Thursday, November 1, 2007

Meds

Well, I finally broke down and did it. I went to a Dr even though I have no medical insurance or coverage at all. I haven't been super-sick, and I kept hoping I'd just get better eventually. I thought it was just a cold. But it has now been 3 1/2 weeks and I'm not getting better. I'm starting to forget what normal feels like...

For some reason, every time I had to explain today that I don't have insurance (over the phone making the appointment, explaining to the person examining me why I waited so long to get checked out and how I hoped for cheap meds, talking to the billing person about what they were going to charge me...), I felt like I was going to cry. I'm hoping that's just the PMS...?

Anyways, I now have a script for an antibiotic that should cover any infection in my chest and/or sinuses, and should not cost me an arm and a leg. The appointment, however, was not cheap. Oh well, as my dad pointed out, paying all this is still cheaper than it would have been to have paid for some type of insurance for these few months.

So, hopefully, within a day or 2, this stuff will do it's think and I'll start remembering what normal is.

2 comments:

Inkling said...

I'm with you. I remember the days here in between various jobs when I didn't have health insurance. Medical care in the USA is so expensive, and it's always daunting to know when to go and when to hold back. I paid to see my Ob/Gyn here this past summer when we came back for a visit, since Canada only lets you see those guys if you have a serious reason. Paying cash wasn't exactly pretty, but it was better than not going at all.

And until my government healthcare was approved in Canada (after my permanent residency came through), we always had to decide if it was going to be worth it to pay the walk-in clinic doctor and go buy meds. However, even though we had to pay cash for all of that, I bet all of my cumulative visits and meds were still cheaper than the one visit to the doctor here as a self-pay.

I wish there was an easy solution - doctors and drugs get paid for while patients get seen without having to pay an arm and a leg. Oy. That's a pipe dream.

I'm glad you were able to be seen though, and I hope you feel better. I also hope that God sends you some gift of money to make up for what you had to dole out. Wouldn't that be fun?! =)

OTRgirl said...

Just catching up after a busy week. I miss grape pies! Your post reminded me of the trip we made (with you, right?) down to the grape fest.

Love the photos! I MISS fall.

I had three years right after college without insurance. NO fun.