[Magdalen] health care...

[Charles Wohlers]

You couldn't get coverage because you live in Louisiana. Had you lived in a 
more reasonable state, like Massachusetts, you would have had coverage. 
Expensive, yes - but you would have had coverage. All thanks to Gov. Romney.

One should note that the Affordable Care Act originated in Massachusetts 
under a Republican governor.

Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, VT USA
chadwohl at satucket.com



-----Original Message----- 
From: Jo Craddock
Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 10:35 PM
To: magdalen at herberthouse.org
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] health care...

I can't imagine it would be less than what insurance companies decide on
their own what they will and won't cover.

I'm an employee because of health insurance. As self-employed persons,
Rodger and I could not find a plan that would cover us, or the children
and me and him. At any amount of money. The children and I were on what
is now a high-deductible, but before ACA, called a catastrophic plan
with a deductible that amounted to a couple of our credit card limits
that we set aside just for that potentiality. My 2008 supposedly-covered
annual exam (under that "preventive medicine" clause) became uncovered
when I mentioned I thought I was having peri-menopausal symptoms. No
complaints. No request for tests. Just shared the info with the
physician, asking if the symptoms I was experiencing were indeed
indicative of that, so the diagnosis and treatment codes changed.

There is one hypertension medication that works well and without adverse
side effects for Rodger. It, of course, wasn't covered at all under our
individual plans, and hasn't been "on the formulary" on what is a pretty
decent group plan through the church until this year so also uncovered,
at nearly $400 per month. The savings made purchasing it on various
trips to Europe easily covered the air fare, and more. The pharmacists
handed the prescription back, so we could purchase it there, and there,
and there and there and there!

I, for one, without strong family history of breast cancer but strange
breast tissue, am glad to see some tightening of recommendations, and
liberality in release of findings (in Louisiana, medical records belong
to the doctor/clinic!). I can easily count in big bills (not all the
little separate lab charges) over $25K out of pocket in the last eight
years due to what were described as "worrisome" mammograms to find out
I'm strange, but healthy. I realize that would be of absolutely no
concern if there had been disease found in time to be eradicated, but I
greatly sympathize with the emotional, physical, and financial stress
caused by false positives.

Peace,
Jo

On 10/20/2015 12:03 PM, Lynn Ronkainen wrote:
> For me this has translated into what my insurance company will allow based 
> on US Government *guidelines*... and I am beginning to become a bit 
> cynical about how much more the government is going to 'discover'  that 
> will affect insurance coverage.