ok, thanks AsTimeGoesBy,

hopefully, I can phone in some info on weekday, cause I have heard that even govt web sites are open to hackers.....another of my excuses.

but, I will try to see what I can do, on MEDICARE.

I wonder what any of the dentists in town will take, and what eternity to wait, with no insurance, since before this only the dentists in a town 20 miles north, and one I read of 25 miles south took medicare for dental work.

You're not alone because of Obamacare. You're alone because you're not reaching out to others in your own neighborhood.

koolman,

what a coincidence: I just got off the phone, a second time, a minute ago with my hometown mental health group.

MY HOMETOWN MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY GROUP.....IS NOT TAKING ANY NEW PATIENTS/CUSTOMERS.

insurance wouldnt even do me any good----THAT is what the head of the case workers at mental health group told me, 5 minutes ago.

and again-----she told me the town, 50 miles away, that is the only nearby place taking ANYBODY for therapy.

there are indidual psychiatrists in my hometown, but i cant see them taking my medicare.

(0n every conservative news site, for decades, it's: "you're poor cause you dont try hard enough.")

Well, then I guess you're going to have to rely on yourself and some natural methods, like exercise in the form of that bike-riding, for your own healthcare, aren't ya? If they don't call me into work by 3pm, I'm going to take a bike-ride myself. Say "hi" to and talk with that cashier and librarian again!

koolman,

today for "therapy" i did watch tv, and pace back and forth, for about 6 hours at my hometown dropin, where volunteers with mental illness themselves, hang out. Was mostly the volunteer and me.

and i was able to bike...mentally...in mood; the snow on ground was no hassle at all; hard to believe i was in mood to bike to walmart 2 miles away. And, thanks to losing 10 pounds during the week of my cat's last days, biking up the usual hills was a lot easier than during summer.

You won't know if the individual psychiatrist in your town take medicare unless you call them. Again, you have to bring up a list of the psychiatrists on the internet and begin calling their phone numbers. If you are in a small town, they may take medicare because it is such a small town.

Forgot to mention, Medicare sends everyone on Medicare (you and me) a handbook every year entitled MEDICARE & YOU and that booklet contains at the end the various plans in your area. And it contains in the front a whole area about the open enrollment period and when you can change your medicare health or prescription drug coverage.

the handbook even contains a list of numbers to get your questions answered.

So, it had NOTHING to do with anything else but YOU. YOU put it off and didn't do it.

YOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO START WITH CHANGES TO YOUR PLAN STARTS IN OCTOBER 2014 SO MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDAR NOW.

AsTimeGoesBy,

i'll probably wind up calling, or even stopping at such places during my bike rides, but i remember 10 years ago in mental ward, with staff and patients talking of a couple of the psychiatrists having maybe two offices 25 miles apart, AND, seeing patients at the ward, which must be a good money making racket.

though, maybe their medical practices have changed, along with the mental help groups in town.

AsTimeGoesBy,

conflicting info; went into my local govt representive, secretary gave me some xeroxed info for help, and telling me of feb. deadline and other saying there is no deadline.

And saw, at dropin, on tv of ad to still apply for health insurance! AND, on tv news today, for obama's address to nation, of tv anchor even bringing up obamacare complaints!

p.s.

govt dental plans are still worthless, with somebody telling me today, old story i knew 10 years ago, of only dentist taking medicare is 25 miles away. My dentist even told similar, just in casual chit chat a few years ago.

Definately no use for me to bother with any dental plans i saw on internet.

Obamacare, Medicare, and Medicaid are not the same things. Obamacare is for people who don't qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. It's for people who have absolutely nothing or people who pay for their medical plans who might want to switch to something cheaper. Obamacare has open enrollment right now, but you don't need that.

Medicaid is through the welfare system and SSI disability. It's for any age that qualifies for it because of disability and/or low income. Usually comes connected with foodstamps and/or cash.

Medicare is basically for retired US citizens. Usually aged 65+, but can be given to those on disability as well. No matter what, you automatically get medicare once you turn 65. Medicare comes in parts; Part A, B, C, D. Info here: http://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/decide-how-to-get-medicare/whats-medicare/what-is-medicare.html

i probably will stick with medicare---the first phone call, in which the mental health group said they werent taking medicare patients is what scared me.

today at my dropin overheard a notorious name from 1980----she now some sort of social worker/whatever, which made me think of two others from 2001 who now, somehow, counsel people in distress.

ANYBODY, EVEN WITHOUT A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, CAN BECOME A SOCIAL WORKER. Or at least...some sort...of social worker, at some govt funded organization where people go for some sort of mental help.

back in 2001, i was even thinking of asking about such a job, at a group home---only cause it offered free housing.

these social workers/whatever who i knew before they were hired, have anger issues, been in police news of local paper, and now they are probably handing out xeroxed forms to clients about mental health, or just being baby sitters at some adult mental health hang-out, with some actual certified case worker showing up once a week, for an hour visit.

such has been going on since at least the 1980s, though i didnt realize it till now.

Penn, you're rambling instead of calling the psychiatrists. You don't have to stop in on your bike, you can call them and it's a lot faster.

Put Obamacare out of your brain because it DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU OR IMPACT YOU IN ANY WAY. Repeat that: OBAMACARE DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU OR IMPACT YOU IN ANY WAY.

You have Medicare and that is what you concern yourself with. Medicare is what you focus on.

Call the psychiatrists office and ask if they accept Medicare.

AsTimeGoesBy,

just talking to some of the people at my nearby dropin, some of whom have been in state hospitals, or group homes, has helped me a lot...after spending 22 hours a day with my cat.

and it would be my luck to get stuck with the psychiatrist in town who was on the tv news a few years ago, and which a woman at the dropin today just brought up in passing.

my hometown mental health system isnt any role model for the rest of usa, its even in the local paper for various "improprieties" every few years.

in my hometown, a mentally ill man, on disability, with anger issues, even got in charge of two mostly-volunteeer mental illness programs in town, where he gets to date any availaible women who come in for help; since its mostly volunteers its ok to blur those lines.

I never brought that up, it doesnt impact me, but i did POLITELY criticize other stuff with a therapist and a case worker 10 years ago---with them getting ANGRY at me; i dont think the psychiatrists who make their living off these groups would like similar complaints from me.

sitting around the drop-in, talking to the few people there, watching tv there, has already helped me.