I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Off-Topic => Off-Topic: Talk about anything you want. => Topic started by: Sluff on March 14, 2008, 05:58:13 PM
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Well I will soon fall into the category of uninsurable and the uninsured at the end of March. I am trying to apply for medicaid but not sure I'm eligible. I'm pre dialysis and not considered disabled. :banghead;
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Your system in the US is a lot different from her in Canada. I don't really understand your system but hey I'm not sure I really understand the Canadian system either!!!
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Oh Sluff, I don't know what to say. I can't imagine how stressed you are. My next door neighbor has had reaccuring cancer for 14 years. Her husband works for the State, so they have always felt they had good insurance. The cancer came back in December and the insurance refused to pay for the chemo. Apparently they had hit their lifetime limit. They took a second mortgage on their house to pay the out of pocket expense of $35,000!! She says if it comes back again, she will just die. How can an insurance company refuse the only chance she has to live? I don't understand and I don't have an answer. We have to figure out our health system. I am just ranting because I know this really stinks for you. I am sorry. :cuddle;
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That really stinks.
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Sluff,
I'm so sorry this is happening. I hope you will qualify for Medicaid or any other type of assistant. I will be praying for you. But for now just want to give you a :big hug:
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In California, if you have very little and start dialysis, you may qualify for medicaid. I hope you will qualify. :bestwishes;
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This is awful, I hope you can sort something and quick. -:big hug: Can we do anything to help?
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Sluff, so sorry you're having to deal with this stress. I hope you can get some help somewhere!
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Ah Gee Sluff, I hate to hear that. There is some help out there for people who don't have insurance. Try
your State Insurance Commisioner and of course Medicaid. Best of luck to you.
Love, Mimi
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I am so sorry. Losing health insurance is one my my dreaded concerns so I know how you must be feeling.
I hope you find coverage somehow.
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I know that is stressful Sluff.
I hope you can get some help.
I had to change insuance Jan. 1st and this one has a $30 co-pay for each dialysis treatment.
Since I do PD I have a treatment every day.
I told the social worker I could not afford that and she said not many could
and to bring in proof of income. It was the best policy out of the pick tho.
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I know that is stressful Sluff.
I hope you can get some help.
I had to change insuance Jan. 1st and this one has a $30 co-pay for each dialysis treatment.
Since I do PD I have a treatment every day.
I told the social worker I could not afford that and she said not many could
and to bring in proof of income. It was the best policy out of the pick tho.
That's just disturbing! I can't believe insurance companies can get away with this!
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That really stinks :thumbdown;. Is there anyway you can get help through the State? Another thought, can you try getting a p/t job at Home Depot or Lowes? I heard they have excellent health insurance. Just a thought! Good Luck!
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Sluff, Randy is having the same problems, being pre-dialysis.
He's applied for Medicaid and state assistance but they keep saying it's "pending."
So, it's $25./month to doctors and labs and hospitals.
But we feel optimistic that he'll get Medicaid, eventually.
Be optimistic! ;D
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That really stinks :thumbdown;. Is there anyway you can get help through the State? Another thought, can you try getting a p/t job at Home Depot or Lowes? I heard they have excellent health insurance. Just a thought! Good Luck!
I'm working on trying to get Badger care which is Medicaid in Wisconsin, but I'm not declared disabled so there will undoubtedly be a fee. last quote I received was $972.00 per month.
I just have to wait for the state to see. I'm also following a link that I received from meinuk. Not sure yet about that coverage yet either.
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Sluff - this sucks the big one for sure.
FYI - I believe that most, if not all, hospitals receive federal funding and therefore must accept patients who cannot pay. this happened to a friend of mine who had a heart condition and after showing proof of income, etc. things were worked out with the doc and hospital. I actually think the doctor could have charged her but he decided to be gracious about his bill.
Good luck qualifying for your State's programs.
Sandyb :grouphug;
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Sluff, I'm so sorry about this. I know exactly how you feel. Being diabetic and predialysis myself, I was also uninsured for several years until I got married last year. I used a program here in Ohio that covered all my healthcare costs as long as I went to a certain hospital and used their family clinic. It was called HCAP. I tried doing a search for you based on Wisconsin, but apparently it is only an Ohio program. Check with your local hospital and see if they have a similar program. Since Okarol is so good at finding things on the internet, maybe she'd have better luck than I did. They base what you pay on your income. Since I was also unemployed, I didn't pay anything. I also used a state sponsored drug prescription program which saved me a lot of money of my drugs.
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Thanks for all the help and advice. :)
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http://www.hirsp.org/about/index.shtml
Sluff, I found these sites, maybe they'll be of some help. I'm so sorry :cuddle; you are going through this. Dealing with any insurance business, just SUCKS!!!
http://www.medhealthinsurance.com/low-income-insurance.htm
http://www.wisconsinhealthcareforall.org/
http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/online_services.html
http://www.statecoverage.net/profiles/wisconsin.htm
http://www.wichurches.org/healthcare.html
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This is terrible. I hope you find a solution Sluff. Whenever I read stuff like this, I feel so grateful that we don't have to worry about these things in Canada.
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Thanks W&W, the link for hirsp appears to be helpful, My Mother was using HIRSP. Expensive but they have a scale they use for premium discounts for low income. I'm working on it. :)
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Sluff.. I have no links for you.. but you have my support and good thoughts and anything that i can do no matter how little.. let me know.
Here they have a sliding scale as well...I work at the post office so my medical is awesome.. and i have no restrictions..so long as I am working.. once I retire.. to keep it.. I have to pay out the a... i mean nose..
big hug big guy... :cowboy:
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Sluff.. I have no links for you.. but you have my support and good thoughts and anything that i can do no matter how little.. let me know.
Here they have a sliding scale as well...I work at the post office so my medical is awesome.. and i have no restrictions..so long as I am working.. once I retire.. to keep it.. I have to pay out the a... i mean nose..
big hug big guy... :cowboy:
Mysty, double-check on the keeping it once you retire. My dad retired from the USPS sometime in the late '90s, and I'm almost positive he's now on Medicare. It could be that due to his age it's cheaper (he's 71 now), but just something to keep in mind.
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I understand your feeling, Sluff. I lost my government-subsidized medical insurance when my appointment was not renewed after Aug 07. However, the stipulation at the government hospital is that, if you have insurance, the insurance must pay for your dialysis. If you don't have insurance, you are dialysed free. My problem would not be here on the island, but if I wanted to go somewhere else for treatment.
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Mysty, double-check on the keeping it once you retire. My dad retired from the USPS sometime in the late '90s, and I'm almost positive he's now on Medicare. It could be that due to his age it's cheaper (he's 71 now), but just something to keep in mind.
Welll Ii'll be 55 when I have given them 34 years of my life... not ready for medicare.. so i have to pay out the nose till then.. sucks.. i might as well just keep working
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Your welcome Sluff. I have fought with more insurance companies then you can even imagine. Social Security took 2 years and a Maryland Senator to finally get it approved. Almost lost our home, sold a new vehicle for peanuts, insurance companies just PISS ME OFF. All of them can kiss my :sir ken; (I've been wanting to use that one). If I can be of any more help Sluff, just let me know. :cuddle;
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Well I guess I'm off the hook this time. My insurance will be reinstated May 1st. Thanks to everyone who sent me encouragement through their messages, PM's etc.
I figured after stirring up the concern I would explain what happened.
Several years ago I had some financial hardships, so to protect my wife and her assets (everything is in her name) we filed for a legal Separation. When she switched jobs they said I wouldn't be insured because we were legally separated. We decided (she decided) we would cancel the separation because i could not go with out insurance. It is a nice gesture on her part but I'm concerned for her assets. For now that is the short of it and I just cannot afford a $1000.00 per month for my own coverage. It takes the pressure off for now but I need to plan better in the future.( that's me always learning things the hard way) :thumbup;
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Glad to hear things work.
Damn insurance.
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Sluff - so glad that is cleared up at least for now. That just happened to a friend of mine. They also had to legally separate to qualify for some benefits. On one hand the government says we love families and we love to have people stay together and then they make rules that makes it incredibly hard to qualify for benefits.
Glad to hear the good news though.
Sandyb
:bunny: (Sluff - thanks for keeping the bunnies around)
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Sluffbunny I'm even more pleased to hear this than I was when you kept the bunny for us :bunny: and I'm well pleased about the bunny!
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How could I do away with the little guy? :bunny:
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I am so glad to hear this. It is insane what we have to do to stay alive. Isn't it enough just to have the stupid disease without all the extra junk? Glad it worked out :thumbup;
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Glad to hear it's worked out for you. :clap;
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Good news. I'm glad to hear some resolution was found.
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:cuddle; Sluff, I'm happy everything is working out.
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Congrats about the insurance. It's a great life if you don't weaken.
Love, Mimi
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That wife of yours is no dummy! I am happy it all worked out! :clap;
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Whew, I'm glad you have your insurance back. People's bad insurance stories here are so bloody scary.
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Sluff, to protect your wife's assets, can she put them in someone else's name? This is what I have done. All of my assets are in my daughter's name.
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Man, I had never thought of that. I'm sure glad your wife is as smart as she is, to have that figured out before everything went kaput!!!
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I called my neph today and will get samples of Lyrica and Lotrel for the month of April until my insurance gets reinstated May 1. I can afford the garbentin $13.50 and all the other meds I'm on I have enough to make it through so I feel snappy.
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:clap; :clap;
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I'M so glad thinks worked out and your feeling "snappy" :grouphug;
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YAY!!!! I tell ya. Even with insurance I still pay over 250.00 a month. That's with copays. Ouch.
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:bandance;
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Thank goodness for a neph who will give you samples! I know this is a great weight off of you. Glad the insurance issue has been worked out.
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Glad to hear things are looking up, Sluff!
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YAY!!!! I tell ya. Even with insurance I still pay over 250.00 a month. That's with copays. Ouch.
I'm in the same boat MyssAnne.
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I'm a dual (American/Canadian) citizen now but when my family moved to Florida back in 1970 the insurance companies told my parents that I was a bad risk because I am an epileptic and they wanted to exempt me from family coverage and have them pay a very high premium for me. Geez I hadn't run into my kidney problems yet as I was only 17. I feel very grateful for the Canadian system although of course nothing is perfect. I feel very very sad and hugely pissed that the US is so whacked about the medical coverage issue and that people like us and many many others have to add extreme financial worry to the already long list of stresses we face. Man I've got to figure out how to work these icon thingies because there are a bunch of them I could use right here!!!!
Hope things work out Sluff