Insurance and Health Care Reform Support Group
This community deals with health insurance issues and major health care policy creation or changes (for the most part, governmental policy). Communicate your ideas, problems, solutions, and experiences here.
Shortly after I moved to Maine, my daughter asked me to adopt my grandaughter. Part of the process was to get a medical exam. I had no insurance, and figured that I could pay in cash for a physical, so I tried to get an apointment.
No doctor would see me without insurance. They directed me to the Franklin County Health Access, who insured me and I got my physical. A few days later, I got poison ivy in my tear duct, was sent to the emergency room with an assumed infection that was going to feed down my optic nerve into my brain. As it was actually poison ivy, after a horrible night in the hospital, they finally admited that I might be right in the first place, and gave me some benedril and the swelling went down. The bill for this was over $4,000, but the Health Access picked it up.
When my grandaughter came to live with me, medical was supposed to be arranged for her, but they (The state of Maine and state of Rhode Island) couldn't get their act together, and I had to fight to get the medical in place, which was Mainecare. When they covered my grandaughter, they also covered me. Later, they covered my brother, as well.
We moved up her to start a new life. He has an internet business and I wanted to start a craft shop selling crafts I make, especially the candles. I bought an old farmhouse that had a huge barn (needing major repairs) and a small shop that I could turn into my candle business.
Things have not gone smoothly, and we are not making enough to survive. I have been looking for a job for 2 years and cannot find one, even though I have nearly 30 years of experience and major marketable skills. So we are under the income guidelines and are eligible for Mainecare.
I just went down for the recertification process, and found out that if I sell my house, Mainecare is going to take the proceeds to recover the money that they spent for my care. My grandaughter is in counseling, and will be for a long time.
If it gets to the point that I have to sell my house or loose it, I will become homeless. There will be nothing left, because the state is going to take it all.
How is this right and just? Without the insurance, any medical bill will wipe me out. With the Mainecare insurance, I will be wiped out.
No doctor would see me without insurance. They directed me to the Franklin County Health Access, who insured me and I got my physical. A few days later, I got poison ivy in my tear duct, was sent to the emergency room with an assumed infection that was going to feed down my optic nerve into my brain. As it was actually poison ivy, after a horrible night in the hospital, they finally admited that I might be right in the first place, and gave me some benedril and the swelling went down. The bill for this was over $4,000, but the Health Access picked it up.
When my grandaughter came to live with me, medical was supposed to be arranged for her, but they (The state of Maine and state of Rhode Island) couldn't get their act together, and I had to fight to get the medical in place, which was Mainecare. When they covered my grandaughter, they also covered me. Later, they covered my brother, as well.
We moved up her to start a new life. He has an internet business and I wanted to start a craft shop selling crafts I make, especially the candles. I bought an old farmhouse that had a huge barn (needing major repairs) and a small shop that I could turn into my candle business.
Things have not gone smoothly, and we are not making enough to survive. I have been looking for a job for 2 years and cannot find one, even though I have nearly 30 years of experience and major marketable skills. So we are under the income guidelines and are eligible for Mainecare.
I just went down for the recertification process, and found out that if I sell my house, Mainecare is going to take the proceeds to recover the money that they spent for my care. My grandaughter is in counseling, and will be for a long time.
If it gets to the point that I have to sell my house or loose it, I will become homeless. There will be nothing left, because the state is going to take it all.
How is this right and just? Without the insurance, any medical bill will wipe me out. With the Mainecare insurance, I will be wiped out.
I would contact your State Representative in you States Congressional district. They usually are representing several counties and are fairly easy to access. You should get their contact info off of your State web site. If that doesn't work you can try your US Congressman from your district. You usually get better luck with a Congressman as opposed to a Senator. Governors rarely respond, but being election time soon, it wouldn't hurt contacting all of them.