BK and Medical question

[momisery]

We filed BK and are now waiting for our creditor hearing. We have so medical bills that will be taken down in our BK. In in MO area that I live in BCBS is the insurance here and they use a mail order system called MEDCO. You have to have a years worth of prescriptions from your doctor and they do a mail order service. I have found it impossible to use the service, for High Blood pressure they will only give you a drug for 3 months and then the doctors demand that you have another check up.. my prescriptions would have to be paid out of my own pocket after 2 months of use. Hubby has COPD this year diagnosised. He was given a prescription for an inhaler, and for meds for his rapid heart beat. We are taking the doctors bill down in our BK. Urgent care gave hubby both drugs, the doctor gave him a generic for his heart, but of course one that costs 180.00 out of pocket per month for the other. Now my problem is..... he only gave him one month of course..... I am sure he will not see him again knowing he is not being paid. What do we do? There really should be a law against this.. geesh.

[lovebirds]

You can see another doctor or pay the bill for your current one. Those seem like your only choices.

Your insurance won't cover any medications unless you do mail-order? You may want to price-check at all the local pharmacies and even Canadian pharmacies.

[AngelinaCatHub]

Contact your BCBS as there must be a better way than meds by mail. Some controlled substances cannot be renewed that far in advance.

If this does not work out, contact the drug company. In many cases they will give you the item at either no cost or reduced cost.

If you think BCBS is tough, wait till we get 'Bammy care. Hubby smoked? No meds. Take this purple pill. 'Hub

[lovebirds]

I still have high hopes for America's health care.

[momisery]

Actually I would love to have medicare, my Dad says it is great. He pays for a supplement 300.00 per month for him and wifey and they pay for nothing else!!! I pay that much and pay for 30% of everything else up to 9,000.00... geesh.

The problem is we don't have the money for another doctors visit to get another prescription or to pay the dr we owe or we would not be filing a BK. And meds from Canada do require a prescription and they can grab them at the border which they did to my sister. I can't afford to have that happen.

BCBS sucks. I use to have HMO"s and at least you could afford to get treatment geesh.. this 70/30 stuff is horrible. I pay out my premiums and 30% that is too much for people who are no living on one income. Hubbys unemployment will run out in 4 weeks. Life sucks.

I go to work and I hear people talking about shopping, and getting a laser treatment to fix their dark spots and I think geesh, how selfish can people be? Wages have dropped on the lower income people, the upper incomes have not suffered such loses and yet they do not see that as redistribution of wealth? I sure do as I know that dropping wages on the rest of us paid for their increases.

Anyhow, thanks for the thoughts and suggestions but I have thought of those. Right now I am thinking of divorce and having hubby file to get some help for his health issues. And, yes he did smoke and started in the 50's before their were warnings on packages and you could buy them at any age out of machines.. he was hooked that is for sure. He has stopped but I think he had one a couple times a year. Once your hooked it is hard to stop ....

[lovebirds]

How can they grab your drugs at the border if you have a prescription? Sneaky in old bottles? My cousin sends me Retin-A from Canada but I guess that is a different medication entirely. You could try mail order? Is the trip worth it for costs?

I do understand you about the money issue. I am working while my husband is back in school (after being laid off and severely injured three times). My work clothes have holes in them and it makes my a bit bitter when I hear about people going shopping. I know my hubby will eventually graduate college and get back to work and then we can finally start building an emergency fund and start a family.

I'm tired of dealing with private health insurance and have applied for a transfer to France in 4 years. I feel like my health insurance can just deny anything they want, whenever they want. I feel like a ticking time bomb even though I am only 25 years old and in perfect health. I do not wish to raise a family in such conditions. I don't mind paying more in taxes if I will never see a medical bill ever again.

[LuciluS]

Actually I would love to have medicare, my Dad says it is great. He pays for a supplement 300.00 per month for him and wifey and they pay for nothing else!!! I pay that much and pay for 30% of everything else up to 9,000.00... geesh.

The problem is we don't have the money for another doctors visit to get another prescription or to pay the dr we owe or we would not be filing a BK. And meds from Canada do require a prescription and they can grab them at the border which they did to my sister. I can't afford to have that happen.

BCBS sucks. I use to have HMO"s and at least you could afford to get treatment geesh.. this 70/30 stuff is horrible. I pay out my premiums and 30% that is too much for people who are no living on one income. Hubbys unemployment will run out in 4 weeks. Life sucks.

I go to work and I hear people talking about shopping, and getting a laser treatment to fix their dark spots and I think geesh, how selfish can people be? Wages have dropped on the lower income people, the upper incomes have not suffered such loses and yet they do not see that as redistribution of wealth? I sure do as I know that dropping wages on the rest of us paid for their increases.

Anyhow, thanks for the thoughts and suggestions but I have thought of those. Right now I am thinking of divorce and having hubby file to get some help for his health issues. And, yes he did smoke and started in the 50's before their were warnings on packages and you could buy them at any age out of machines.. he was hooked that is for sure. He has stopped but I think he had one a couple times a year. Once your hooked it is hard to stop ....

YYes, I've heard A Medicare supplemental policy is Great for Retired people, but it is not Great for those who are disabled, like me and live in AR. Medicare by itself, does not pay for prescriptions. You must have a supplemental policy that will pay for prescriptions.

There is only one HealthCare Provider which Medicare will approve for the supplemental policy & prescriptions. It is Blue Cross/Blue Shield...go figure.

Medicare medical insurance for me is the pits. It will pay 100% for a Mammogram, but if you have cancer cells & need a biopsy, like I did...My cost was $250. Doesn't make sense to me.

Also, BC/BS prescription policy is the pits. 2 of the medications I need, they are not covered. One is Valium which is used for the degenerative disk & joint disease in my neck. Before, my doc prescribed Valium, I was on 4 muscle relaxers & couldn't turn my head. Now I'm on 1 muscle relaxer & the Valium and am able to turn my neck which allowed me to return back to driving to my doctor's visit, to the bank & pharmacy. Valium cost me $29.92 a month. Right off hand, I can't remember the other drug they will not cover. Their plan is a 3 tier drug plan & some of my meds cost me $34 a month.

My BIL told me once I turn 65, my policy would be an excellent one and would cover everything. So, because I'm disabled, under 65 & must carry Medicare, I get penalized for 15 years. Doesn't make any sense does it?

He told me to make sure I took out the supplemental policy. Because if I didn't now, when I turn 65 I would be denied any type of supplemental policy because of my disability.

I'm having to include the $250 in our BK because it just became due. When I went for my 3 month check-up mammo, I told them I owed the $250 & was filing BK. They told me there is no way they would deny me a Mammo. So, I know I'm okay on that certain Medical Center. Also including Dh's hospital bill for a week's stay of $1,695.12. Another medical bill is included of $295 where I had the nerve roots burned in my neck.

Yes, Dh and I are both worried about the medical bills we put in the BK. Going to try to pay the 2 small one after BK, but no way on the hospital bill & it's the closest hospital to us. Our monthly prescription bill is $500 with both of us having RX insurance. There is no 'Fresh Start' for those who are walking medical patients as both of us need continual medical procedures every 3 months.

I've never wanted to get old. Now, I can't wait until I get 65 years old. Weird huh?

Luci

[momisery]

Yes, it seems we have a donut hole so to speak in healthcare. When your old enough for things to start wearing out for most people is when employers decided they can do without you and hire cheaper younger labor. I truly believe that is what happened to hubby. I at least still work and can provide the healthcare insurance, but the coverage is simply not affordable. how can they expect someone to make so little and pay so much for coverage and still manage to pay a high deducatable. Then they play games with your prescription drugs in this state too. I am so ready to be over with this case, save up some cash and get the heck out of this place. Out west at least they had HMO's. But with the economy being so bad I doubt that I can afford to take a chance on leaving my job for the wild blue younder.

I am concerned about the medical bills. We thought hubby was having a heart attack or stroke so we took him to urgent care. We could not get a doctors appointment for 3 months. We had hoped a doctors visit would be cheaper than urgent care, but we could not wait. He was sick to his stomach, sweating but cold and clammy, his body temp dropped to 96.5, his heart rate went way up and his right arm started going numb and hurting all at the same time. Says heart to me! Anyhow, so far they think it is COPD and rapid heart beat is anyone guess. Scares me a bunch because it could be his arteries are blocking too, but they did do a stress test, so maybe that is okay? He is on 180.00 per month for his drugs now. I just don't bother taking mine because I can't get anyone to give me a years worth of blood pressure meds in this state. Docs here think you are made of bucks I guess, t hey want to keep you on 90 days and a doctors visit.. geesh. I am concerned that they will not allow us to BK the doctors bills because we got them right before we filed. We did not use a card, we are doing the BK with the doctors, hospitals and lab. Even trying to do a BK withthem is hard in MO. They seem to have several offices that bill you seperately and you don't want to miss one of the names they use or they will have you ... geesh. I hope all goes better for you, sounds like your having a horrible time of it. I guess we are suppose to die for about 15 years until we are ready for medicare? lol I am 60 though, so mine will be much faster.