nationalized health care WHILE acknowledging that my insurance company has treated me exceptionally well. hth

[noamnety]

41. I'm not sure what "other side of the issue" you think you're presenting

yes, sometimes insurance companies do cover medical expenses. We all already know that.

We all would have noticed by now if they never covered anything.

[paulsby]

46. my point is that

they are a business that has acted very fairly, very openly and met ALL their obligations.

that includes surgeries, MRI, ultrasound, etc.

they are also much BETTER than my previous insurance company.

i have not (to my recollection) read ONE positive post about insurance companies since i have been here. so, i am providing one. it's called being honest. hth

[raccoon]

21. You are extremely fortunate to have a good insurance plan through your employer.

Many people are not so fortunate.

But what if you lose your job? Ever think about that?

[paulsby]

31. of course

that's a seperate issue. like i said, for those who fail to read for content, i support nationalized health care. i simply reported this story because it's true, it's illuminating. fwiw, i am off in an hour to go get a massage. free through my insurance. obviously, if i had to pay for htis insurance myself, it would be expensive. my employer pays 100% of the premium, and it runs over 10k per year

[raccoon]

56. That sounds like a snarky and arrogant post. I have to wonder what your agenda is.

Though you posted, "Insurance companies do not always suck."

Well, they sure as hell suck for more people than they work wonderfully for the golden, chosen few, like yourself.

[paulsby]

63. ooooooh my agenda!!! oh noes. ph33r the rovian plots

partisan hacks can never talk honestly about an issue. i can support nationalized health care while ALSO recognizing that insurance companies are not all "snip and snails and puppy dog tails".

what you are doing is no different than what happens in time of war. where the "other" becomes gooks and japs. there can be nothing good or redeeming about the enemy in the eye of a true believer. you have ceased to be fair, impartial, or aoccept evidence both inculpatory and exculpatory. if the evidence presented doesn't fit your bigoted preconceptions, then i must have AN AGENDA.

oh, fwiw, i have been scheduled for surgery WITHIN A WEEK. that's fricken sweet. they are still doing right by me.

hth

[uppityperson]

64. "my employer pays 100% of the premium, and it runs over 10k per year". Wow

Which would be better, to have your salary increased by 10 thou a yr and spend $500/moonth for insurance, or continue having this insurance?

I am glad that you work at a job that can afford that benefit for their employees. It is half my annual salary.

[paulsby]

69. well

if my salary was increased by 10k a year, that would only be about 6.5 k a year after taxes. and 500 a month for insruance would work out to 6k a year, so it would be roughly a wash. i'd rather have the benefit, since it is an untaxed benefit. and i try to minimize bringing my income into levels that get my marginal rate too high. i max out my deferred comp and IRA's partly for that reason. i like my money to work for me, not the other way around. i am thankful for the benefit, though. it is very comforting. i am very antsy as to the detrimental effect this injury may have on my performance at the world's, but at least i know it's not going to cost me anything and peace of mind is a wonderful thing. i support nationalized health care. i think that peace of mind should be universal. nobody should have to choose whether to go to the doctor or pay the light bill

[uppityperson]

70. Whereas a part time nurse, I get no insurance coverage and while am supposed to not go to work sick

actually I don't go to work sick, others do to keep staffing at safe limits. Would you like to be taken care of by a nurse who is sick? NO one should have to worry about the choice of health or employment but so many do.

You are very lucky in your coverage and having it tax free is a benefit. I am anxiously waiting for health coverage since I am being faced with none soon.

I hope you heal quickly. Make sure to get Physical Therapy and Massage Therapy after the surgery (trying to recall your OP, torn subscap? ouch).

[noamnety]

2. While I'm happy for you that you got good care

your timing in boasting about it is incredibly poor as one of our members lost her daughter this morning because she made 3 dollars above the maximum to qualify for the health care they needed.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x65111

[Hawkeye-X]

4. Ah shit. Really?

Son of an effin bitch! She was uninsured because of that $3? Oh hell no. States needs to STOP being so anal. So round it down if it's an incredibly low number, there, qualified!

My sympathies to that DU member - I'll drop a note.

Hawkeye-X

[paulsby]

6. that sucks i did not know that

my timing does suck. but it's not intentional.

[Yellow Horse]

16. Yes, horrible timing. The dead girl who could not get care because of $3 lives in WA state too.

UNrecommending this thread.

[Hawkeye-X]

3. Cool story.

Any chance of telling us what sport you are an athlete on? :)

That was the right thing to do - tears are extremely nasty to deal with - my dad suffered an ACL tear and it crippled him for 3 months. At that time he was playing softball for his local kosher deli.

Hawkeye-X

[paulsby]

7. i'll be this specific

i compete as a strength athlete. there are a # of strength sports (powerlifting, weightlifting, crossfit, strongman, etc.).

i was planning on going to the world championships in my sport in 2010. i have qualified, but obviously this injury will hamper (but not eliminate ) my training. one thing i have learned in my sport is that it's not about IF you will be injured, but when, how badly. how you deal with injuries, mentally and physically is key.

one thing is true. if i did NOT have insurance, i would probably not compete in my sport. because i'm not going to put my family's financial security at risk for MY glory.

[sandnsea]

8. My MRI story

Just because it just happened yesterday. My husband got an MRI scheduled a week or two ago, for this morning. They needed him to make sure he didn't have any metal in him and needed info on his stents and some stitiches on a small surgery he just had. He called his cardiologist and surgeon.

Monday afternoon they called to cancel the MRI. Nobody from the cardiologist had called us, or them. But they also decided he needed a blood test. He went in to get it around 11 am today and they hadn't called it in yet. They also mentioned they needed information on the stents and I explained 5 times that the cardiologist hadn't responded. When the nurse decided I was saying my husband didn't have stents, I completely lost it. I guess he's getting an MRI Thursday, if they haven't forgotten anything else.

It did help me decide that the most important thing in choosing my new doctor is the staff though.

[paulsby]

9. the staff IS important

kind of like in M*A*S*H how radar oreilly actually essentially kept everything running smoothly. doctors are often famously and fabulously clueless and scatterbrained. it's the nurses and the other staff that keep stuff going.

also, one kewl thing about the MRI place. i went in today to pick up my records (i keep copies of all my medical tests, labs, records, etc.). i think it's very important to keep copies of your medical history etc yourself. anyway, they prepared me the report and the CD and i just plugged it into my laptop and can sit and look at my MRI results at my leisure. it's frigging cool as hell.

[sandnsea]

12. That sounds cool

I doubt they have that here, but I'll have him mention it. We do have our records online and I really like that.

I do not know what the problem is with his doctor. They never get anything right and this has been true for years. That or I just know to call my doctor's nurses and make sure everything has been taken care of the day after I go. But she is leaving so I am going to have to figure out a new one. I decided that I'm just going to ask where her staff is going and choose that doctor. We only have the one clinic, something to do with the way the Oregon Health Plan reimburses local delivery areas. Odd how they can be so completely different and just steps away from each other.

I see your from Seattle, did you go to Virginia Mason?

[paulsby]

14. yes and no

i'm in the seattle area, but not in the city. i went to a local clinic in the covington/maple valley area, that is part of valley medical center.

[eridani]

13. They make money from killing and bankrupting other people

They don't even have to deny more than 30% of their claims in order to do that. That the other 70% don't get much hassle on claims payment is completely beside the point.

[demodonkey]

15. Good for you. I have NO healthcare & have needed an MRI for the past 18 months.

I have a purple lump in my leg. Doctor (cost: $150) ordered an X-ray and an MRI. That was 18 months ago. It may as well be 18 years (or 180 years) because I can NOT afford the cost of either.

So "sweet" for you that you can pay a few bucks and wait a few minutes and get what you need. But there are millions of us who get NOTHING.

Enjoy your surgery and when you are going in think what this experience would be like if you did NOT have the care you are getting paid for. And beware -- if you lose or change jobs, or your employer decides not to cover employees any more, you could soon be in the same boat as those of us who have no care.

[Ms. Toad]

18. I have access to good care through my insurance, as well -

but I have to fight tooth and nail, be constantly vigilant to make sure I am not overcharged, have had to call as many as 5 different companies to get a cost estimate for procedures performed nearly two months earlier to evaluate whether it is worth a 150 mile round trip to get my daughter to a fully, rather than partially covered facility for a repeat of the tests, jump through a gazillion hoops to see any specialist, and a double gazillion to see a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic (to which my insurance company advertises it provides access). The insurance costs an arm and a leg - even though access is provided through my employer the premium is as high as participating in the high risk pool in Ohio.

Even with all the hassles, even with the exhorbitant price tag, I am extremely privileged - and well aware that life would be very different if I were not. I have access to health care. I have a job that provides access to coverage, and pays enough so that I can cover whatever is not picked up - and to trips out of state so that my daughter can participate a medical trial since there is no good treatment for her latest health acquisition. Although the weight of a teenage daughter diagnosed with an illness that requires a transplant (or leads to death) on average in 18 years is heavy, I don't currently have to worry about coming up with the approximately $60,000 a year it costs for her medical care - as many with similarly grim diagnoses do.

It should not be that way. No one's access to health care should depend on wealth, health, employment, or ability to maintain status as a full time student.

[blueamy66]

19. I second the "good for you"...you're lucky

My fiance has just been billed $500 for the ER doc that first attended to him whilst he was vomiting buckets of blood.

Yep, unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to ascertain if he accepted BCBS. Shit, what were we thinking?

Which doctor in the US in 2009 does not accept BCBS????

I'm gonna fight this one.

[sandnsea]

22. You can still file the claim

They will reimburse you instead of the doctor. That's the way it used to be done all the time. I don't think a hospital should have an ER doctor that doesn't accept all insurance. I've never been billed separetely for an ER doctor so I don't even understand how this can happen.

[blueamy66]

25. I'm sorry, we weren't billed yet....

BCBS sent of an EOB and stated that they will not be paying anything, as he is not affiliated with them.

Oh, but they will be applying 1/2 of the amount to his deductible. This I don't understand.

[sandnsea]

26. Sounds pretty crazy

Maybe you need to get out the policy and read the fine print or something. You might call your Senators and Congressmen too because this is the kind of thing that needs to be fixed.

[blueamy66]

28. I'm going to call if my fiance doesn't.

What is really funny is that I know that we are going to be billed the entire amount, even though if the doc was contracted with BCBS he would have accepted half. I am going to pull out his plan paperwork this weekend.

I am afraid to call, cause I can get mouthy and be quite bitchy, which will not help the situation. :)

If we get no good answers, I will contact my reps. Thanks!

[sandnsea]

29. Contact your reps anyway

Get mouthy and bitchy with them. They need to hear this.

Did you see my MRI story above? After calmly explaining 4 times that we weren't getting cooperation from the cardiologist and that if they needed that info they better take care of it - and then to hear "oh, your husband doesn't have stents" - "lost it" means I asked the woman if she was on drugs and that I was using really little words and what is it about "they won't call us" that she can't understand. She hung up on me. My husband took care of it. When a man gets angry, he's handling things; when a woman gets angry, she's psycho. Oh well. Good Luck!

[blueamy66]

33. I think I may just do that.

If we get a bill from the doctor, I will be dialing the next day.

Thanks for the good advice.

[uppityperson]

65. Contact the place billing you and see if they have a cash discount thing

Most hospitals I know of you can fill out a form and they will do a deduction for people who pay rather than insurance paying. Good luck

[Javaman]

24. So, let me ask you this, has the cost of your "employee supplied health care", that you pay into,

gone up in the last 2 to 3 years?

[paulsby]

32. why do you make unfounded assumptions,

namely that *i* pay into it? i can't understand why people can't simply read for content. fwiw, i don't pay any of the cost. the employer pays 100%. please don't assume facts not in evidence.

[Bluenorthwest]

34. And the employer, is that a taxpayer funded employer?

Or have you got your golden deal in the private sector? I mean, it seems like you are saying that the people of the city you work for buy insurance for you, and it is good insurance, as your union negotiates for you.
Seems your post should be about how great it is to have a Union, and have Insurance for nothing because of that Union.

[paulsby]

37. i have posted plenty of times

how great it is to have a strong union. the union does not advocate for The Good(tm) , they advocate for OUR (labor's) good. and for that, i am eternally thankful.

so, yes, as i have said many times before. my union RULES. so does my insurance company.

they have both done right by me.

[Bluenorthwest]

39. And so that means that the public funds your insurance

because you avoid that question. You have Union made, publicly paid insurance. Rather than being boastful, you should thank your taxpaying neighbors for the excellent care they give you, as they should. But everybody should get it, not just those of us who are lucky.
Your insurance company treats you well in part because you represent a Union that gives them tons of business. It is not because of how they are, but because of who you are with that you get what you get. They negotiated the plan for you. You did not ring up and buy it from a rep. You could not.

[paulsby]

45. the public funds my

insurance, my salary,my vacation benefits, etc. of course.

i am not being "boastful"

i am saying that MY insurancet company has done well by me, and posted a recent story about the kinds of treatment, etc. in addition to the speed of making an appointment (30 minutes to get an MRI appointment) etc.

if you can't handle that, fine wit me.

[Javaman]

58. So since the public pays for your insurance...

you don't know then the amount it has risen over the years to continue that 100% plan, correct?

[paulsby]

61. not unless i research what my dept has paid in the past

which i could do, if i wanted to.

i am sure they did not pay about 12k a year, 5 years ago. that's what they pay now. costs have gone up.

[Ilsa]

36. Wow. Our insurance costs us around $12,000 a year out of our pockets.

Really. That includes the deductibles. And we pay several hundred a month in medication bills, too. And we have decent insurance, from what I hear. You don't have to pay anything for your health insurance?

[paulsby]

38. nothing, zero, nada

our employer pays 100% of the costs. it's pretty frigging sweet. my max deductible/copay per year is about $400. once i go over that, everything reverts to 100% coverage. before that, it is 90% for most things.

[Ilsa]

59. I realize you wouldn't want to name your employer, but can you give us some

generalities, like what industry? I have always paid something for Health insurance, going back to 1980. I've worked for bank and even a hospital, where there was no free lunch.

Have you considered that the insurance company isn't paying everything? If you work for a highly profitable company, they may be funding the sweet stuff, like the massage, in essence, "privately insuring" anything the insurance company thinks is a premium service.

[paulsby]

62. the "industry" is law enforcement

and the insurance IS paying everything. my agency is self insured. if i get injured ON duty, the dept. pays from the coffers of our governmental body. if it is nOT job related, the insurance pays 100%. i can pull up all my billing online. i know exactly what my insurance paid for every procedure.

[Ilsa]

71. So the insurance company is the paper-processor for the

city/county/state? They determine the legitimacy and pay it, knowing they'll be repaid by the city/county/state, ie, taxpayers. I wish my husband's employer could afford to do that.

Sounds like you actually have a "public option" of sorts. Thank goodness, and thank you for supporting one for the rest of the country.

[gabby garcia]

35. enjoy your massage...

it took us 2 1/2 years to pay off my 3 yr old daughters MRI and then after our insurance company was taken over by another they kept raising our rates every 6 months until we could no longer afford it. Later when we applied to other insurance companies - found her to be uninsurable because there was never a clear cut answer to her medical "problem" (stimming) and they did not want to take the risk.

[Bluenorthwest]

40. The word 'Union' does not appear in what is basically a

Union Story, not an Insurance story.

[paulsby]

47. false

it;'s an insurance story. the union bargained for us to GET this insurance.

the insurance company PROVIDES it.

i have praised my union in numerous posts.

fwiw, the LAST insurance company we had, ALSO bargained for by the union was NOT as good.

this insurance company is better.

note that i have not even mentioned it's name. i'm not pimpin' for insruance company's. i am merely providing a true incident. the ONLY stories i have read about insurance here have been negative.

so, i am providing a story that is positive. truth matters more than ideology.

i support natuionalized healthcare btw. but i'm not going to deride my insurance company when they have repeatedly done right by me

[Kid Dynamite]

42. I'm sure it was a wonderful experience

or as wonderful as a muscle tear can be, but basically none of the things you are gushing about had anything to do with insurance:

i think it's pretty sweet that i waited no more than 30 minutes to get emergency care (granted, it was a sunday), was able to make an appointment at my GP clinic the first day of the week, and instantly get into to get an MRI. and i got my mRI results back in hours.

Further, you didn't mention how much your insurance premium is? And you somehow neglected to mention that what is at stake here is access for the ~50 million UNinsured. And, more profoundly, how we approach the issue of health care as a society..is it merely another source of profit for big business or is it a basic necessity of life?

If you are happy with your coporate masters that is well and good, but you might stick your finger in air sometime and take a reading

[paulsby]

49. spare me the crap

my "corporate masters". i don't work for a "corporate master". i am a public servant. assumption w/o evidence. not surprising. i also make a fair %age of my income trading stocks and futures. i have no master there whatsoever. i participate in tbe market.

i am FOR nationalized health insurance. i also recognize that insurance companies vary. some are better than others. my insurance company is great. and i will not hide that because it chaps the hide of the intellectually dishonest.

i don't pay any of the premium, as i said. my dept. pays 100%. it is about 12k a year.

[Kid Dynamite]

57. So we agree that you are an apoloigst for the industry

good enough

[paulsby]

60. no, we don't. but keep lying and assuming

it means i FAIRLY give praise where it is due and criticism where it is due. you do not. that clearly makes you a liar for one side. a political hack who cannot discuss an issue honestly, but instead falsely demonizes one side. that's no different a form of intellectual dishonesty and bigotry as we see when people do the same thing in re: race, religion, etc.

honesty matters. hth

[Strong Atheist]

52. Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[bobbolink]

43. Aren't you the lucky one.

[road2000]

44. Sorry,

but in light of the thousands upon thousands of horror stories concerning our current health care system, yours came off as smug and self-satisfied, even thought you tossed a cursory bone to "reform".

[paulsby]

50. it is no more "smug"

than a negative story is just "whining".

this is how rhetoric works. you don't like the facts, attack the messenger. how "progressive".

[tnlefty]

48. Then take mine, please! Blue Cross/Blue Shield of TN!

I'm glad that it's working out for you, but not everyone is so lucky and I'm sure that you know that.

Good luck.

[paulsby]

51. blue cross sucks

imo. i used to have pacificare, also. that was ok. my current insurance is WAY better than pacificare.

[proud2BlibKansan]

53. My MRI story

I have a pinched nerve in my neck. First time it flared up the pain was incredible, stretched all the way from the base of my neck down my arm to my fingertips. I missed a week of work while I waited for my MRI #1. The doctor gave me pain pills that didn't work too well. Had my MRI 3 weeks after I saw the doctor. That was the quickest they could fit me in. Three months later, after seeing a neurologist who ran more tests, and when my arm no longer hurt (the pain just went away on its own) I was told I had a pinched nerve and there was nothing any doctor could do. I was told to buy a massager.

MRI #2 was 5 years later. Again, the pain had flared up and involved my entire arm. More pain pills that didn't work. MRI showed more nerve damage. And again, nothing could be done to treat the nerve damage. Doctor told me to stay off of roller coasters and motorcycles. (No, I don't routinely ride either.) Went to chiropractor and his treatment actually helped. Paid out of my own pocket, since my insurance company didn't cover it.

MRI #3 about 5 years after that. Again, more intense pain. Waited 4 weeks for an MRI that showed I now have arthritis. Doctor prescribed a fabulous pain pill but insurance company wouldn't pay for it since it was an off label use so I had to pay $150 for a month's worth of pills. Doctor also referred me to a chiropractor, which my insurance plan will actually pay for now. Doctor also told me I now can't put any weight on my shoulder and eventually I can get a handicapped sticker for my car since I eventually won't be able to carry heavy bags across a parking lot to my car. And I have to have regular MRIs to monitor the damage (which essentially, can't be treated).

I pay $50 for MRIs and can only have one per year. So I pray I have no more injuries and need an MRI. And there is no treatment for my pain, which will only intensify as I get older. And when I try to pick up anything heavy, the pain comes back and lasts a month or longer.

At this point, I would save my money to pay out of pocket for any treatment that would kill the pain. I saw one of those true crime shows about a mysterious death a few weeks ago. Turned out the guy had killed himself after having severe neck pain for 20 years. I can so relate. Every time I sleep in a different bed or twist my neck in a different way the pain returns. And the MRIs do absolutely nothing but show the nerve damage getting worse while modern medicine can do nothing to make it go away.

[paulsby]

68. as for chiropractors

i used to think chiros were mostly quacks. i have seen it confirmed that SOME are quacks. however, my team has a chiropractor and he is PHENOMENAL. in one case, i had a exceptionally painful foot injury. i even went to a podiatrist, iow a MD who specializes in feet. he couldn't figure out what was wrong. he did give me a cortisone /lidocaine shot which got me through my next competition. but it still hurt like a mother#$(#$(. anyway, when i went to the chiro, he spent about 10 minutes with me, and figured out the problem (a torn ligament near my big toe). not only that, but he gave me a simple way to correct the movement pattern that was causing the problem and protect it from further injury (involving taping it a certain way). that simple. with my current injury, the MD's were ok, but despite my having a video OF my injury on my laptop that i brought to the doctor's offices, all of them declined to watch it. my chiro watched it right off. iow, the MD's were just not interested in looking at the actual mechanism of injury. i see this a lot with doctors. they are much less likely to think outside the box, look at all evidence, etc. they are much more into their little schematics and flowcharts of how to diagnose. it's a mindset thang.

[bertman]

54. Wow, I'm sorry to hear about your injury, paulsby. I hope the surgery will salvage your

effort for the world championships.

It's interesting to me that you are the perfect example of someone who is benefitting from the dreaded SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. Whether the health benefit was won by the union or not, it's being paid for by the citizens of your jurisdiction--by the gummint, if you will.

This is what the right-wingers cannot seem to grasp.

Our military, many of our local and state governmental employees, our federal employees, and our Congress and President benefit from "socialized medical coverage". When will we awaken?

[paulsby]

67. well, in a sense yes

but despite the fact that it is paid for by the people, the choices are still solely at the dept. level. iow, the dept could choose to give us much crappier coverage (once our contract ends of course) unlike a nationalized program where everybody is GUARANTEED a certain amount of coverage. heck, i guess it's theoretically possible our dept. could not provide a health care plan at all. i've never heard of a police dept. doing this, but i am not aware of any law that requires them to do so. fwiw, i went to the orthopedic surgeon today. it looks like i MIGHT get into surgery on Monday. which is just phenomenally fast. also, i am warnign people that if i am recovering from surgery, and on metric assloads of dilaudid, the clarity of my posts may suffer. what would really suck is if they didn't. iow, if my posts always sound like they are done by some guy dosed up on painkillers!!! lol

[Manifestor_of_Light]

55. I have an uninsured story for ya.

Last week I got sick with a head cold/cough/sinus infection/lung rot.

Went to a doc in the box. Saw a nurse PA. Got three shots in the tokus (antibiotic, antihistamine, cortisone). Got a scrip for codeine cough syrup, and for Advair (Asthma med -- $233.00 for one month's supply - 60 doses of an inhaler). And for an antibiotic pill.

Cost about $500 to treat a simple infection before it snowballed into major bronchitis.

[paulsby]

66. that sucks

one of the reason i am for nationalized health care is because of stories like this. one can think one's own insurance company is good (mine is excellent), realize that they would almost certainly get worse care under a nationalized system, and still support nationalized health care.