Cignaficant Expenses
EchoStar picked up the tab for the called ambulance at work. But I was far from in the clear when it came to my several doctor visits, blood work, sleep studies, prescriptions, and machinery. Right in the midst of the most significant health debate of our generation, I was smack dab in the middle of rising medical expenses.
When I signed up for the “Choice Plus” plan at work, I expected to have better choices and better insurance than with the standard plan. The Choice Plus plan covers 80 percent of your preventative and necessary medical costs. That is, after a $1250 deductible out-of-pocket. Each time I got an envelope labeled “Cigna,” I put it aside to open at a later date.
I understand that these are very minor medical expenses compared to the thousands and thousands of dollars that some people have. But the time and money invested for the results I’ve gotten is outrageous, in my opinion. I paid (am still paying) over $2100 to go on a few terrible drug trips and sleep in a fancy hotel with a mask strapped to my face. And I still have trouble sleeping. Something I would have liked the current healthcare reform to focus on is the quality of healthcare, more than the cost and availability. I began to wonder about my other options, like yoga or acupuncture, or trying a different sleep pattern. These treatments will have to wait for now, unfortunately, but I plan to try them soon.
Medical costs right now may be responsible for 60 percent of bankruptcies in America right now, according to a report published by the American Journal of Medicine. Of this 60 percent, 78 percent actually had health insurance coverage, but the costs of co-pays and uncovered services were too much to cover (12).
“Unless you’re Warren Buffet or Bill Gates, you’re one illness away from financial ruin in this country,” said Steffie Woolhandler, M.D. in an interview with CNN. This is an exaggeration, clearly, but it does represent the way a lot of people feel (13).
I think just to be safe, I am going to start wearing gloves and a surgical mask each time I go out of my house. I can’t afford to keep getting sick, but I can’t afford to stay home from work. Even if I were to get an illness, there’s nothing in my experience that tells me that Western medicine is going to be able to cure me, no matter how much I pay. So the realistic solution for us, as Americans, is to just stop getting sick. Simple enough?
The quest for a night of sleep continues, and hopefully some of the hidden free remedies like yoga and sleep pattern adjustment hold some hope for me. I think I’m going to sell my sleep apnea machine on eBay to make some money for Christmas. Any takers?
When I signed up for the “Choice Plus” plan at work, I expected to have better choices and better insurance than with the standard plan. The Choice Plus plan covers 80 percent of your preventative and necessary medical costs. That is, after a $1250 deductible out-of-pocket. Each time I got an envelope labeled “Cigna,” I put it aside to open at a later date.
I understand that these are very minor medical expenses compared to the thousands and thousands of dollars that some people have. But the time and money invested for the results I’ve gotten is outrageous, in my opinion. I paid (am still paying) over $2100 to go on a few terrible drug trips and sleep in a fancy hotel with a mask strapped to my face. And I still have trouble sleeping. Something I would have liked the current healthcare reform to focus on is the quality of healthcare, more than the cost and availability. I began to wonder about my other options, like yoga or acupuncture, or trying a different sleep pattern. These treatments will have to wait for now, unfortunately, but I plan to try them soon.
Medical costs right now may be responsible for 60 percent of bankruptcies in America right now, according to a report published by the American Journal of Medicine. Of this 60 percent, 78 percent actually had health insurance coverage, but the costs of co-pays and uncovered services were too much to cover (12).
“Unless you’re Warren Buffet or Bill Gates, you’re one illness away from financial ruin in this country,” said Steffie Woolhandler, M.D. in an interview with CNN. This is an exaggeration, clearly, but it does represent the way a lot of people feel (13).
I think just to be safe, I am going to start wearing gloves and a surgical mask each time I go out of my house. I can’t afford to keep getting sick, but I can’t afford to stay home from work. Even if I were to get an illness, there’s nothing in my experience that tells me that Western medicine is going to be able to cure me, no matter how much I pay. So the realistic solution for us, as Americans, is to just stop getting sick. Simple enough?
The quest for a night of sleep continues, and hopefully some of the hidden free remedies like yoga and sleep pattern adjustment hold some hope for me. I think I’m going to sell my sleep apnea machine on eBay to make some money for Christmas. Any takers?
End Notes/Bibgliography
1. "Can't Sleep? What to Know About Insomnia." National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation. 30 Oct. 2009 <http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-related-problems/insomnia-and-sleep>.
2. "Is Your Sleep Aid Safe?" Fox News. 4 June 2008. Fox News Network. 30 Oct. 2009 <http://health.blogs.foxnews.com/tag/ambien/>.
3. Epstein, Lawrence, MD, and Steven Mardon. The Harvard Medical School Guide to a Good Night's Sleep. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006.
4. "Medication Causing Sleep Binges?" ABC News. 16 Mar. 2006. ABC, Inc. 1 Nov. 2009 <http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/health&id=4000309>.
5. Katzung, Betram, Anthony Trevor, and Susan Masters. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 11th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009.
6. Reite, Martin, Michael Weissberg, and John Ruddy. Clinical Manual for Evaluation and Treatment of Sleep Disorders. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishers, 2008.
7/8. Breggin, Peter, and David Cohen. Your Drug May Be Your Problem. New York: Harper Collins, 1999.
9. "Sleep Apnea." http://www.uchospitals.edu/online-library/content=P00690. The University of Chicago Medical Center. 9 Nov. 2009 <http://www.uchospitals.edu/online-library/content=P00690>.
10/11. "Sleep Apnea May Have Contributed to Death." ESPN. 2004. ESPN. 9 Nov. 2009 <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1953876>.
12/13. Tamkins, Theresa. "Medical Bills Prompt More than 60 percent of U.S. Bankruptcies." CNN Health. 5 June 2009. Turner Broadcasting System. 9 Nov. 2009 <http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/05/bankruptcy.medical.bills/>.
