Doing your first year without health insurance?

How have you managed your health without insurance?

I am seriously thinking about dropping my COBRA right now. It is 500 a month, and if I go to Kaiser it costs me 50 dollars (and they always want to refer you to someone else so you can pay your co-pay many times) - and then fight me on doing the blood draws.

I have to go back to Kaiser and push to get more complete labs (because if you have a good number last time, they don't pull that blood test again).  These will be my 6 month labs and my numbers are doing well so far.  I feel good.

I've learned that I can go to Quest and pay to get my blood tests done.  Someone posted that it cost around 500 dollars to do their labs.  What has been your experience paying for your own labs?

Yea, I get kind of freaked out when I read about people becoming seriously ill at 8-10 months out.  Strange things happening (apparently without warning) later on that would be devastating if I didn't have health insurance.  Any of you finding your way through the medical labyrinth without insurance?

It's just till the end of the year.  I’m going to be forced to pick a medical plan for January 2014 due to Obamacare. 

I had my procedure done in Mexico so every thing was not covered under my insurance.  I have been lucky my only problem recently has been wt gain but that my fault nothing to do with my ds. 

Donna

Ugh...what a mess. Doesn't Kesheshian have a lab script that Kaiser would follow if he did your surgery?  I hate Kaiser. lol

Anyway, I think I would follow a great vitamin plan like Vitalady's and test as soon as you're able. I would try to keep an eye on iron, protein/albumin and bone (calcium, PTH and D3) labs if you can swing them at 6 months and 1 year.

--gina

Hi Gina.

I have 1/3 of my 6 month labs pulled.  The bariatric doctor won't pull anything if the 3 month labs showed a good number.  This just makes me laugh, it's so stupid.  When I complained that at 3 months, my body had nutritional stores it lived off of after surgery so the real numbers are going to start showing up at the 6 month mark - bariatric group stuck to their guns and said they would not pull any more labs.  So now I have to go see my PCP again ($50)  to try to get her to order the rest of the labs (2nd lab copay) to complete my 6 month labs.

It's scary to drop the insurance because the first year the body is adjusting to the DS and malabsorption.

I'm wondering if anyone out there has a DS without medical insurance and what tips they can pass on to me.

I know that we have referred people without insurance to direct labs dot com. 

They have discounted lab tests. I think you pay online, then you go to one of the participating labs. 

Also, many labs have discount programs for people with no insurance. It might be worth a call to your lab to ask about discount programs and what the cost would be for each lab. 

I personally would be afraid to go without health insurance. I had a sick little one, who ended up in ICU for months. She ended up passing away and we had to file bankruptcy. Something bad can happen in an instant. 

I am a worry wart though. :)

Good luck.

I wouldn't risk it.   To me, going without health insurance is comparable to going to the casino to gamble with your mortgage.   One complication, one illness, can destroy you financially.   I know the $500 a month absolutely sucks.   My insurance costs recently jumped from $50 a month to $400 a month for my family.    But, to me, it's worth the reduction in worry.

Don't drop it.  You are risking financial ruin by doing this. $500 is pretty cheap for insurance. I would love to be able to get it that cheap.

have you thought about charity care? i have self pay insurance through horizon as my job doesnt provide. i was going to self pay my wls but it wasn't worth it i pay almost 500 with horizon.  however you should look into charity care i had it prior i got it through my local hospital i went to the financial office. i proved 1 month pay stubs, id, taxes, and bank statement. with charity care it will cover all labs doctors etc you have to use their network though