[Adjitater]

Well it is official, due to the increase cost of premiums and higher deductibles, I will no longer be able to afford to use my pump. Insurance companies, big pamacuticals, and the medical practice in general don't care about their patients. What they really care about is making money. You should all be mad and write your congressman to pass legislation changing the billing of life necessary equipment. But waite Washington is too crooked to help it's citizens. What to do?

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[newf]

I am not sure what type of pump it is you are talking about. Is it an insulin pump?

 

[Shanny]

I have contacted all my legislators & hope it lights a fire under them. There's a bill in the House right now, about repealing a tax on medical equipment, but that's just a drop in the bucket.

Yes, this makes me mad - it infuriates me. Such disregard for the health & safety of our citizens is not what America is about. The inmates are running the asylum.

 

[Adjitater]

I am not sure what type of pump it is you are talking about. Is it an insulin pump?

Yes sorry that I didn't specify that it was an insulin pump.

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[LarryT]

Adjitater,

Right you are!!! The Lobby's seem to own the ears (and votes) of our elected officials at most levels of Government. The Healthcare act does nothing to control the skyrocketing costs for services, meds and co-pays. While many espouse a free-market, we don't have a free-market - the game is rigged. If many of our markets (US) were free we'd see costs decrease...

For those forum members outside the US, sorry for the post rant/OFF
Do be vigilant in your countries as the problem will only spread, unless corrected as it starts...

 

[gphx]

A tax on medical equipment. I have wondered how this makes any sense. Billed as a tax on greedy corporations all it does is make vital supplies more expensive for people who need them most and allow the politicians to give away the money to their crony friends. But you know that already.

Sorry you're having to go through this.

 

[jwags]

It is a travesty what they are doing to medical insurance. Since this new bill passed 18 months ago our premiums have gone up more than $400 per month. It is almost like they want us to drop the insurance all together. They keep telling us more things are covered but when you peel back the layeres you find all the added costs, co-pays and deductibles. It is a shame that I cannot afford to pay for a lot of the newer meds that might manage my diabetes more. I am stuck with the cheap generics and don't get me started on the cost of test strips. As bad as Medicare is, I am joyously awaiting it because it will be so much cheaper than my $1300+ monthly premium I am now paying . I am going to call the Insurance company today to see if I can raise my deductible from $6000 to $10,000 since I never meet the $6000. I am sure they will find a reason to keep my premiums high.

 

[Miss_Blue]

I support any repeal of taxes and regulations that make health care or health insurance more expensive, but I'm not going to to support price controls or other regulations of businesses just so that the stuff I need or use will be cheaper.

 

[Insulation Tim]

I support any repeal of taxes and regulations that make health care or health insurance more expensive, but I'm not going to to support price controls or other regulations of businesses just so that the stuff I need or use will be cheaper.

Illegal aliens receive much better treatment from our government than the tax paying citizens do.

 

[Strawberry]

Prison inmates get their medical care for free - don't they?

 

[Shanny]

I could be wrong, but I think inmates in the county jail get free medical care too . . . what a slap in the face to all the rest of us!

 

[Joshua Shorter]

I have often told people that my insurance company would much rather me just die from my diabetes as opposed to actually offering me the medical equipment necessary to my life. There would be no other reason they would fight over ever strip, unit of insulin or pen needle.

They would rather loose me as an expense and only insure healthy people. It makes business sense but it does not make sense for the business they are in. Come on, people. This is a serious disease. I am trying to make my body healthier so you don't have huge expenses down the road. Isn't it worth the minimal expense now to avoid the huge payout later?

Like I said, they just wish we would all die. I plan to live a long time and cost them a lot of money.

 

[jwags]

I spent almost an hour on the phone with Blue Cross today trying to lower my $1200 a month premium with a $6000 deductible. Even after you meet the deductible you still pay 20%. I figured the worst case scenario we would pay $21000 before our insurance kicked in. It was good that I called because I realised we could cut our Insurance premium by almost $600 by raising our deductible to $11,000. So it would become a Catastrophic policy. We have never met our deductible anyway and we stay pretty healthy ( no thanks to my insurance). The first question she asked me is if I used Insulin and she asked me how many times a year I go to the doctors. I told her I would like to go twice a year but sometimes I only go once because of our deductible. I do my own HbA1c tests at home and my doctor is OK with that. I am so glad I didn't go on insulin, I can just imagine what my premiums would be. So I am filling out the forms tonight and hoping when they do the underwriting they don't find a reason not to give me the higher deductible.

 

[Adjitater]

Prison inmates get their medical care for free - don't they?

No not really. They are kept alive but they have no choices as to what mess they get and when they get them. They pay a bigger price than just loosing their freedom.

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[gphx]

I have often told people that my insurance company would much rather me just die from my diabetes as opposed to actually offering me the medical equipment necessary to my life. There would be no other reason they would fight over ever strip, unit of insulin or pen needle.

The government is no better if not worse. It is very common for people applying for disability to be denied until their third application, even if the application materials are the same each time. Never mind that someone could become homeless and even dead in the interim. That's precisely my concern about the idea of a government run healthcare system.

My gf used to have a job from which she'd come home crying some days. She was a phone rep for Medicare/Medicaid and she had to tell people they couldn't have their insulin and/or lifesaving procedures because they weren't covered. More government in medicine is just what we need. Oh yay! <sarcasm alert>

How about we go the other way. Offer 100% tax deduction to people who donate money to charities which use the funds to give free pumps and other vital supplies to people in need provided they distribute a given % of their contributions. Winning.