havent figured out this helps me or especially my fiancee... we want to get married but if we do she loses her Medicaid..... she works full time...but her health insurance at work (which for the 3 of us..if we were married...would be $400/month)..... doesnt cover her preexisting condition (type 2 diabetes) for the first year.... so what good is it? Her 9YO is covered no matter in our state until age 9 based on our joint incomes at a subsidized rate.
I pay $195 (which went up $25 this month), with a $3,000 annual deductible... for myself only. The only real benefit I get is I get contracted rates and the insurance company knocks off the BS charges (ie, two charges for my initial exam... one for new patient exam and one for male age 40-45 exam....Aetna knocked the second one off and knocked the whole bill down from $500 to $122).
My dental plan pays very little because a) I dont use a plan doctor and b) it just pays little anyway. My dentist does not accept reduced insurance payments... she takes what they give her and bills me the rest.
I have started using the local community college's nurse managed clinic... $35 flat per visit... they can prescribe scrips... and lab work I go through econolabs.com.... pick the prescribed labs off the list, pay the charge with my visa...and get an invoice to take to a local national lab provider.... they take the samples.......and ship it off to their national lab......I got a CBC and another lab test for $43. They emailed me a PDF of the results in less than 24 hours.... and emailed or faxed copies to my doc and the clinic. GREAT service. I buy generics if I have to have prescriptions filled whenever possible... good thing I am in relative good health.
My fiancee hates being on medicaid... she feels badly for using it.... and the Medicaid docs generally give minimal care.... her dentist will pull an infected dead tooth but medicaid does not pay for bridges, braces, or implants... considered cosmetic. She is going to my dentist and will make payments for the uncovered work she needs (not wants...needs) done.
I dont think we need health insurance....we need health care.... Everyone should pay something into the system....and a basic level of care should be guaranteed.... this 3,000 page bill is only the first step...we are a long way from fixing this system.... I would gladly pay higher taxes if we were fully covered for preexisting and future conditions.
Snakes (Rich )