I've had health insurance before. My jobs provided it to me when I worked full time where you only pay like $60/month for it, I have also been out of work and hemorrhaged thousands into the slithery jaws of Cobra. Cobra is the antithesis of what you'd think affordable healthcare would be. I went almost a year in NY paying $1300/month for a health insurance I never used. It was a precaution yes.... but after I ended it (by getting a new job) It's not like I got anything back. If the idea was to have a sort of retropay based on how little you use facilities... it would make more sense.
I'd be happy to buy into the system if I was able to gt a percentage back for just being in good health. Jesus we praise people for putting down that for the slice of pie in this country... you'd think they'd figure that out.
I get it. If I had a condition requiring constant refilling of prescriptions I'd need to pay into health insurance. But in 2012 I had an asthma attack so bad I drove myself to one of those emergency centers. Those places are awesome. They checled me out, gave me oxygen, 2 inhalers, and 50 doses of albuterol, and 3 prescription doses of steroids(not that one) to help open my lungs. All for the one time price of $400. To me, that's not bad at all.
A broken femur is a tad more complicated I agree, and this blog isn't a bitchfest that I should get the same help as those who are insured. I made a choice (well, I tried getting on Healthcare.gov when I heard about it, but the site had all those problems & I put it off) because I'm a pretty healthy guy. Man-tits & tire aside, I don't do dairy, I juice with a Vitamix like every day, I don't eat shitty food for the most part, and I don't need to take meds to stay alive... That, plus watching my step... gives me a GOOD chance of not needing insane amounts of healthcare. (why does everything taste like Irony?) So it's very easy to put these things off... especially with spending most of my life NOT in a doctor's office.
I am still trying to get on healthcare.gov, but with everyday since the accident filled with packing, moving, appointments, trying to chase down my car insurance, figuring out my uninsured options.. all without being able to WALK (thanks christ for my sister & friends) IT'S HARD TO SIT ON HOLD FOR 45 MINUTES!!! I haven't spoken to anyone who is on it, so I don't know if I am just unlucky or the system is still boned... but it just makes you feel hopeless.
But apparently, hospitals have deals that pay for a LARGE portion of your bill, and that MIGHT be a possibility for me (still trying to figure everything out) but it's not from generosity or even pity on those who are uninsured. It's all about collections. From what I understand (and I may be wrong...) if I had a bill of say $100,000 from the hospital and couldn't pay it. In the end it would cost the hospital about 80% of that in collections fees to get the money. SO instead, they offer absurd discounts like 80%... which knocks my bill down to $20,000... tickling the what-a-deal gland we Americans have honed so much with commercial deals & president's day sales.
My future debt monster is still unknown... like awaiting a Kaiju and not knowing it's category. I just hope it's something I can handle...
No comments:
Post a Comment