When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. John 9:6-7
I confess. I had to purchase something new this week, but not because I wanted to. I made my first trip to the eye doctor in about 20 years. I have to get glasses. Ugh. The damage of years and years of reading music in dim lighting and staring into a computer screen have finally taken their toll. My eyesight isn't all that horrible, but the strain on my eyes is now such that they itch and are tired most of the time, and I just want to squint. So, glasses it is.
I thought this might be a good opportunity to talk about health care expenses. I was surprised that my health insurance covered my visit to the eye doctor and even reduced the cost of my glasses by $76. I had fears of paying upwards of $500 for this trip. It wound up being about half of that.
When Kevin retired in June, obviously, his health insurance benefits ceased. Fortunately, because of his military service, (for better or worse) he can use the VA healthcare system for free. This means that his prescription medicines are free, too. He still likes to visit our civilian doctor, so we simply fork out the extra $100 for an office visit. Given that his other care is free, the cost tends to balance out and we're probably not spending any more than when he had health insurance.
I also receive dental insurance through my job. We chose to add Kevin to that policy, which only costs about $37 a month. Kevin has really brittle teeth and has had to have a lot of dental work. It is totally worth it for us to pay for the insurance. Otherwise, we could be staring down thousands of dollars of bills for dental work.
Unfortunately, healthcare is something that can really send a family spiraling downward financially. Kevin had two hip replacement surgeries last year. Without health insurance, we could be paying off more than $100,000 right now. We're certainly grateful that isn't the case.
A friend of mine, in her late 40s and self-employed, was able to get health insurance through Obamacare. For her, that's been a good thing. I don't have a firm opinion on all of that. I'm sure that like anything else there are pros and cons. When I was self-employed some years ago (and long before Obamacare), I paid for my own insurance. I was first with Blue Cross Blue Shield. I think I started paying less than $100 a month for that policy when I was about 21 years old. By the time I was in my late 20s, I was paying more than $250 a month. To reduce my expenses, I then got a policy through Mega Health and Life for about $130 a month (I think).
It was also at this time that I was paying big bucks to see a homeopathic physician. Alternative medicine is rarely covered under insurance. While I believe in the power of natural remedies, I'm not sure I believed in her abilities to diagnose. I wound up feeling worse than when I started. After some time, and a new traditional doctor, I've got a treatment plan that seems to be working. And, my pocketbook isn't bare from the cost.
Kevin has had some issues with doctors recently, too. He was going to a pain clinic to manage his pain from the hip surgeries, but also for arthritis and other issues related to a neck surgery he'd had in 2009. The slow-release pain meds they prescribed, designed to keep a steady stream of the medicine in the system, raise the serotonin levels in the brain. This medicine, combined with other medicines he takes, raised his serotonin levels dangerously high. This caused him to be overly restless and anxious. Calls to the clinic for assistance yielded nothing. Eventually, I took him to the VA hospital to detox. He has not returned to the pain clinic.
We've learned that as patients we have to be proactive. We don't blindly have to accept everything a doctor tells us. We have to ask questions. We have to express what is working and what isn't working. If we don't, it can wind up costing us more than money.
I confess. I had to purchase something new this week, but not because I wanted to. I made my first trip to the eye doctor in about 20 years. I have to get glasses. Ugh. The damage of years and years of reading music in dim lighting and staring into a computer screen have finally taken their toll. My eyesight isn't all that horrible, but the strain on my eyes is now such that they itch and are tired most of the time, and I just want to squint. So, glasses it is.
I thought this might be a good opportunity to talk about health care expenses. I was surprised that my health insurance covered my visit to the eye doctor and even reduced the cost of my glasses by $76. I had fears of paying upwards of $500 for this trip. It wound up being about half of that.
When Kevin retired in June, obviously, his health insurance benefits ceased. Fortunately, because of his military service, (for better or worse) he can use the VA healthcare system for free. This means that his prescription medicines are free, too. He still likes to visit our civilian doctor, so we simply fork out the extra $100 for an office visit. Given that his other care is free, the cost tends to balance out and we're probably not spending any more than when he had health insurance.
I also receive dental insurance through my job. We chose to add Kevin to that policy, which only costs about $37 a month. Kevin has really brittle teeth and has had to have a lot of dental work. It is totally worth it for us to pay for the insurance. Otherwise, we could be staring down thousands of dollars of bills for dental work.
Unfortunately, healthcare is something that can really send a family spiraling downward financially. Kevin had two hip replacement surgeries last year. Without health insurance, we could be paying off more than $100,000 right now. We're certainly grateful that isn't the case.
A friend of mine, in her late 40s and self-employed, was able to get health insurance through Obamacare. For her, that's been a good thing. I don't have a firm opinion on all of that. I'm sure that like anything else there are pros and cons. When I was self-employed some years ago (and long before Obamacare), I paid for my own insurance. I was first with Blue Cross Blue Shield. I think I started paying less than $100 a month for that policy when I was about 21 years old. By the time I was in my late 20s, I was paying more than $250 a month. To reduce my expenses, I then got a policy through Mega Health and Life for about $130 a month (I think).
It was also at this time that I was paying big bucks to see a homeopathic physician. Alternative medicine is rarely covered under insurance. While I believe in the power of natural remedies, I'm not sure I believed in her abilities to diagnose. I wound up feeling worse than when I started. After some time, and a new traditional doctor, I've got a treatment plan that seems to be working. And, my pocketbook isn't bare from the cost.
Kevin has had some issues with doctors recently, too. He was going to a pain clinic to manage his pain from the hip surgeries, but also for arthritis and other issues related to a neck surgery he'd had in 2009. The slow-release pain meds they prescribed, designed to keep a steady stream of the medicine in the system, raise the serotonin levels in the brain. This medicine, combined with other medicines he takes, raised his serotonin levels dangerously high. This caused him to be overly restless and anxious. Calls to the clinic for assistance yielded nothing. Eventually, I took him to the VA hospital to detox. He has not returned to the pain clinic.
We've learned that as patients we have to be proactive. We don't blindly have to accept everything a doctor tells us. We have to ask questions. We have to express what is working and what isn't working. If we don't, it can wind up costing us more than money.