Who has health insurance but still can not afford to go to the doctor?

Question

We have health insurance through my husbands work which he pays $65 a week for. Before our insurance pays for anything we have an $800 per year family deductible and a $25 per visit co-pay. Then the insurance pays 80% of whatevers left. I feel like we are wasting the $65 a week because we never use the insurance. We can't afford to go to the doctor. I have even tried to take my kids to the community health clinic where they charge a fee on a sliding scale but they won't see us because we have insurance.

What do people do who don't qualify for any goverment assitance but still can not afford to go to a doctor?

to red: We never eat out, we have no credit card debt and we both work. We live in the country, 20 minutes drive from town. We are not losers who put anything before our children, we are working class people who have four children. I don't appreciate you insinuating that I am eating mcdonalds everyday and driving a bmw and that's why I can't afford to take my kids to the doctor. I sacrifice everything fo my kids. New clothes?! I havn't had those for years. A date with my husband?! what a joke.

We were teenage parents who instead of dropping out and getting on welfare we graduated high school and worked our butts off. And we are still doing it. I walk my children to school, I take good care of their things because I have three boys so I know that everything needs to be handed down.

It is ridiculous to assume that I am putting anything before the welfare of my children, I am lamenting the high cost of health care and am wondering if anyone is in the same boat.

Oh yeah and we don't have cable!!!!

Answer 1

I hear you, I have a similar plan as you....The working class gets it up the wazoo while the less poor and lazy are getting it all for nothing........

Answer 2

I recommend you this site to get quotes - COVERCOMPARE.INFO- RE How could she afford health insurance? Here's the real life monthly budget of a 28 year old woman I recently met: Wages +1760 [$10 an hour; full time, no holiday bonus pay] Taxes -250 [Social Security, Medicare and Federal Income Tax] Take Home = 1510 rent 600 [1/2 of shared apartment] car 300 [includes auto insurance and repairs] food 200 [and household supplies] electric 50 [her half] cell ph 50 church 50 clothes 100 [includes makeup, beauty, and entertainment] replacements 165 [primarily for her car = 2,000/yr] {used car replaced about every four years with another used car that is about 6 years old when bought. Monthly costs are 150 for insurance, 50 for gas, and 100 for repairs. She has no auto loan payment.] *** How much does this woman have left to buy health insurance with? *** you're exactly right -- ZERO her employer offers all employees a fine health plan -- at a cost of 700 a month for a single employee [employer contribution is zero]. Is there any way she could possibly afford health insurance? Only if it is free. There is no other way. *** what does this woman do if/when she gets sick? because she works in health care, she aks the doctor who sees her patients while he's at her workplace. he looks at her off the record and writes an Rx if needed. cost = zero plus the Rx. *** Here's the challenge -- how do you pay for her health insurance without raising her taxes?? [She can't afford any higher taxes.] Notice that, aside from her car replacement fund, she has no savings, no retirement plan other than Social Security, and almost no assets. One credit card, zero balance, used once a week on average, always pays it off. *** Dear Congressman: This woman is your uninsured target. She almost literally can't afford to pay anything for health insurance; and certainly can't afford fancy health insurance -- she's just barely making it as is. [She makes too much to be eligible for Medicaid since she has no kids.] What's her plan for a serious illness? Go to the hospital, get admitted, and go bankrupt afterward. She has an older used car and no assets -- nothing to be taken away [her car fund would be emptied for rent and food while she's unable to work]. Tell us how this is going to work -- her employer, btw, is almost bankrupt now, so you can't tax it to provide the health insurance unless you also increase health care reimbursements to providers.

Answer 3

I really understand what you're saying. I battled breast cancer for 2 years and I'm still under close watch, and the bills are killing us.

But when I get those Explanation of Benefits statements and see what the insurance company has shelled out, then I know why we're paying those premiums. My radiation therapy treatment alone was $18K! If we hadn't had health insurance when I was diagnose, I'm sure I wouldn't be alive right now. My cancer team was able to get overrides on a lot of tests and treatments that the insurance company initially denied, so I have gotten better care than I would have as an indigent patient. And I could never have afforded the cost of treatment to date. We would never be able to pay that amount off in our lifetime.

But I understand what you're saying. Even with insurance (which is darned expensive) the co-pays and so forth are just killing us.

And consider this: I was fit and in great health, and breast cancer came out of nowhere . . . TWICE. That's why insurance is important.

Chin up! I know it's difficult to make ends meet these days, but hang in there.

Good thoughts are coming your way.

Answer 4

My health insurance is okay, but it costs me and my company a lot of money. It is worth it, mostly because we have a family of 5. However, our dental and other insurance is very bad. I almost never go to the dentist because even with insurance we pay hundreds of dollars, or maybe thousands, for any dental work.

The insurance is really for the bad things. The $800 deductible is bad. However, if you, your husband, or kids are really sick or are in an accident, that will be nothing compared to what things will cost without the insurance. Most people who declare bankruptcy do so because of medical bills (not credit card debt). You should keep the insurance if at all possible.

Answer 5

Ours is the same.

You have an $800/family deductible? Do you have two kids?
If you do, and the work insurance will cost less by not insuring them, drop them from your husband's coverage. The medical care for the two of you will be in better reach, (#1) and (#2), you can get State Childrens' Health Insurance plans.

family of 4, in some states, your income can be up to $61,950 and you can get state childrens' insurance.
First, read this current article (link below), then ask your State about insurance for the kids.

Answer 6

Yes, I feel your pain. My husband and I pay $220/month and have a $1000 deductable. Our insurance also pays 80% and we have to cover the rest. Our copay is $25, we can afford that, but if we get sick and have to have anything done, we will be screwed because we have to come up with $2000 bucks right up front (1000 for each of us).

I'm just hoping nothing bad happens so we don't have to use it.

Luckily for us though, we don't have any kids. I can't imagine having to pay for children as much as they stay sick. I feel for you.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 7

this may not be what you want to hear, but Oprah did a show on a family who couldn't afford 1k a month health care, because they were over 300+k in credit card debt. they are very affluent looking, but are about to be homeless. they put everything before health care and one of their children's teeth are rotting out and another child has a tumor behind her eye and is supposed to have an MRI done every year. the parents haven't done it. they did have money to spend for starbucks, manicures, 4k birthday parties, murals on their very large house. susie ormond told them, you have to sell your house and if you don't do it NOW you will be homeless. they were maxed out. they are just an example of what millions of families are doing to themselves. it's time to do a reality check.

i've been a divorced mom without help from my family and there's something people need to realize. you can do it if you cut back. if you go out to eat, then you can afford it. if you are driving to run errands, when you live within 1-2 miles of the store, you can afford it. if you're eating meat at you're meals, you can afford it. if you have cable, you can afford it. if you are making a car payment, when you could get a used car and pay cash, you can afford it. what they are asking you to pay is not that much, it's just that no one likes to pay for it.

best wishes. i hope it works out. BTW i hate western medical doctors and the insurance companies as much as anyone, but i don't think what you're asked to pay is unreasonable.

Answer 8

I literally have a "doctor's office only" savings account. Every paycheck I put $50 into it. I treat like a bill, I make myself think that I HAVE to put the money there.

Don't get me wrong, I have run it empty already. Especially that first year, but during those periods of time where it seems like no one gets sick, it builds back up again just in time for everyone to get sick.

Answer 9

i cant either i just dont pay the bills when they come in..
it really rough and ive been very sick and i still feel like im wasting money on it. everyones insurance is bad and its getting worse some people have $60 co pays yuck.

Answer 10

In england we have the NHS, which pays for mostly everything and we have to pay coucil tax to fund things like that xD