How's your health insurance coverage?

[marmar]

I hear the statistics - 46 million without coverage - but I wanted to get a sense of what the situation is really like with an informal DU poll.

[Elwood P Dowd]

1. I am one of the 46 million

Haven't been to a doctor in years. If something major happens, I will have to drive to the VA. The only decent one is a two hour drive.

[demosincebirth]

5. You should set up and appt with the VA, for a checkup...

even if its 2hours away.

[GETPLANING]

2. It has quadrupled since 1998

I started with premiums of $312.00 per month in 1998, now it's $1063.00!

[marmar]

4. Good grief...

Ridiculous...

[GETPLANING]

6. In September it goes to $1223.00

They raise it every quarter.

[gkdmaths]

3. health insurance,

whats that? Oh, that thing they offered me at work if they could take almost $250 from each paycheck.

Yeah, right.

[Dogmudgeon]

7. I'm considering moving to Canada -- just for the insurance

Pretty pathetic, ain't it?

--p!

[marmar]

8. Understandable, however...

I know more than a few people whose lives have been turned upside down by health care bills.

[tammywammy]

9. I have pretty good insurance & dental

The co-pay is reasonable. I pay about $18/week for both health & dental. I've never had a problem with either. I went to a pricey dentist (I felt he was clearly out to make money. My god he even said I needed to get braces....again! I had braces when I was in middle school and only the bottom teeth are slightly crooked), but I'm not going back to him again.

So, overall I'm happy with both my medical and dental coverage. And also with the 401K that I get from work. :)

[marmar]

11. Me too...

I'm fortunate enough to work for a company that doesn't require any co-pay, and my last employer required about $10 a week. I had the EXACT same experience with a dentist...their hands were in my pockets the minute I walked thru the door.

[filer]

10. Individual policy.

It's high-risk coverage, due to pre-existing conditions, and is available only through my state's high-risk insurance pool. It's expensive at $600 per month, and there's a $5000 deductible. I don't have family coverage because I'm single. There's a $500,000 policy limit.

After that, it's spend down to poverty before Medicaid kicks in, or hang on eight more years for Medicare. I hope to live long enough to see a national health care system in this country.

[kineneb]

12. low-income government "coverage"

Hubby has Medi-Cal/Medicare. I have California's CMSP (County Medical Services Program) because I am "too young" to get Medi-Cal. This quarter I have a $250 share-of-cost, which brings our income down to $950/month if I need medical services. Needless to say, I am trying not to visit the doc, except to get samples of the medication I need.

The living allowance for CMSP has not been changed since 1997: $600 for a single person, $934 for a couple (with small adjustments).

ed to add: the share-of-cost is for every month, if I had to spend that much for a year it would be $3000 out of our $14,000 "income"!

[EFerrari]

13. I've had no coverage for 12 years and don't see how I could ever

afford it. When I was teaching, I had great coverage. Not any more.

Husband was covered by SSI/ Medical but every month they disallow more services and medications.

Basically, we're screwed. We can't get sick.

[yy4me]

14. Starting October 1st, I will have to work 2 weeks out of the

month just to pay the premium for my company health insurance. Thats right, 2 of 4 just to pay the premium. Still have those pesky deductibles and co-pays and ceilings. I was told that I was lucky to have it. Depends on how you fit on the corporate ladder, I guess. I get $12.00 an hour. With the money left after taxes, I know you will congratulate me on the wonderful amounts of cash I can invest in the stock market. Or the great trips I can take with those extra funds. I think I'll go out and buy gold bars as a hedge. Any other suggestions as to where I can spend the endless amounts of cash I will have left?