Nurses working without health insurance

Nurses Activism

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Wondering if there are any nurses on here working without health insurance? Does your employer provide this?

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Specializes in med surg, psych, corrections, rehab.

I work for a small correctional health care corp. They cancelled the employee health insurance in 10/08, in 3/09 I had to have a hip replacement - $40,000.

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I work for a small correctional health care corp. They cancelled the employee health insurance in 10/08, in 3/09 I had to have a hip replacement - $40,000.

:eek: Yikes!

I hate health insurance. My husband has it through his work, and the company has already paid thousands into the policy. Even with all that money contributed I can't afford to get a surgery I need. It is a very sad state we live in.

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Specializes in med surg, psych, corrections, rehab.

It's becoming useless even when you have it - the new "high deductible" policies ensure you have to pay more and more out of pocket.

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Well, I do have health insurance. I pay $250 every 2 weeks for me and my infant son. My deductable??? 10,000. That means before I can even come close to benefiting from all the money I put into my 'insurance'. I have to pay $10,000 out of pocket!!! How ridiculous is that?? Recently, I fell in the snow and sprained my ankle and ended up paying close to a thousand dollars out of pocket for the office visit, xrays and brace and pain meds. Lucky me,,,,I caught the flu from work and went to the doctor. Cost me another almost $300 for the visit and meds.

Every time I take a bite out of my saving account for health related expenses, I wonder why I am paying $500 a month (sometimes more if its a 3 paycheck month).

Everytime I say I will cancel it. And I would in an instant, but there is the baby to worry about so I keep paying. I should really research if it's possible to have coverage just for him. Am sure it would be much cheaper.

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I pay for private health insurance. $220/ month for myself. My deductible - $1500, copay $30/ visit. It boggles my mind that people who have insurance plans tied to their place of work pay more than I do.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

How sad that the very people who try to care for the patients the very best they can can't get their health taken care of! and if you do get sick or injured the hospital cuts you loose so quick you never know what happened. Now, you have a "pre-existing condition" and they won't pay anything! Healthcare.........no one cares about your health.

I remember days of professional courtesy and if you went to the hospital you worked at they would accept the insurance and ignore the rest of the bill. I rememeber non-contributory retirement plans......I remember being vested:o. I remember someone cared onetime. Now, unless you work x amount of hours you aren't "eligible" for "benefits".....funny that the only positions open are the non benefitted one's.

"Healthcare? We don't have no stinkin healthcare!" no one cares about your health.......... the very people argueing about it will never have to worry about healthcare for their entire lives........nor will they ever have to pay for it either! (pssst.....That includes those Duggar people 19 kids and counting and Dick Cheney walking around with his portable vad! looking as if he already embalmed!) They don't have deductables NOR premiums to worry about and will have healthcare coverage for the rest of their lives because they were public servants!

Servants?????? Whom are they serving????? It certainly isn't me! Nor is it the very nurses caring for them who can't afford to have healthcare themselves........a sad state of affairs:crying2:

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This is sad. I feel sorry for all of you and your co-workers. I pay for myself about 200 a month for health insurance (with no prescription plan), my employer pays over 1000 a month for this insurance. My deductable is based upon what type of care I receive ( doctors office, in-patient hospital, ER visit, diagnostic test). It is a sad reality today but access to affordable health insurance is a major issue. Good Luck, hopefully, your next position you'll have better coverage.

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Specializes in Gyn/STD clinic tech.

i am a student, but i buy my own coverage. i have my coverage through bcbsnc, an individual ppo. i have had it for 10 years.

i pay 235$ a month. i have asthma.

my deductible is 3500$. my oop max is 6500.

er copay 150$ and it covers 100%

dr copay 25, urgent care 50, specialist 50. copays for rx..

for myself, 6500 oop max is not bad. that is excellent coverage just in case anything happens. i keep a savings account with that much money put aside as an emergency fund.

if i need a 50k surgery, or have an accident that runs in the 100's, at least i know that 6500 does not bankrupt me. i did have a major health issue back a few years, ran up a lot of bills, and i am thankful that 6500 is all i needed to pay.

my ins does not cover maternity, however.

some of the posters here may fair better by purchasing on the individual market using the hipaa laws.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
This is sad. I feel sorry for all of you and your co-workers. I pay for myself about 200 a month for health insurance (with no prescription plan), my employer pays over 1000 a month for this insurance. My deductable is based upon what type of care I receive ( doctors office, in-patient hospital, ER visit, diagnostic test). It is a sad reality today but access to affordable health insurance is a major issue. Good Luck, hopefully, your next position you'll have better coverage.

Oh I had insurance....until I got sick with a "chronic" progressive disorder. even though at the time I could still do my job with MINOR adjustment.......My performance suddenly lacked.....and I was sacked! (after 15 years of impeccable performence reviews) COBRA expires....now you have a pre-existing condition......uninsurable!:mad:

My advice? Never get old and never get sick....

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Specializes in Gyn/STD clinic tech.

This is not meant as a jab, but it does seem like people want something for nothing, sometimes. You cannot expect to have excellent health care, treatments performed quickly, etc, and only pay 50$ a month. Health care is costly.

A lot of people do not make health insurance a priority. They will pay 200$ for a pair of shoes, or spend 500$ a month eating out at nice restaraunts, but scoff at the idea of paying that for their health coverage.

I know that low income people lack options. I am referring to people who have the income, but choose to live beyond their means in other aspects f their lives.

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Specializes in Gyn/STD clinic tech.

you can go from an employee health plan to the individual market and qualify for a "no medical underwriting" plan. i do believe this is true of cobra as well.

these situations are why i will never accept employer based health coverage, i want to own my plan. i do not want my coverage tied to employment, it's very risky imo.

if people purchased ins at age 18-19-20 when they are healthy, they would have coverage later when they are not so healthy. young adults need to be encouraged to protect their health and assets with insurance, which will overall keep their costs lower.

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