This thread gives me a migraine. LOL.

I scheduled some minor surgery for mid-December, which puts a cramp in my plans to visit friends. A friend asked me if I could possibly delay until January.

Well I wish I could - but I can't. If I lose my job by the end of December, then I won't have healthcare coverage in January. I won't be able to afford $887 in COBRA per month, and I'll have to shop for a plan that I can afford - which means private underwriting and pre-existing condition clauses.

If one is on Medicare, then the fear is a reduction in benefits. For others, it's a total resistance to fixing healthcare because of a fear of increased taxation.

All I know is that I could have no insurance at all in 31 days. That sucks - considering how much I pay as a single taxpayer.

So yes. Surgery on Dec 18th is good planning.

I guess that the only real solution is - don't get sick! We have been shopping around for new health coverage - I'll spare you the details because they are not pretty! Good luck with your surgery - keep me posted and let me know if there is anything that I can do - brownie delivery? As you know, I am quite experienced in post-surgical caregiving - I can be your visiting nurse! : )

That's pretty quick, Kat. I have not heard yay or nay about delays for treatment under a new plan.

Three Thanksgivings ago I blew out my knee. Complete tears on ACL and MCL ligaments. I was able to schedule an MRI in 4 days and scheduled surgery 4 days after that. Pretty awesome! I could not have imagined having to hobble around in pain like that for 6-8 weeks before starting such a long road of recovery back. I entered the hospital about 10:00am, had the surgery at 1:00pm which was about 2 hours. Layed in recovery for about 3 hours and they sent me home that same day around 7:00pm. It was $23,000 and I think I paid about $700 with insurance to cover it all. Then I had 8 weeks of rehab 3 x per week. That was a $10 co-pay so another $240. Not too bad overall.

The healthcare companies operate on a 3-6% profit range. This is their business. This is what they do. It is ludicrous to think the goverment can step in and do it better and more efficiently. (more) Affordable healthcare will be achieved by identifying the reasons for the increases and waste and attacking those reasons and modifying current practices. This is where certain legislations would be helpful. The masterplan of the Obama admin is to gain access to your financial info and force people that are "better off" to basically pay all but catastrophic issues out of pocket. They can't say this, though. Even though these same people already pay 90% of taxes. Crazy stuff.

It's BRUTAL if you are self-employed and don't have the company you work for funding 1/2 or more of it. I recently shopped it to.

Family of 5 in almost perfect health. Under a family PPO plan the best I found was for about $500 a month but with a $4,000 deductible. This means you must spend $10,000 out of pocket ($500 x 12 + $4,000), before they start covering you. What I find most aggravating about this is that you are paying these monthly premiums all year long for nothing if your bills don't exceed $10K. It's basically catastrophic coverage. Sort of like the first $10K is out of pocket. No dental either.

So, yes, don't get me wrong, I see a need for reform but I want to know exactly what I will be paying for and what I will be getting. This is all 300 million other people want to know. We are still waiting to learn how things will be improved for all of us. If someone finds out, please tell me.

I looked at my plan from 2007. $1,500 deductible, $35 co-pay for office visits, no dental and no prescription coverage - for about $475 per month. And unlike phone service, there's no rollover coverage from year to year.

I would have to deal with a high deductible plan.... and no coverage for my shoulder, and my recently diagnosed medical issue...

This minor surgery has been planned for several months, would have happened sooner, but ironically, the surgeon was treated for prostate cancer - and all his appointments were shifted to other surgeons or re-scheduled. My re-scheduled date was Dec 4th and that's slipped to the 18th....

We currently have a similar high deductable plan - pretty much catastrophic coverage - which we knew going into it. We are relatively healthy so it does seem like the monthly premiums, along with having to pay pretty much in full for most all MD visits, lab tests, etc. (because we don't usually meet our deductable) is all profit for the ins. co. My son just had ACL replacement surgery. We had to pay nearly $8,000 out of pocket prior to the procedure in order to meet the deductable (I don't yet know what the full cost of surgery was). It is all well and good, but even with this surgery on our "record" it still seems to me that the ins. co. is still making a pretty huge profit off of us. I don't expect them to offer me insurance for free and I realize that it is a gamble, but geez! Thank goodness we were able to afford the $8,000 - but it has me wondering about the folks who could not do so - and what we will do if a future issue arises and we don't have that kind of cash available. This is why my husband and I are careful not to live beyond our means and we try to keep a good size cushion on hand. My husband met with our accountant two weeks ago - to discuss the upcoming financial implications to him as a small business owner and a health care provider (and as the provider of health care benefits to his employees) - as well as the possible tax increases for us - personally and professionally. It looks like the carpet is about to be pulled right out from under us. After years of hard work he looks to be made into a greedy, nasty, evil upper middle class health care provider and the gvt is going to stick it to him. It makes me very sad because he is very charitable and hard working and he's going to get screwed (we are willing to do our share - but we'd prefer not to be screwed over). This whole health care issue has many facets - and I've moaned and groaned about them more than enough on this board - sorry about the relapse!

Most hypocrites don't.

True, jazzwriter - and I am sure that I have been one on occasion - but I don't get paid to do be one! Living here in CT, especially in the vicinity of Yale, I have seen first hand the hypocrisy of the elitist political/academic/celebrity community. I never would have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes. They are SO not in touch with the "real" people...they think that they are, or they believe that their education, pedigree and/or wealth entitles them to be the decision makers for the rest of us...of course their input and opinions matter, they are Americans too, but they really do see themselves as more equal than the rest...and they almost feel that it is their obligation to "take charge". I know, we are beating a dead horse here - it's just more of the same.

Applause.....Applause.....Applause.....and I would bow deeply
at the waist except I can't do that anymore since back surgery.

Hey Kat; I feel ya on insurance, but the COBRA may not be all that bad for a while. I never got the memo, but the pres had COBRA rates reduced 65% through the end of 2009. That was truly a life-saver for me. I heard there is a plan in action to extend the reduction into 2010. I have not done the research to confirm, but it sure would be nice. That's a huge savings.

My charming bride has my company set to cover me through a BC/BS policy for less than the COBRA rates. I'll switch when the COBRA rates go back to 100%. Oddly though, BC/BS seem to treat women as if they were a pre-existing condition. The rate for me alone is quadrupled with my wife added as a family plan. Sucks huh!

Looks like President Obama will be giving Americans the gift of low-cost health insurance! The obstructionist may fail again! The people of Connecticut need to recall Senator Lieberman's double-dealing butt because he's a complete disgrace.