Sicko...

[daveon]

So, I haven't seen the movie but here's a choice one for you.

M's asthma isn't covered by our medical insurance because it is a pre-existing condition. 

"A medical condition is considered to be pre-existing if the member did not have prior health insurance or did not have health insurance within 180 days of enrolling in this plan."

I just tried to explain the NHS to somebody on the phone who completely boggled at the concept.

So...  now we have to enter the appeals process and I need to think about what getting a renewal on my blood pressure medication is going to cost me.

Comments

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

What's National Insurance if it isn't health insurance? At least that might put it in terms that they can understand...

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

What he said... The NHS is insurance for *everything* medical. What difference is it if it comes out of tax rather than an explicit policy?

If th US can't cope with immigrants from countries with sensible healthcare systems thenthey shouldn't accept any immigrants at all.

BTW apparently M$ has openned a research centre in Vancouver so that it cn bypass nonsense like this.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

Our HR manager is going back to them to point out that we were both covered by the NHS and see what they say.

I still think its a pretty shocking way to run Health Care.

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

And yes, it is a crap way of running health care, especially for immigrants, and if a company is employing immigrants it's something they should be aware of (ie. that the US system is crap compared to just about anything in Europe) and should have taken care of.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

Well, the alternative I could live with is to continue to monitor the BP, get renewals from my GP in Ealing and pop in there when I'm travelling through the UK.

I'm seeing the Doctor here on Monday and we can discuss what they'd like to do about it. If the Ramipril is still needed I can always pay for the consultation and then get the medication on the insurance, which doesn't seem to be a problem.

I can opt to refuse the battery of Blood work they'll want to do though. I have borderline high Cholesterol, I don't have diabetes and everything else is normal.

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

The worry with this is that if something nastier and more expensive happened then your insurance company could argue that this was related to your pre-existing condition and refuse to pay up. I guess this depends on how long you're expecting to stay in the US.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

Well, M will be working for MS who have a much better health plan frankly, so we'll probably be using that in future.

[freddietrumper.livejournal.com]

Ramipril. Not just me then!
Saying that, I had to pay prescription fees for all my meds last week, which was a bit of a shocker! Can't afford to be ill anymore. Isn't that why I pay national insurance in the first place?
We're looking at dental/health care at work, but the good old pre existing condition clause comes in to play... now guess what the forementioned meds are for?...

[daveon.livejournal.com]

Well, as the nurse said at the time, you need to lose 15-20kgs, dop more exercise and reduce your stress levels.

*sigh*

OTOH I had my BP taken at the dentist a few weeks ago. They only took one, and that was taken through the sleeve of a rugby shirt and it came in at 157/83 which is actually not bad for those conditions (at least for me). Normally they have to take 3 over several minutes so I stop panicing irationally when they stick the cuff on.

Obviously its nothing on the Wag scale, but we can't all be Wag.