# 61....and no health insurance.  Can any of you relate??



## bekki53 (Aug 30, 2014)

Hello. My name is Becky. I am a single lady, 61 years old. I have no health insurance. My employer does not offer any benefits at all where I work. I don't make alot of money, and I have looked at the several Market health insurance plans on the internet. Problem?? What I think I can afford, has a really high deductible. The one that I was going to get was 75.00 a month, to include 2 - 35 dollar office visits per year, 50% prescription coverage, and a 7500 dollar deductible for Hospital. Needless to say, I decided that it was not worth it. I worry constantly about not having insurance, but I cannot see paying 75 a month for almost nothing. I feel alone here. Is there anyone else out there who can relate?? Do you worry about this too??


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## Ina (Aug 30, 2014)

Bekki53, I've been on disability for a year now, but I haven't had insurance for many years. I do go to a county neighborhood health clinic that charges me 40% of their cost. A visit is $27., and all my med cost $10. to $15. each. I get Medicaid next 
January. So my clinic charges will be going down even more. 
I don't know where you live, but check it out, some states even have free clinics. 
Just knowing that they aren't in it for the money makes me trust them more. And my Dr. is all for homeopathic medicine. Hope that help some.  I get regular appointments, and I feel better now than when I could afford the price for a private Dr. :wave:


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## Mrs. Robinson (Aug 30, 2014)

I have always had health insurance-dual coverage even-that is,up until 2010 when we retired. Since then I have had nothing. I am 64-will be 65 next June so am just praying that nothing major happens before then. I get my medical care at Tribal Health (you don`t have to be Native to go there) and they provide excellent care. $50.00 a visit,less if you are lower income. Go once a year to get my prescriptions renewed and so far,that`s all I`ve needed. But if something happened and I need to be hospitalized,I`d be up sh*t creek.


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## Twixie (Aug 31, 2014)

Here in England we have the NHS..It's free....whether you are a prince or a pauper..


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## Happyflowerlady (Aug 31, 2014)

I didn't have any heath insurance either until I got old enough for Medicare at 65; so even though I knew that my heart was not doing good, I simply could not go to a doctor. 
When we moved here to Huntsville, they had a free community clinic for low income people, and one of the top cardiologists from here volunteered at the clinic. 
He started me on some medication for my heart, and the clinic helped with the medication; so I was actually able to have some treatment for my heart. 
The Heart Center was part of a trial drug to replace Coumadin as a blood thinner, and I volunteered for the research clinic, and they provided me with the blood thinner, as well as some other tests that went along with the research project. 

Now, I have medicare and medicaid, so that i how I was able to have the heart procedure done.


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## Elyzabeth (Sep 11, 2014)

The NHS is NOT Free.. 

The moment you start earning money you have deductions for the NHS from every penny  you earn !!

It is "Free" at the  point of purchase.


Problem is all the immigrants coming in who have not contributed to it ...


That is why it is in such a bad way


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## Vivjen (Sep 11, 2014)

I disagree with most of those statements.
NI is deducted on a sliding scale; with a higher income cap, and is not paid over 60 at all.
it is not in such a bad way; basically it works really well most of the time....especially for acute illnesses.
i have never had a problem with it at all.

As for immigrants coming in who haven't paid for it; we have reciprocal arrangements with EU, and also places like NZ.
all immigrants who earn enough money help pay for it...and those that come just for treatment pay for it.

Personally, although I was born and brought up here, I find comments like that quite offensive; my doctor is Nigerian, and he has been superb to me for 12 years now.


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## ClassicRockr (Sep 11, 2014)

I thank God that I've had VA Medical since getting out of the Navy in the 70's. I started using it exclusively when companies started making employees pay for medical insurance, if they wanted medical insurance from the company. Yes, there was a time when companies paid for employee's medical insurance.......I worked for a few. Because the monthly medical insurance payments for me, from my wife's job, would be pretty high, I stayed with my VA Medical. 

I turned 65 this past June and was *VERY* grateful to get my Medicare card! With the VA, I haven't got any "Service Connected" medical problems, so the service for me was pretty much just "ok". There is no VA Hospital close to us, and, if I would have to go to the ER for something, I'd have to go to a non-VA ER. The VA might pay the cost, but that's not guaranteed. Anyway, we pay $104 per month for my Medicare and have a $147 yearly deductible. I have Part "A"/Hospitalization (which will cost us an Admission fee) and Part "B"/Medical (which takes care of most medical). Have no prescription plan, but do have Pharmacy Discount Cards. I'm going to use Medicare when I have my RC surgery in Nov or so. 

Since both wife and I are Diabetic II, it's a must that we have medical insurance for diabetic prescriptions. 

The owner of the company my BIL works for doesn't offer medical insurance at all and so my BIL has to pay for his own. Not cheap, he tells us. He stays with the company b/c at age 62, he knows how hard it would be for him to find a job.


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## chic (Sep 19, 2014)

I don't have any insurance either and have learned to just take care of myself but like you, I worry about accident or something catastrophic.


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## Butterfly (Nov 18, 2014)

The wonderfully generous law firm I worked for years didn't offer insurance, either, so I had to buy it for myself -- very expensive.  Even with that, though it was only 80/20 coverage and I had to wait for Medicare and a supplement to get my hips replaced.  The surgery is so expensive that even with 80% covered, I never could have afforded to pay the 20%.


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## ClassicRockr (Nov 19, 2014)

Now have Florida Blue as a Supplement to my Medicare B and Humana as a Drug Plan. The three (Medicare A/B, Florida Blue and Humana) are costing us a total of $253 per month, but my wife says that we will cut-back somewhere to afford it. 



ClassicRockr said:


> I thank God that I've had VA Medical since getting out of the Navy in the 70's. I started using it exclusively when companies started making employees pay for medical insurance, if they wanted medical insurance from the company. Yes, there was a time when companies paid for employee's medical insurance.......I worked for a few. Because the monthly medical insurance payments for me, from my wife's job, would be pretty high, I stayed with my VA Medical.
> 
> I turned 65 this past June and was *VERY* grateful to get my Medicare card! With the VA, I haven't got any "Service Connected" medical problems, so the service for me was pretty much just "ok". There is no VA Hospital close to us, and, if I would have to go to the ER for something, I'd have to go to a non-VA ER. The VA might pay the cost, but that's not guaranteed. Anyway, we pay $104 per month for my Medicare and have a $147 yearly deductible. I have Part "A"/Hospitalization (which will cost us an Admission fee) and Part "B"/Medical (which takes care of most medical). Have no prescription plan, but do have Pharmacy Discount Cards. I'm going to use Medicare when I have my RC surgery in Nov or so.
> 
> ...


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## ClassicRockr (Nov 19, 2014)

For a year and half, my wife didn't have any kind of medical insurance, or other benefits, b/c she worked for a company thru a Temp Service. At the time, I was on VA, so I was covered that way. Anyway, I remember her going thru and entire box of OTC cold med when she got a cold while working for this company. She also had no Sick Days, so she had to go to work with this cold. Something she hated to do, but didn't have a choice. Just thank God that all she got, during her time with this Temp Service, was that bad cold. She was very glad when the Temp Service ended her assignment and she found a descent paying job w/nice benefits/insurance in the Banking industry.........where she is still working.


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## ronaldj (Nov 19, 2014)

for most of my working life I paid 6 or 7 hundred dollars a month for high deductible blue cross.....now I have retired military health insurance at age 60, also high deductible......


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## ClassicRockr (Nov 19, 2014)

I remember, years ago, I was offered a salary type job w/no benefits or insurance........turned it down. The salary was around $35k. Nice salary back then, but not nice enough for me to have to pay for my own medical plus have no company benefits. Of course, back then, I was in my early 40's and not nearly as hard a time finding a job then. I wound up with a job paying considerably less, but with all benefits. Took me less than 1 second to say "yes" to the job offer!


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## QuickSilver (Nov 19, 2014)

I always got group insurance through my employer.  Now I am paying about $300 a month from payroll deductions to cover my husband and myself.  I have Medicare part A, but since I am working I cannot use it.  Bekki... are you fortunate enough to live in a State that decided to do a Medicaid expansion under the ACA?  My son was able to qualify for Medicaid and it's free.  That's because his income is very low...  It's a Godsend for him.. It's a shame that all States didn't participate, so many low income people would have been helped.


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## WhatInThe (Dec 3, 2014)

I'd say wait until you can get Medicare or Medicaid. I know people basically waiting for Medicare. And yet by the time you pay premiums, co pays, deductibles and co insurance you minus well use and a wait & see approach without a detrimental existing condition. I'd say live as healthy as possible including a fitness and nutrition routine which includes diet and vitamins. Also in some areas on some procedures many hospital/hospital systems will offer discounted cash only pricing(yes I'm aware many hospitals actually jack the rates on cash customers but some do not). I got close to a Medicaid rate on a procedure a few years ago which amounted to about a 40- 60% discount. The anesthesiologist was the most brutal biller even though part of a "package deal"-185$ for 15 min to 45 min overtime depending whose records were used.. It was cash/check upfront. It took me a month to juggle finances and investments but I got it done. I know others who got full blown cancer treatment, surgery and/or care with a combination of charity and Medicaid at 62(apparently there is some kind of age bracket or dead zone hospitals want to avoid between the ages of 62-65).

I've seen financial stress & hardship do more to a person's health than many a disease because every problem that cost so much as a dime is now amplified. I wouldn't go into full panic without insurance. Just be careful with your health, life style and finances until you can get in a program, care or insurance.


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## Georgia Lady (Dec 14, 2014)

I am 68 on Medicare.  Also have Supplemental INS. with United of Omaha.  Drug Plan with Humana/Walmart.  I have to see my Doctor every three months and sometimes to ER.  I never have to pay for anything except about $70.00/mo for meds.

My husband died with Brain Cancer after one year. We never had to pay for anything.  Even had excellent Hospice care and Nurses.

I would highly recommend the companies I mentioned.


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