United States healthcare is a fucking slow motion train wreck! Iāve qualified for Medicare Disability since 2007, and was managing my budget quite well up until about 2012 when the ārobot clinicā era began in earnest. About that same time urgent care and prescription costs skyrocketed. I also lost what is called Medicare Extra Help when that yearās Social Security COLA put me just out of reach of any such benefits including State aid like housing, energy, food, and prescription drugs assistance - and so since then Iāve been floating my medical boat, so to speak, completely out of pocket.
Then āObamacareā reared itās ugly head and I was forced to buy an additional healthcare plan on the open market since I no longer qualified for whatās called a State Exchange Plan. Hereās the tricky part, which Iām flat out calling a Ponzi Scheme. The healthcare providers set the plan monthly subscriptions along a sliding tier of increased or decreased allowable coverage benefits. Basically itās like buying a car... You want Rolls Royce benefits? You pay a Rolls Royce fee. You only can afford a Hot Wheels cost? You get shitty service!
When I moved from Pennsylvania to Georgia, I WAS FORCED to give up my marginally affordable plan there, according to the insane Federal Law, for what I could swing financially down here. And now... I literally feel like Iām ordering pizza instead of seeking proper care. You want that diagnosis? You pay $300 for āextra toppingsā. You want this blood test? Pay $500 for āthis type of sauceā, etc etc etc! You want this referral for a specialist? *sidebar: EVERY FUCKING THING YOU ASK FOR NOW NEEDS A FUCKING SPECIALIST!!!* thatāll be $1000 āfor extra cheeseā š±š±š±š±š±š±š±š±š±š±
So now, here I sit today still waiting for the blood tests and specialists my doctor ordered over a month ago. I have a very urgent need for corrective jaw surgery thatās now *Very Painfully, ugh!* STILL ON HOLD because the so called āreferral personā only works one day/week and is about 3 months BEHIND in her work š !!!
This is supposed to be better? Than what? What we had? I could go to my doctor in 2000, express my medical needs, THEY would do all the work! Unless of course I had my guts hanging out or something equally gross. Iād get one very affordable bill. Many times they would write, then fill immediately on premises, what ever prescription I needed. Now I must go WHERE the health plan approves, WHEN they say itās authorized *look in the news, healthcare providers are DENYING COVERAGE for issues they determine you couldāve handled at home with an aspirin and a box of tissues!*, I CANNOT get a second opinion unless I pay for it completely out of pocket at the doctor who is on THEIR OFFICIAL SECOND OPINION LIST!!! Itās totally nuts!
I hope I donāt croak before all the proper paperwork gets shuffled š³