Tuesday, February 23, 2010

health insurance, again

I went to see my oncologist today. (And isn't that a sentence you don't think you'll ever write.)

I like her. She's a good doctor. Click here if you want to see her picture.

First I have to go the lab downstairs. You sign in, they check your insurance card, and the second you sit back down again they call your name. Very efficient.

When I had had my blood drawn I went upstairs and paid the $10 copay for the doctor's visit. I waited 15 minutes, then I got called in and the nurse took my blood pressure, and weight, and temperature.

She put me in a room and I waited another 15 minutes before the doctor showed up.

The visit took ten minutes. Maybe 15. Everything seemed OK.

Anthem Blue Cross is the largest health insurance company in California. I heard on the radio today that they are proposing to increase the rates for private insurance holders (people who buy their insurance on the open market, and don't get it through an employer) with up to 39%. Why? Because the company's costs have increased. In the recession young, healthy people drop their insurance when they loose their jobs. So Anthem Blue Cross is left with the older, sicker, people to insure, and fewer young healthy ones to help offset the costs.

So, yeah.

2 comments:

Petchie75 said...

Förra veckan var jag hos doktorn två gånger, första gången tog det 3 timmar och jag fick tillfälle att se (om) hela "The Devil wears Prada", andra gången tog det 2½ timme och jag såg hela "A good year" med Russell Crowe. De har iaf slutat visa 27 dresses som jag sett 5 gånger nu (men aldrig slutet!!)... Japp, de visar film hos doktorn här, just för att det tar så lång tid! Tur att jag inte har ett jobb som jag måste tillbaka till...

Lotta K said...

Det blir ju ungefär som när jag knappar mellan HBO-kanalerna. Fast jag tror jag sett slutet på 27 dresses nu. Kanske. Han som tog blodproverna fick mig verkligen att känna mig som en KUND. Vilket inte är helt rätt, tycker jag. Känner mig tryggare om de ser mig som patient. Då litar jag mer på att de vet vad de gör.