Insurance

[legalmoose]

There should be a way to unclog your ears without popping pills when your sinuses are feeling icky. :-p

In other news, I think I made my decision on my health insurance for this next year. It's "open season" for the feds, when we get to choose to change insurance for the next calendar year if we wish. I had a wonderful HMO when I first joined the feds, they paid for most things I needed with minimal deductibles. Took them because they were the only HMO my doc was taking that I could choose at the time. Then they shut down (they were still solvent, but shut down voluntarily), and I went with another national plan that was of comparable premiums because it was the one plan my doctor was in and I wanted to keep my doctor.

Well, that plan has sucked gorilla butt this year. They've not covered shit, and I've been very, very unhappy with them. So I was looking at other plans because the doctor has gotten "in network" with a couple others this past year. And in looking at them all, I've decided I just can't afford to keep my doctor. The insurance plans in which he's participating cost too much for the services I use, with deductibles that are too high, premiums that don't justify the deductibles, and copays that are too damned confusing. So I'm going to go to Kaiser, get more services for less money, and ditch this wretched plan I have now. I don't relish the idea of going to a new doctor, but them's the breaks.

The whole reason I've been so adamant on keeping my doctor is that he's queer, and The Ex and I had some really bad experiences with non-queer (and decidedly non-queer friendly) doctors in St. Louis. Ever since then I've insisted on having a gay doctor. I just don't want a medical professional looking visibly uncomfortable when I have to describe anything about my life (sex-related or otherwise).

They'd better have queer friendly doctors there or I'm kicking ass and taking names.

Comments

queer friendly

[virtualexile.livejournal.com]

I'll help you kick ass!

[lorelei-aisling.livejournal.com]

I hate HMOs and other health insurance type things! Especially when I have to leave a doctor I feel comfortable with.

[ironmanjt.livejournal.com]

I've heard Kaiser is pretty gay-friendly. That said, I've also heard they can be VERY difficult with people who know what treatment they want. Kaiser is notorious for "lets try every cheap route first before prescribing anything name-brand."

[legalmoose]

So I've heard. The only place that'll be an issue will be my claritin, and that's supposed to dump off patent anyway, so a generic should be available soon enough.

Re:

[ironmanjt.livejournal.com]

Yup, or you can always get it in Canada. ;-)