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Funny how I moved to Washington more than two decades ago, and was gainfully employed for nearly all those years. But after we elect a Mr. Community Organizer and all his left-leaning rowdy friends, I lose two jobs in a 17 month span. Fuck this era of Hope and Change. No he fuckin’ can’t!
If you read my End of 2010 post, you know I lost my long-held job in January 2010. I was with The Company — as I call them to avoid being outed by Google Alerts — for more than five years. I considered that job an extension of the job I held for more than seven years prior. I started working for Nebula ISP (another obfuscation) in March 1997 then left and started with The Company in June 2004. Nebula ISP was acquired by The Company mere weeks after I joined, so to me it felt like the same job with a lot of the same customers. I had “that same job” for more than thirteen years before being axed by a gloomy burro.
Last year, it took me six months to find a new job. I’m not terribly picky. I like a challenging Information Technology job with medical benefits and a paycheck that allows me to pay for housing, my truck payment, bills, food, and a little left over for fun. I don’t chase the almighty dollar; I’m content with my simple life. So when I got hired last July as the IT Manager at a startup aircraft company in Burlington, I was happy. But once again, Captain Teleprompter’s lack of economic prowess reared its ugly head and I was ousted from my job by an outsourcing company in June. It didn’t pay Seattle salaries, but it was enough to pay all my obligations and provided me with health insurance. But now for the second time in less than a year and a half, I’m on the unemployment (unenjoyment) hamster wheel again, sans health insurance. Don’t hate me ’cause I’m livin’ the dream, motherfuckers!
If you know me or have read this mundane collection of self-involved tomes before, you may (or may not) know that several years ago I was diagnosed with a disease where my red blood cell production increases to compensate for low oxygen levels caused by asthma. The disease is called polycythemia secondary to asthma. Basically, it’s a fancy lad’s way of saying my blood sometimes has the viscosity of biscuit gravy. Of course, thicker blood means a slower rate of blood flow through my veins and arteries which increases the risk of blood clots. Blood clots can cause a stroke, a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, as well as unsolicited bulk email and biblical plagues. Those last two might be exaggerations.
The point of me airing this medical laundry list is the fact that I have no medical insurance. These blood abnormalities require a CBC every 60 days to check my hematocrit (percentage of blood volume that is made up of red blood cells) then literally drain a unit of blood in my hematocrit is too high. In addition to these scheduled CBCs and plebotomies, there’s an appointment with the hematologist every 12 weeks, and three different drug prescriptions to control asthma that would cost me $465 a month without insurance. Oh, I was eligible for continued coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985. However, we all know that “unenjoyment” pays a fraction of your recently-lost weekly salary, and the $276 monthly COBRA payment just couldn’t fit into my newly down-sized budget.
At my last hematologist appointment in early August, my hematocrit was 50.5%, which is over the “Stab Jim and Let Him Bleed” threshold. However, since my ability to pay is in question, we decided to go all in and let it ride until early September. After I was kicked free, I was sent to the Financial Office at the hospital, just across the hall from where I see the doc. I was fully expecting them to anally rape me with a giant accounts receivable ledger, or at least talk to me about how I expect to pay my bill (since they can no longer bilk my old insurance company). The girl I talked to seemed helpful, and had me fill out some forms for financial aid. She told me that a lot of times, the hospital will pay a patient’s COBRA because it’s often cheaper than writing off all or a portion of their bill. Sweet! That would allow the hospital to get paid for my needed lab work, phlebotomies, and doctor visits, AND make it possible for me to get my prescriptions. I left the hospital only to return a couple days later with my COBRA paperwork. Financial said they would look at all the options and let me know. What options? Pay my COBRA, dammit!
A few days later, I get a voice mail from the hospital. Instead of paying my $276 COBRA bill, they say they’ll deduct 50% of bill. Really? That’s awful nice of them, but with just one CBC and Lab work plus a visit with the hematologist, my bill is already over $550. Add another visit in early September with a phlebotomy, and my bill will easily exceed $1500. So, the fifty percent they’ll comp me over two months is approximately $750. However, if they just paid the COBRA bill over the same period of time, the cost is $552 AND I’d be able to pay the copays on my prescriptions, or visit my primary care physician (PCP). Great… In order to get my meds, I had to ask my PCP to fill out the “if you can’t afford your medication” applications and send them to the pharmaceutical companies. Nothing makes me feel shittier than asking for a hand out. Fuck.
I fail to see their logic here, but I’m not a bean counter. In my mind, the insurance company would pay the hospital the charged amount. But apparently that’s not how it works, as the insurance company pays what THEY think is a fair price, not what the hospital charges. Makes me wonder why us patients can’t pay what WE feel is a fair price instead of being stuck paying $12 for a single Tylenol.
Anyway, let’s just say the charged amount is $1500 over two months, but the insurance company says they’re only going to pay $1200 of it. Subtract the $552 they’d pay for COBRA in those two months, and the net amount is $648. I guess the hospital figures they’ll get more money comping me half… but that’s only if I actually pay my half. Ha!
I’m still fiercely opposed to Obamacare. But I can see where a little bit of temporary help by hospitals and insurance companies for people between jobs (and only for a short time) could be beneficial. Thankfully, my PCP was uber cool and gave me a few free sample so I’m not doing without my meds. I’ll spare everyone a diatribe on the politics of social healthcare. Fuck, if I got into it, I’d be typing until my gentleman bits dropped from gravity’s slow, cruel pull.
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