At HCFA, we regularly get daily doses of reality. Here are two recent examples:
“I currently have no health insurance, its a god dam ripoff. Been paying $4000 a year for $5000 deductable. No claims for ten years, just $40,000 out the window. Finally had a $6000 operation, they agreed to pay 80% of costs minus $5000 deductable. So they paid nothing, and billed me another $4000 for another year with worse deductable. Out $10,000 for the year and they pay nothing? Screw them. I’ve switched my health plan to Dr. Kavorkian’s jail house phone number outside Detroit. He’ll tell me what kind of anti-freeze to drink when the bad one comes, and a lot cheaper than those 3-martini health insurance execs. Health insurance should have nothing to do with employment or employers. Its dragging down hiring and profits. Everyone is in and out of jobs or unemployed.”
And here’s a brief case synopsis from our HelpLine director, Michele Lee:
“I spoke with a woman who has been caretaker for her now adult disabled son. She just lost MassHealth because social security puts her over-income. She has cataracts and has lost sight in one eye. Now that she can’t see the doctor who has been treating her, she fears the state will find her unfit to care for her son and separate them. It is unlikely this will happen, but that’s her fear and nothing I say can allay it. HLA has put her case on the docket; we’re hoping for a mini-miracle.”
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