Which Health Insurance Plan Should I Get?

By: Loolwa Khazzoom, Founder, Dancing with Pain

July 2nd, 2008 • Home Categories, Living with Chronic Pain

I need help thinking about which health insurance plan I should get.

Given that I have literally been blacklisted from physical therapy; that doctors have mostly proven themselves to be incompetent and useless; and that I have been physically injured and emotionally traumatized by the Medical Deities (MDs), I wonder if I should switch my coverage to what’s known as “catastrophic health insurance” ($85/month), which will take care of emergency room visits ($100 co-pay) and hospital visits ($1000 deductible, $3500 maximum out-of-pocket), but will not cover me for any outpatient services.

The thing is, once I downgrade to this plan, there’s no going back. With a pre-existing condition, I will never again have access to general care health insurance. And yet, I rarely go to the doctor anymore. All of my healthcare is out-of-pocket, for private physical therapy, acupressure therapy, nutritional supplements, and so on — the things that actually help.

But what about if I need blood tests or prescription meds? Will it be more cost effective to have those covered or to save $5,000/year on premiums? Or what about if, G-d forbid, I end up with some kind of condition that requires medical intervention outside of hospital care? Would I ever even turn to outpatient medical care, given the energy healing direction and focus of my life?

It gives me the heebie-jeebies to have to think like this. The health insurance representative actually asked, “What if you get cancer and need chemotherapy?” I hate this plan-for-disaster orientation (and I hate the suggestion coming from a stranger). I hate the fact that in order to protect myself for the the future, my ability to pay for true health care (complementary medicine) in the present is potentially compromised.

What I’ve done for now is downgrade from a $750/month HMO to a $499/month HMO — the least expensive plan I can get without downgrading to hospital care only. I need help thinking about whether I should stay on this plan or go to the catastrophic health insurance plan instead. I’d love to hear your thoughts and the reason behind them.

Comments

CK July 3rd, 2008

In the arena of the socially handicapped and plenty corrupted health care politics you are forced to pay for health insurance even if you cannot afford to even though insurance hardly ever takes care of your health care needs.

I think insurance companies should be banned from the health care business. I also think that the federal government, all states, counties/parishes and cities should be sued and held accountable for allowing this kind of corruption crippling american society, chocking families, and killing individuals.

As for you Loolwa, I think you need to find a way to keep your PPO and not HMO plan while at the same time you start spending some time on lobbying, getting the word out and finding different ways to lobby. Think of it the way the fashion industry does. Every 3 months they sell billions of dollars of “New” fashions - and they do it well too.

Good luck

CK

Miriam Schwab July 8th, 2008

I can’t believe how expensive life insurance is there, and not only that, but that you have to make choices like these.

I know it’s not easy, but when I hear about that kind of situation, I can’t help but think how lucky we are here in Israel.

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