I have to vent. And this does have something to do with keeping healthy because it looks like if I get sick, I'll be bankrupt.....so more incentive to eat well and exercise.
I just spent a frustrating morning online and on the phone trying to find an affordable health insurance plan. I guess my idea of what is affordable and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' idea is very different. You may have heard about the Insurance reform in Massachusetts and how everyone can be insured now! Well, it has been successful in providing poor people with subsidized insurance but according to the State, we make too much income....the cutoff is $43,000 for a couple, to qualify. So the cheapest plan available to us is $1000 a month, with a $2000 deductible each and a 35% hospital co pay. One hospital stay will bankrupt us. $12000 a year ( almost 20% of our net income) paid to an insurance company but nothing paid to us except some of the hospital bill should we need it. A sweet deal for them. A plan with full hospital coverage is $1700 a month. Being pretty healthy and not on any meds, I'll never meet my deductible. I can't afford the $1000. for a colonoscopy that my doctor ordered. Not that and also the monthly premium in one month. So hopefully, there is nothing lurking in there that we'll find out about too late....because that will be very ironic.....because the insurance won't pay for the screening, I may develop a serious illness and they will finally end up paying a lot more. Oh, and in case you were wondering ....part of the deal the state made with the insurance companies to take part in there program was to not allow plans without prescription coverage that would cost less or plans for just catastrophic care. I doubt I would pay anywhere near $1000 a year for doctor visits, so hospital insurance is all we need......but you can't get that here.....that would hurt the insurance company profits. So,don't go bragging about the great Mass Health reform to me please. I am hoping and praying that Obama keeps his word and gets what we need.
I just spent a frustrating morning online and on the phone trying to find an affordable health insurance plan. I guess my idea of what is affordable and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' idea is very different. You may have heard about the Insurance reform in Massachusetts and how everyone can be insured now! Well, it has been successful in providing poor people with subsidized insurance but according to the State, we make too much income....the cutoff is $43,000 for a couple, to qualify. So the cheapest plan available to us is $1000 a month, with a $2000 deductible each and a 35% hospital co pay. One hospital stay will bankrupt us. $12000 a year ( almost 20% of our net income) paid to an insurance company but nothing paid to us except some of the hospital bill should we need it. A sweet deal for them. A plan with full hospital coverage is $1700 a month. Being pretty healthy and not on any meds, I'll never meet my deductible. I can't afford the $1000. for a colonoscopy that my doctor ordered. Not that and also the monthly premium in one month. So hopefully, there is nothing lurking in there that we'll find out about too late....because that will be very ironic.....because the insurance won't pay for the screening, I may develop a serious illness and they will finally end up paying a lot more. Oh, and in case you were wondering ....part of the deal the state made with the insurance companies to take part in there program was to not allow plans without prescription coverage that would cost less or plans for just catastrophic care. I doubt I would pay anywhere near $1000 a year for doctor visits, so hospital insurance is all we need......but you can't get that here.....that would hurt the insurance company profits. So,don't go bragging about the great Mass Health reform to me please. I am hoping and praying that Obama keeps his word and gets what we need.
