Held hostage by the medical system

[uptomyeyeballs]

Hello All,
I saw a report the other day on the news about the increase in medical bankruptcies. As I watched that report I for once knew that I was not alone. My life has been turned upside down because of one botched surgery on my spleen. This one surgery has led to two surgery. 2 abcesses, 1 empyema and now repair of a hole in my diaphragm, made by the surgeon, because my intestines are pushing up on my lungs. I do have insurance through my work. Work which I have not been able to go to in 4 months because of the IV line I constantly carry. MY sick leave pool is about to run out and then I am up a creek. What are people like me supposed to do? I have an 8 year old son who depends on everything from this single parent. I have declared bankruptcy but frankly, I don't know if I will be able to afford the payments. As my screen name implies...I am up to my eyeballs in debt and problems with no way out.

[SUSA]

I am sorry to hear of your problems. May I ask if your medical coverage will be cut at some point if you can not return to work? I know when I became ill and could not return to work my insurance only lasted the 6 months I was on disability. I was then eligible for Cobra but that was pretty expensive. This is information that most people are not aware of. You get a long term illness and you are up the creek. I would suggest you try for medicaid so that your son can stay covered and check with social services. This is not how it should be. Let us hope our elected officials forget about their political BS and start to worry about the Americans who put them in office. B\Good luck to you

[Pucky]

I admit that I am not an expert in the area about health insurance ... but, I would like to suggest in the interim until health care coverage is worked out ... that a pool be paid into ... and as the need arises, folks who need medical attention can receive medical attention ... while the rest that are paying into the pool and are relatively healthy do not find it necessary to use the insurance except for the yearly physicals medicines etc. Of course there would be a list of what was considered high priorities (emergency cases) versus the other level of medical care ... including prescriptions.

[uptomyeyeballs]

Thanks for your replies to my post....to answer some questions. my insurance will only be good for the time I will need to be on short term disability which will be 3 more months. It pays 60% of my income. I have spoken to at least one lawyer who was quite indignent and said "We can't sue for infections." I guess he didn't hear me say that I now have to have a hernia from my intestines into my lung space fixed/. I don't think that you can consider that an expected outcome..so..i will talk to some more lawyers. At this time, because I am getting some income, i still make too much to qualify for medicaid, food stamps or any of that stuff. I have to make a lot less.. I still have not given up..i am determined to make this guy pay for all of the months of pain, infection, surgeries and money that he has made me endure.

[Sadanie]

I admit that I am not an expert in the area about health insurance ... but, I would like to suggest in the interim until health care coverage is worked out ... that a pool be paid into ... and as the need arises, folks who need medical attention can receive medical attention ... while the rest that are paying into the pool and are relatively healthy do not find it necessary to use the insurance except for the yearly physicals medicines etc. Of course there would be a list of what was considered high priorities (emergency cases) versus the other level of medical care ... including prescriptions.


I like that idea of a "pool." And basically it is the way many "universal healthcare" coverage provided in many countries is based on. . .by covering EVERYONE, it spreads the risk over a much greater population, with a much greater age span, so that the "average" bill is much lower than the "average bill" for some narrower insurance group (i.e., insurance who cover mostly age bearing people. . .like the bulk of our work force. . .can almost predict the cost of all the pregnancies, infants' care, etc. . .).
Same thing with medicare. . .if medicare was not restricted to people over 65 (a high risk population due to aging etc. . .), but included EVERYONE for basic care at least. . .the "average cost" or "per capita" cost would go down drastically. . .and we could almost pay for the coverage of a great percentage of the population with the current cost of covering ONLY people over 65!

[Sadanie]

Thanks for your replies to my post....to answer some questions. my insurance will only be good for the time I will need to be on short term disability which will be 3 more months. It pays 60% of my income. I have spoken to at least one lawyer who was quite indignent and said "We can't sue for infections." I guess he didn't hear me say that I now have to have a hernia from my intestines into my lung space fixed/. I don't think that you can consider that an expected outcome..so..i will talk to some more lawyers. At this time, because I am getting some income, i still make too much to qualify for medicaid, food stamps or any of that stuff. I have to make a lot less.. I still have not given up..i am determined to make this guy pay for all of the months of pain, infection, surgeries and money that he has made me endure.


Good for you. Keep your spirit and I hope you'll get some help from a good attorney.

[katy]

God bless you up to my eyeballs! I certainly understand, I myself have had 20 surgeries, and it just gets more difficult everytime, Please look for a good Medical Malpractice attorney, but please check thier reputation with the bar to make sure they arent crooked as well! (some of these guys do work together you know) I will pray for you, also go to your city/and or county to get assistance for your utilities etc. good luck!! there is help out there, and given your circumstances you will qualify, it is just difficult looking for the help. You will be in my prayers!