Tell me your stories about health insurance! My essay yesterday brought out many well wishes and similar stories. Have you ever been denied coverage or hit with unexpected bills? DM me here or email: [email protected]. (And please boost!)
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Also, my 21 year old spent a week in the ICU last year on BiPap after respiratory failure. She has Asthma and got the flu. She was denied Xolair or any other biologic, bc she only went to the ER twice in 6 months for her asthma and they required she go three times. Doctors wanted her on it.
I am stuck, because of insurance. I am on a drug for my Cystic Fibrosis called Kalydeco, which costs $330,000 per year. I’ve been on it for 10 years and the patent is never-ending. I have insurance thru my husband that covers it, but I can’t risk making other life choices and risk losing coverage.
Same. Anytime I visited the local urgent care, I knew I was going to get incorrectly billed for an ER visit. (The urgent care was located w/in the ER). Or the time my dentist refused to bill my insurance for my wisdom tooth extraction bc they refused to believe my insurance covered it. (They did.)
Ascension double billed us when my husband had brain surgery. But he didn’t catch it because he didn’t even remember what care he got. I caught it and went to battle with the billing department.
November 20, slipped off bottom step, hurt my foot.
Realized overnight it was bad.
Went to foot and ankle specialist who found 2 breaks and "very likely" will find torn ligaments.
Need surgery.
Need MRI to do surgery.
Can't get UHC approval for MRI because a sonogram is cheaper & should be used 1st
I always offer cash (doctor, dentist, optometrist, pharmacy).
Shopping around at 50 years of age, I discovered health insurance would have cost me nearly 1/2 of my take-home, with another 1/4 required as deductible, and that's with perfect health.
But if I have an emergency, my claim would be denied anyway and I would STILL be stuck paying the bill. Easier to pay a bill if the money hasn't already been pissed away paying premiums.
There was no way I could have maintained life (rent, food, utilities) on 1/4 of my take-home pay.
A few years after a repetitive stress injury I developed a very painful bone spur in my elbow. Physical therapist said we need at least 10 sessions. Insurance said we cover three. I had to do three and then spend 2 hours fighting to get another three over and over.
At one point the insurance company asked why I would need the actual physical therapist instead of doing stuff myself. I told them that if they wanted to pay for me to own all the expensive equipment they had and for 10 minutes of specialized massage a few times a week to be my guest.
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Wife has worked in smaller health plans for many years and she’s denied coverage because some people abuse it and it was out of the plan rules
Moved from UK to US in 2016.
UK: No hospital bills, no insurance. No medication cost. We just grow up with this as the normal.
US: $30,000 for my family per year for Policy, Initial OOP, Co-pay.
C Sect for my first child $24,000
Single bill for $800, "Skin to skin contact"
Realized overnight it was bad.
Went to foot and ankle specialist who found 2 breaks and "very likely" will find torn ligaments.
Need surgery.
Need MRI to do surgery.
Can't get UHC approval for MRI because a sonogram is cheaper & should be used 1st
Shopping around at 50 years of age, I discovered health insurance would have cost me nearly 1/2 of my take-home, with another 1/4 required as deductible, and that's with perfect health.
Cash only. Trusting to luck.
There was no way I could have maintained life (rent, food, utilities) on 1/4 of my take-home pay.
https://bsky.app/profile/byjenamiller.bsky.social/post/3ld26k4y2uk22
Anyway, I just saw you wanted dms about it. But I'm happy to have others read this so I'm leaving it 😂