Health Coverage Jokes...

Well, technically, the joke ends up being on all the rest of us. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad, if there were actually some verifiable and reasonable limits on how high offices and pharmacutical companies could charge us for visits and prescriptions (respectively).

I had my offer interview yesterday with the Pet Hospital. The offer is fabu - except for the health insurance. The recruiter himself admitted that it was nothing to write home about... He was right, at least if you were attempting to write anything positive. It's a PPO provider, centered out of Denver (or as they put it "metro-Denver"), Colorado. I knew it was a bad sign when I'd never heard of them before - ever...

I figured, however, that I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and look at what they had to offer. I have 90 days in which to figure out what it all is, what they mean, and get everything straightened out so that I can continue on with health care of ANY sort.

The good news: Preventative care - physicals, paps, yearly exams - they're all 100% covered. No co-pays, nada. Also, they only take out $9.00 per paycheck for the medical side of coverage (dental and optical are separate entities entirely - as usual).

The bad news: They only cover 70% of anything else - this includes prescriptions... I thought this was rather interesting, considering that most PPO's and HMO's are on a sliding percentage scale of $10, $15 and $30, or some variant of that. This means, for those people on particularly expensive medications, that they're basically schtupped on a monthly basis. For instance - without my current insurance, my Paxil CR, 25 mg pill would cost me $107.99. There is no generic form of said pill, so I'm stuck with it. Under the new insurance, I'd be paying $32.40 instead of $20. While this isn't a LOT - it's more than I normally expect to pay... Also, the next 3 months, I'll be paying the $107.99 in order to get the @#$%$#@ stuff covered, since I can't go without, unless I wish to be psycho. Which I don't.

Granted - there are some options out there for a discount card, which I'm currently applying for as I sit here - if only because it's going to be the only way I can get through this for the next few months.

The other pisser about this insurance company? I will have to change doctors. Mind you - this is the doctor that I've had for the past 8 years. She got me my weight loss surgery, and has been through all the crap that I've had to deal with regarding migraines, my mood swings, my divorce... everything. And her name is the same as mine - which just makes her cooler. I can't believe that the office isn't in their PPO list.

I've written them, but it probably won't be for at least a week before I hear back from them about it. gah. I hate having to change doctors. I really do. This one is a top-notch OB-Gyn, as well... If Fred and I actually ended up preggers, I'd want HER to deliver the baby.

*sigh*

~M