I'm at the county quilt show today, and I'm also almost two weeks ahead on pre-published posts for the blog, so it's time to start doubling up again. Today I have a rant about health insurance, and how the current regime is making my last seven months before I go on Medicare a nightmare.
First, I should point out that I have type 2 diabetes, moderate to severe arthritis in most of my joints, and artherosclerosis, which is a serious cardiovascular disease. I am treating my conditions with diet, exercise, and (for the diabetes) medication. I'm a ticking time bomb for all of these reasons, plus the fact that I'm 64 years old. There is no way I can live safely or even afford physician care without health insurance. One hospitalization would bankrupt me; we'd lose our house and pretty much everything we've worked all our lives for.
Before the Affordable Care Act I paid about $800.00 a month for health insurance (I am self-employed, and this is one of the ways we are penalized for that.) It was expensive, it didn't cover much, but it was all I could manage. Sometimes I dropped my coverage when I couldn't afford it, which is why I had to wait, save and pay cash for my eye surgeries.
After the Affordable Care Act I've paid between $200.00 to $300.00 a month for health insurance, thanks to government subsidies of $1300.00 to $1600.00 per month. Like the one I paid for my plan still didn't cover much, even though it was touted to be better. I did not want subsidies -- I prefer to pay my own bills -- but because of the ACA the insurance companies hiked up the premium prices so much I had no choice but to apply for them.
Now the ACA is expiring, my health insurance provider informed me that instead of $300.00 per month I'll be expected to pay that plus the subsidies plus more cost, which is $2000.00 a month (coincidentally, about what I make in income every month.) If the government doesn't do something about this, that's what I'll pay for 7 months until I qualify for Medicare.
My situation is not so bad. My guy will help me pay my bills if I come up short, at least until Medicare kicks in and I can cancel the policy. But it's still $14,000.00 for seven months of lousy health insurance coverage versus the $5600.00 I would have paid without any changes to the health care system. Instead of solving the health care problem, the government just made it worse, which I didn't think was possible.
This is exactly why I don't support any politicians. No matter who is in power, these people only care about making the rich richer, and the hell with the working people. Nothing has changed in that department, and I doubt it ever will.
Image credit: Pixabay
Comments
One thing to keep an eye on--depending on where your birthday falls, private insurance will cut you off the month your birthday on the year of Medicare. No warning. They just cut you loose. If you have any appointments, get them in before your birthday month.
That said, Medicare is great. Depending on which supplemental insurance you take (which I recommend) nearly all your medications and visits are covered. Greg sees his doctor four times a year just for diabetes checks. All free, as our most of his medications.