Looking For Health Insurance While Being Bi-polar

Dannie:

what is the purpose of you getting health insurance?

Is it so that the insurance company will pay for your medications?

If so, forget it. No insurance company will issue individual health insurance and pay for the expensive medications you are currently taking.

Also, no insurer will cover someone with bipolar disease. The only type of coverage you will be able to purchase will be very very limited.

Yes and no. I also need general health coverage,like for regular Dr.Visits and for female Dr.Visits, and in the event I ever get pregnant again i'll need prenatal care. That's what i'm looking for. It sucks that you either have to be fithly richto afford a private insurance :twisted: or an illegal immagrant to get the state to pay for it. :twisted: :shock: :x
well anyway my search goes on.

Needing health insurance while being bi-po;lar
posted: 06-21-05 6:24pm

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yes and no. I also need general health coverage,like for regular Dr.Visits and for female Dr.Visits, and in the event I ever get pregnant again i'll need prenatal care. That's what i'm looking for. It sucks that you either have to be fithly richto afford a private insurance :twisted: or an illegal immagrant to get the state to pay for it. :twisted: :shock: :x
well anyway my search goes on.
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dannie:

you're trying to obtain health insurance for the wrong reasons. Whenever you purchase a policy that covers the small items you're interested in, you will pay through the nose. Also, underwriting (acceptance) becomes astronomically more difficult.

The buying public needs to realize that insurance companies make most of their money by paying for your doctor visits, medications, etc. They do so by charging a very high premium for this part of the coverage.

Since health insurance is not designed to cover the small items, I suggest that you seek out a policy with a minimum deductible of no lower than $5,000. No doctor visits, no prenatal, no female doctor visits. You need insurance for the $350,000 cancer treatments, $250,000 heart problems, and so on. All high-dollar procedures that your hospital is not obligated to perform if you do not have the means (health insurance) to pay for it.

While you're at it, make sure your plan is a "health savings account (hsa)". This allows you to take the premiums that you are saving (by purchasing a high-deductible plan) and put it into an account. You can then use this hsa money from your account to pay for your doctor visits, etc. Also, any money you put (there is a maximum) in your hsa account is tax deductible (right off the top!).

Lastly, by purchasing a high-deductible plan, the insurance company will (usually) be a little more lenient in issuing the policy.

Happy hunting!

I hate to hear about your problem but I have been there. I still do not have insurance so what my doctor suggest for the time being is to get on prozac, generic, and a valium-clonazapam. I have been taking the two and it only runs me about $125.00. It does help alot and when I feel real edgey, I use more of the valium. That is so I don't bite everyone's head off. It is a tough situation and I can't believe there is not more help out there. The medication I need to be on is around $700./mo. I just can't do that. I hate the pharmacitical companies. They are raping us! Maybe try something like this. Let me know if it helps you. Good luck.

Brokenwing
(texas)

Is there some sort of government assistance for medications/ hospitalizations? I would like to go back to school, but my family tells me that I will have to get a job with benefits (ie full time) - like a group policy, so that I can't be denied. Would that even work? Do I have to do that? Help, please.

DONT PEOPLE IN THE HEALTH CARE FIELD GET IT?

Bipolar disorder is an astronomical COST health disorder/disease.
just ask the bill collectors hounding me 24 hours a day.

I can tell you, sorry to say,....you will have to get on Medicare/Medicaid to get help.....
and you will eventually have to ask for a court appointed lawyer to help you get approval. No one care about the mentally ill in America. Period. They just don't.
Where I live....there is a 3-4 month wait to get into a sliding fee dr.
Guess what in 3-4 months.... I can go from completely fine to not sleeping for 72 hours and thinking Im working for HBO to defeat the devil. (dont ask, trying to understand will not help)

In America..... you have diabetes.... you are covered. No problem.
what's that? Your body does not make enough sugar to keep you alive?
No problem.... we will supplement that with medication....

Whats that..... you brain does not make the correct amount or chemicals to
insure you will retain your wits, and not kill yourself?

Well f you.

Im sorry.
Your out of luck.
You could go to charities.........and sometimes there are programs your dr can write to for you to get free meds.

And like the above person claimed.... where I live Illegal immigrants are getting health care free.........I a tax payer,.......an AMERICAN can not get help.
this country sucks.
I would be better off living in socialized cuba fro christs sake. So would you.

My insurance dropped me, but I was paying 350/mo. + cost of meds, so I'm really better off.
I get ear infections and sinus infections regularly, but I go to a community health center. It's based on a sliding scale, so I pay the highest amount- $20, and I get my prescriptions there. They don't have Lamictal, though.
I don't know if any of you know about Partnership for Prescription Assistance. Go to the website and see what they can do for you. I also got coupons (and a disposable camera [yeah, whatever you are thinking is what I said] directly from GlaxoSmithKline for $10 off a month. It's not much but I have to do what I can. I got a Walgreen's card too, so I end up with about $112/mo.
Also, at Vocational Rehab in SC, they gave me three months of meds free, and are helping me pay for school.
I'm learning more about what is out there, so the more I find out, the more I will share.