I signed up for medical insurance thru job

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colliegrace
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19 Nov 2023, 12:20 am

I got low premium Blue Shield thru my job. At the time I didn't think about it, but I wonder how it will affect my experience with the mental health clinic. I've been going there for years at this point with all my expenses covered by the state.

Was signing up for insurance a mistake? Will I need to pay for my expensive medications now?

I'll call the clinic on Monday and ask them I guess.


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ASD level 1 & ADHD-C (professional dx), dyscalcula (self dx), very severe RSD. Probably have BPD.

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MatchboxVagabond
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19 Nov 2023, 7:45 pm

colliegrace wrote:
I got low premium Blue Shield thru my job. At the time I didn't think about it, but I wonder how it will affect my experience with the mental health clinic. I've been going there for years at this point with all my expenses covered by the state.

Was signing up for insurance a mistake? Will I need to pay for my expensive medications now?

I'll call the clinic on Monday and ask them I guess.

Depending on where you're located, you might not be entitled to stay on the state plan if you have a plan available through work anyways.

The private insurers often have a larger network of providers available and shorter wait times. It was an absolute nightmare trying to get ADHD treatment when I was on medicaid. I wound up giving up and just asking my GP for a prescription, which is apparently the typical way it's done around here.



BTDT
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19 Nov 2023, 8:17 pm

Usually the work plan is better. Major benefit of having a job is health insurance.



DanielW
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19 Nov 2023, 8:38 pm

Generally speaking, Private insurance can be better than public - you may have a co-pay now and you night also not be able to use your present medical providers (it would depend on whether or not they are in or out of your new insurance network). The same of your primary care provider. You may need to see a new Dr. and get a new prescription as well.

People generally get public insurance because their income is low enough to qualify for it. If you have private insurance, you will probably have more out of pocket expenses than you would have had before.



BTDT
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20 Nov 2023, 12:38 am

Stuff like co-payments you need to ask about. They are all different these days.



MatchboxVagabond
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21 Nov 2023, 10:17 pm

BTDT wrote:
Stuff like co-payments you need to ask about. They are all different these days.

Yes, and I miss the days when the copay was something that could be reliably known ahead of time. These days, most plans seem to have the copay be some percentage of the final bill. But, as a country, we decided to spend our money bombing brown people in foreign countries, so we don't get public medical care or even a public option.



BTDT
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22 Nov 2023, 1:35 am

If you get old enough we do have Medicare.
Most folks don't consider the hospice option under Medicare.
Medicare basically pays for all hospice treatment.