VERY OT: This s*cks (Rant enclosed)

I have Fortis Healthlink PPO, not HMO. I don't want to have to beg some Dr. to see a specialist when I know I need one, but he's busy looking at his bottom line.......... The coverage isn't as good as what I had at BCBS, but the premiums are much less. Barbara Dream Master

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans. Woody Allen

OT, please.

The doctor I work for opted for the cheapest group plan he could find with Neighborhhod Health Plan. $25 for your PCP, $45 for a specialist, $100 for the ER and if I need to be hospitalized for any reason it's $500 a day out of my pocket (like I MAKE $500 a day!).

Linda2

On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 22:46:02 -0500, Linda2 wrote (in message ):

Neighborhood Health Plan? Here in Mass., that's the name of the Medicaid HMO. FWIW, if you are on assistance, and live in MA, it's not a bad plan: no co-pays, over the counter meds for free, lots of preventive care included. Doctors don't like it much, because the reimbursement rates are so low.

We have Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO. It's not cheap; our premiums are about $800/month. The co-pays are not that high: $15 for doctor's visits, $150 for ER, but nothing for hospital admissions. Where they get you is with the prescription drugs: $15 for generics (I have not one generic on my list of meds), $25 for formulary meds (I get a formulary med once in a while) and $35 for non-formulary meds. Guess which ones I get to take? When I pick up my shopping bag o'prescriptions each month, I leave a huge chunk of money at the pharmacy.

All in all, my monthly medical expenses are higher than our mortgage ever was (when we had a mortgage). It's our biggest monthly expense by far. If I ever get SSDI, I would be eligible for Medicare after a while (2 years?). At that time, Bob could buy two single person plans (for him and DD, assuming she's not of age by the time this nightmare is over), and I would get a Medicare supplement plan. The savings would be close to $1,000/month.

Good thing my family likes me, because having me around is an expensive hobby.

Kathy N-V

Oh, yeah. My prescription co-pays are $20 for generic up to $60 for name brand. Good thing I'm relatively healthy.

It's sad when you can't afford to be sick.

Linda2

Consider yourself lucky. My plan has a 750/yr deductible for prescriptions (in addition to the deductible for medical). After that is met it's 10/25/40 PLUS 20% of the cost of the drug. For instance, my duragesic patches are 410.00 per month before the deductible is met, 115.00 after. Per month. And that will be going up because I now have to change them every 2 days instead of every 3. That's just one of the 5 drugs I take daily. My husband calls me the sickest healthy person he's ever met. Fortunately for us, ChampVA is now reimbursing me for the Rx's. Plus Jim gets all his meds thru the VA. His run about 900/mo if we had to pay for them. Barbara Dream Master

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans. Woody Allen

On Thu, 5 Feb 2004 15:46:52 -0500, Barbara Otterson wrote (in message ):

That would be a real hardship for us. I take about 15 prescriptions per month, and that's only if nothing special is going on (no infections or whatever). As it is, we pay over $500/month for my "maintenance" meds, and usually another $100 - $150 for the special stuff.

I'm surprised about the high cost of Duragesic. I thought there would be a generic version of it out by now (just checked - there isn't). Have you checked around for a better price? Around here, Costco has the best prices by far on prescriptions. It might be worth it to you to get a membership just for that.

That's interesting. The Duragesic people says that the patch lasts three days and dispenses at a continuous rate. Would it be more cost effective to use the next higher dose of patch and wear it for three days instead of two? When my MIL was dying, she had the patches, and I didn't notice breakthrough pain on the third day, unless we were looking at a dosage increase. A dosage increase was far less expensive than additional patches.

Thank goodness for that. And I'm so glad that you guys have made it through the hoops to get services through the VA. All too often, they stall and make it difficult for people who should be getting care, no questions asked.

Kathy N-V

Obligatory Bead Reference: Kokoshnik is really starting to come together. I finished the forehead netting this afternoon, and designed the shape of the front piece. (I didn't wuss out and use the basic semi-circle) This evening, I'll transfer my design onto the fabric and then start embroidering. I ordered some vintage Swarvoski Margaritas from Beki at Whimbeads for accents, and once they arrive, I'll be cooking with gas.

Bob cracks me up with his smart remarks about my projects. He keeps saying "I appreciate all the work you put into it, and I know that it's incredibly skilled, but who the hell would wear such a stupid thing?"

He doesn't seem to realize that isn't the point. It's not like the Queen of England wears a crown every day of her life, only on very special occasions.* Besides, wearing it would be a painful experience - that thing is heavy!

• Strange coincidence alert: One of the crown jewels of England is called a Kokoshnik crown. It's styled after some of the later kokoshniki, and is quite beautiful: all platinum and diamonds. Obviously, it doesn't have a veil, nor does it cover all the wearer's hair.

I am sitting here reading and realizing that a great number of us, is about the same age. Vaguely 50. I was anti-war during 'Nam amd like most of my hippie counterparts never realized what terror our siblings and friends were really experiencing till they returned, bot the people we sent to war. We had one friend who returned fully insane. After 9/11 and the beginning of the problems in Afghanistan and then Iraq, I was really upsetthat we would send people to do unspeakable things, yet again. The Gulf War, didn't seem like a war to me, till I had friends come back in piss poor shape. I know at least one girl who is insane now. It may not make sense to some of you, but I cried very hard on the first night of the war. Partly for the people being shot at, and because there were men and women doig things NO ONE should have to do to insure my freedom and my way of life, when their families would be here unable to make ends meet and they might not get an even deal when they return. They get the shaft and I get to eat yet again, one more quarter pounder wearing my america flag shirt. We ask these people to put their families on hold, put them in trouble and go thru hell and then the government screws them. Ah, yes, the american dream .... you can just tell I am an old hippie, right ? The people in those counties only know what they are told ... I feel so bad for all involved, both us and them. My stepdad, rest his soul, was screwed by the VA medical red tape hassle. He is dead, in part because they didn't give a shit, excus my language. At that time, I didn;t know about such things ... this would be about 10 years ago and it was my eye opener to the fact that if you your life on the line for your country, you might not get anything back for it. We begged and pleaded for someone to help us. but by the time we did, he was too tangled in red tape and it strangled him. The doctor blamed my mom, like she was the one who ignored him. I know there is little people can do and I still love my country, but I feel a pain in my heart for asking even more men and women to secure my little life, and do things they should never be asked to. And let's not go to that place ... the one where people make money off war and they pain of others. And political people in power and all of that. I try to pretend I don;t know about it anymore. If it doesn;t touch my daily life, I am too scared to know about it ! I could say more, but I dare not ! Rainbow

The only place lower than Target around here is Sams, and we're talking less than a dollar.

I'm already on 100s now. Higher dose and I'd probably sleep

24/7. And they definitely wear off by the third day with a lot of people. My pain specialist says it's pretty common. What I'm hoping is that I can go down to 75s with changing them every 2 days.

Barbara Dream Master

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans. Woody Allen

My mom is on Durigesic ( spelling ?? ) .. anyway, she was using a low strength patch and she started having bad pain again and the doc bumped it up. All she has is Medicare. The lower dose was $135 for a month's worth. That was with her discount from a state program in Nevada here. Almost half price. The new one, is nearly twice that with the discount. We were horrified, at the cost. What are we supposed to do .... well. my sister got on line with the pharmaceutical company and they have a program for people who can't afford it. I don't know the details. My sister handled it, and she had to fill outa ream of paperwork. It's only been a week, so we are still waiting to see if she got on this program. Rainbow

Sorry, I was replying to the thread and thought it would stay there.

Thanks for the clarification. As I said in other places in my post, I am not real clear on military stuff and so I was going from hearsay from the ex-military guys. But of course no one really spelled out all the situations to me except the "buy back" for those who wanted to count their time in service. And of course, retirement is never as much as working pay. Even though I have 17 years of federal service I will only get 25% of my base pay, which does not include COLA's. In other words, although I was making $18/hr, my base pay was about $16/ho, so my retirement will be like getting $4/hr.

Thanks! I'm going to look into it and compare plans.

-Kalera

Barbara Otters> >

I don't have prescription coverage at all: if any of us ever get chronically ill, we're screwed.

I had terribly swollen and itchy eyes due to allergies last year; the doc wrote me a prescription for some eyedrops, but I didn't get them; they were $95.

-Kalera

L> Oh, yeah. My prescription co-pays are $20 for generic up to $60 for name