I would like to know what kind of medical insurance benefits nurses normally have under various levels of certification and from different types of employers. I am not a nurse -yet- but I am looking at it as a second career after I early retire. Mostly though I am asking for the benefit of my kids who are in college, as a potential career for them.
Son has a condition that does not impair him at all, as long as he gives himself IV shots several times a week. Unfortunately they costs thousands each shot. While still a student, he is covered 100% by his dad's insurance which is super. After this runs out in 2 years, he would be refused any private policy and must rely on his future employer. He cannot get Medicare disability because he is not disabled (we tried). Though he might become disabled if he can no longer get his medicine. My daughter is on some medications but her costs are much more typical.
Also before my husband died of cancer, we noted a lot of unfairness in the system. We stood in line at a cancer center pharmacy and picked up a 30 day supply of a cancer drug for a small copay (Thalomid). In the next line, a woman had to write a check for 10,000 copay with the same prescription (and also the same insurance company but a different type of policy). So just because somebody is "insured" doesn't mean they have enough coverage to handle a worst case type of disease that could happen to any of us.
While my husband was a patient at a major cancer center in Houston, I asked an RN what her coverage was like. She said it was pretty good (I think it was from the state), but they probably would not get approved for a transplant, like a bone marrow transplant. I filed that away in my mind since I was pretty occupied at the time, but I wonder if many of us really know what our insurance covers and how far it will go?
Most people here don't seem as concerned with medical insurance as other job factors, so I am hoping that it's not a big problem with nursing as a career, and that everybody had good insurance.
Do RNs and LVN/LPN's working for hospitals, agencies, doctors offices, etc. have good enough coverage to actually become sick?
I would appreciate input from all walks of nursing. This is something that as a mother, I lie awake worrying about since my son will soon face life without his dad's insurance. After repeatedly waking up worrying about this all night, I decided to come to this board for help this morning.
Thank you so much in advance for anything you can share.
