I hate you, insurance company.

So, my drs appointment is (was?) tomorrow and since it's been a while since I've been to a dr, I wasn't aware that things have changed. It had always been that I could visit any dr as long as he accepted my insurance. Well, when I signed up I was asked to pick a dr (wasn't told why, just that I needed to have one "on file") and I picked the one my sister goes to, because she said he's very good. However, he's really out of my way. It would take me at least an hour or longer to get to him.

Since this problem came up, I wanted someone closer so I picked a different dr that's 10 minutes away. Little did I know that the dr on your card was the one you HAD to see or you'd have to pay out of pocket. I called to see if i could get it changed before tomorrow and was told they can't change it until the first of October. Really?? A supervisor is supposed to call me back and let me know if it can be changed or not (which tells me it can, they just don't want to) but I'm not holding my breath waiting for that return call. I pay these fools over $500 a month (not including copays or anything) and they can't make a stupid change that would take them less than a minute to make?? why do they have to make things so complicated? I hate you stupid insurance company, I wish I could HTTP://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy290/lotzasmilies/bash.gif them.

Now, I don't if I should go or not. I'm not entirely certain I can wait another week or 2 for them to get their act straight. So annoyed I could scream. HTTP://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy290/lotzasmilies/tantrum.gif

 

They may allow you to go and charge you out of network charges.

This is common for managed care.

Thankfully you HAVE insurance. I have not been to a Dr for almost 20 months as I don't have the $$.

 

I'm in an almost identical situation since I opened my one business. Due to a minor pre-existing condition, I have been rejected by several health insurance companies. The only option I have (assuming I could afford the cost) is the Texas High Risk Insurance Pool.

Without starting a political debate, some major changes are needed to make health care affordable for those who are too rich for Medicare, not covered under an employer's plan and can't afford or get standard health insurance on their own.

IMO, one of the biggest issues is the cost of prescription drugs. Like it or not, Americans are already paying out the a** for nationalized health care in Canada, the UK and other countries. Under these plans, the government tells drug mfrs. how much they'll pay for a given drug - take it or leave it. Since this is usually an artificially low price, drug companies make up the difference by passing these costs on to Americans in the form of outrageous markups - usually 4 or 5 times the cost versus countries with nationalized health care.

On the bright side, my physician offers non-insured patients the option of paying $45 (cash or debit card) for an office visit. The receptionist told me they make just as much money doing this since they don't have to go through the hassle of filing an insurance claim.

 

I am so sorry this is sucking so much for you, dy! Hopefully they'll be willing to work with you...maybe see if the doctor you have the appointment with will help with that?

As much as we complain about the health insurance available to us, and as much as I hate when I don't work enough to keep it (there is no way I can afford to pay the premium without my employer contributions, even though it's subsidized by my international union and costs only $1,083 per quarter)...I am lucky. So, so, very lucky. I can see any doctor I want at any time for any reason, there is no requirement for a referral to a specialist if I need one, pre-existing conditions have never counted against us, and everyone pays the same rate regardless of gender, general health, or personal choices such as smoking.

I looked into buying my own insurance the last time I lost mine, and to get comparable coverage I was going to have to pay something like $940 per month.

 

My opinion:
Please don't worry about the poor pharmaceutical companies and those "artificially low prices".
They can make several billion dollars a year from the sale of one drug.

They may sing an 'Oh, woe is me' song about how much they spend on research and development,
but in truth it is a very small percentage of what they take in.

 

I'm actually fortunate that our family business has concurrently held some type of plan for years with x,y, or z company. When we switch companies, they can't drop me because of my sleep apnea. Technically it is a "disability" because it interferes with a "major life activity" (breathing), not a pre-existing condition.

Not everyone is so, well, "fortunate" in a certain kind of messed up way that their condition is not a "disability". Sounds as whacked as the system, doesn't it?

 

Sorry to hear about your hassles Dy .
Medical costs is one major reason I don't live in the U.S. anymore. At the moment, I get Dr.'s consultation - free, hospital - free, medication at $5.80 per script for most meds, (apart from my sleeping pills and a few others, damn it!). With my medical issues these days, I would be spending over half my income on health - no thanks. I don't work hard to pay for Dr.s and Drug co.s.
And yeah, I know for a fact that the Drug Co.s make more billions in countries with Medicare or National Heath. Why? - Because they sell way more of them.rolleyes

 

I feel for you guys and gals in the USA. At least here we don't loose our homes or go bankrupt due to major illness or accidents, especially if unemployed.

I remembered and found this:

No politics intended. But why would Bush have signed an agreement with Pharma to prohibit the Feds from negotiating discounts with them? That would certainly have upped the prices of medications huh?

We in Canada have provincial insurance plans (taxes levied). Here in Ontario it covers doctor visits, hospital stays but no prescription, vision and dental coverage, etc. Not sure what is exactly covered if on government assistance. Retirees pay for the first $100 spent in one year for prescriptions, balance is paid by provincial government. All in all, one in most cases will need a supplemental insurance ($$$) which can be obtained from many major employers.

 

@oma:

The major problem here in the States is greed, unfettered, unregulated, unbridled, hubris laden "free for all" capitalism. The more the GOV has deregulated, the more rampant fraud and mafeasance has become. The Oligarchy/Plutocracy that exists spends MILLLIONS every year on lobbyists to push the agenda that garners them the greatest share of all the fiat currency (Monopoly money basically) printed by the Fed month after month, year after year. Check out the M2 curve over the last thirty years. More currency has been printed in the last twenty years, than the previous sixty. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MB,_M1_and_M2_aggregates_from_1981_to_2012.png) Rich get richer, poor get poorer as prices are inflated, and asset bubles go "POP". It is so verily reminiscent of the Weimar Republic. The leaked Citigroup memo regarding Plutocracy from 2006 that Citi tried with every breath of it's being to supress, and remove from public view on the net should tell you just about everything you need to know about how the "elite" view us "plebians" in the good ol' U.S. of A over the last thirty years or so.

Sorry if I got political, but the facts is the facts Jack.

 

@ the mekanic

Yes, I'm keenly aware of the situation in the USA as I am an avid reader of everything political and the daily events.

The question I posed about GW prohibiting the Feds to negotiate with Pharma for cheaper drug prices was a windfall for Pharma and did and do put the ensuing $$$ loss on the USA credit card. That way the government is overpaying a lot more for the drugs that the people get on Medicare and whatnot. Sorta shooting yourself in the foot by upping up the debt. I better stop because there is no HTB forum left here.....

 

A more direct link to your wikipedia quote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_policy_of_the_George_W._Bush_administration#Health_care

I'm not commenting on any of this, but here are a few things I found.

I found an interesting article from the British Medical Journal, published 17 June 2004,
about President George W Bush's connections with pharmaceutical companies, but could only find the full text at a site that I
think is improper to link to.


Big Pharma opens wallet to Dems

2004 Presidential Campaign Contributions by Industry

Drug industry influence timeline

On A Lighter Side

That's the fact, Jack

 

Let me just say, I'm thankful that I have insurance. I wasn't complaining about the cost so much (my job is a small company but they really do try to keep the costs down as much as they can. It's a 50/50 split) but the fact that they make it so complicated to do simple things. Why should it matter who I go see as long as they take my insurance? Why should I need a referral to see a specialist?? it's just nonsense to me. I mean, they are still getting their money from my check each week (and my employer each month).

However, we get our benefits through a benefit company (not directly from the insurer) and (yay for reps!) she was able to get them to change the provider for me, so I was able to see the doctor today.

I saw him and I told him of my ailments and he took some blood to run tests but he told me I looked pretty healthy and instead of taking the multivitamin, just to try a C supplement. Guess we'll see what happens from here!