STEAM ROOM FOR ANGER

jo-jo sending you virtual hugs.

Jo Jo that is wonderful news to hear. There may be other resources available through your cancer care clinic to assist your family during this very complex time. All my very best to you and your boys.

Adding my hugs and best wishes to you, jo-jo2018.

Love this thread. One of my friends wasn't happy with me when I did not let her know about my cancer of 2015, which was taken care of by lumpectomy and radiation. So, this time after my mastectomy, (yes, I got triple negative this time within 6 years! this year sucks and hate it) I let her know what is going on. She called me right away and was very nice. But then she HAD to tell me that she doesn't go for mammogram because she doesn't want to know the results and was worried about radiation from mammo!! REALLY? Who would that help? ME? YOU? Some people are completely stupid and thinks if their mothers have lived life without cancers, they will be ok too.

It's my time! Time for her to give me pep talk, instead, here I was telling her what the right thing is to do!!

Like I said, THIS YEAR SUCKS

It's working! So pleased we're back online!

nipabj everyone makes the choices that are best for them at that time in their lives. No one has the right to second guess any person's choices. I am sure they were mostly concerned for you based on their own experiences and did not stop and think. You deserve to be respected for your choices.

Here's a fun game. It's called "How much will my meds cost with my new insurance?"

I've talked to all parties involved and apparently no one can tell me the answer so I'm currently straddling my old insurance and new insurance not knowing which is more affordable.

The goal is to get my monthly out of pocket health care expenses below $1,000 per month.

With my old insurance, I have no deductible but the premium is a little over $1000 per month and the lupron now costs me about $200 per month, down from about $800 per month. I'm not sure the reason for the drop but in any case, the amount I pay is the difference between the base price and negotiated rate. Old insurance likes to call this my copay, only it isn't written anywhere in the plan benefits.

With the new insurance, the premium is about $300 per month but there is a deductible which a lot of things don't apply to and while I'm told my out of pocket reaponsibility for the lupron will be 15% after the deductible, 15%, no one can tell me, 15% of what of the base price? A negotiated price? And if so, what is it? If the base price is $5000 then that would be $750 so that is still over $1000 per month after the deductible with the premium and copays.

Bonus: The state ACA website says I qualify for medicaid. The state medicaid office says my income, based on my 2020 tax returns, is $60 too high.

Jo jo, it's good you are seeing a licensed professional to discuss the matters you're dealing with. We are here to support you, but someone with training will have the time and insight to hopefully help you navigate the choppy waters. I will say that as women, we are often trained to put everyone else first. At one time, you may have made your husband's issues the priority and though you've done your best to be there for him, you may have to admit you've reached a point where you've had enough. Again, society tries to instill in women that they must suffer through all for their loved ones, as if sacrifice is a hallmark of womanhood. Whatever guilt feelings you have towards making yourself the priority, I hope you can work through them. It is still hard for me to do, but I am learning and making progress, even if at times it's baby steps! Best wishes to you.

Nipab, I had a similar thing happen with my older sister who mentioned not getting a mammo for 15 years. This was years after I'd been diagnosed! What pissed me off is that it seemed pretty intentional that she said it to me, almost like a braggy thing. It also felt like she was implying that my diagnosis was insignificant to her, that it did nothing to make her think she should get a mammo. I chose not to react but it was one of numerous red flags I started noticing with my siblings and have since put more firm boundaries into place in my relationships with them.

nipab, you make very good points about how some people act superior since they haven’t got bc, like they did everything the right way (how perfect of them) and/or some try to insinuate we brought this on ourselves. When it comes from a friend or relative, it makes you question how much they actually care for you to make those kinds of remarks.

I remember when my sister’s close friend was a victim of identity theft and had to battle to get it all cleared up. My sister went right out and bought a shredder and proudly claimed she now opens her mail in the garage before she even gets in the house and shreds everything except the truly necessary stuff so no one can ever steal her information. So it’s okay if her friend goes through something it spurs her to action, but when it’s me, it apparently means little. And I mean, she doctors for numerous things, so it’s not like she avoids medical care.

To All: like some of the other threads, I have been gone for a while. My heart breaks and my head nearly explodes when I read about the hassles and the costs of your health care. It is just SO WRONG. Yes, the Canadian system stutters and stumbles but I never have to worry whether I can afford the care I need. Our RX costs are lower than yours, even for things not covered under the Provincial plan. Why does insulin (I don't need it thankfully) cost roughly $36 /mth when I hear that in the USA it costs nearly 10 times that?

SO WRONG

wcj that is crazy that one is saying you qualify for assistance and State is saying you do not . A social worker work at your cancer clinic might be able to give you some guidance and where to turn for assistance.

parakeetsrule,

👏

Agree Alice, love my Advantage Plan. For medical, it’s been great. Both eyes cataract surgery, out of pocket for me, around $300. Dental insurance, not so great. But they did pay a little bit on the 4K I had to pay last month.

Elderberry- Wish I could "Like" your post--- "I believe education, health care and safe housing are human rights". Guess I am a socialist too.

not a socialist, although I do strongly believe in social responsibility, and notice that many people only csre if it's mandated

Relying on private sector for insurance is bad policy. As a small business owner, it is our single biggest expense. Some numbers:

Over $3000/ MONTH for our in-network family plan

$60 copay + $73 "facilities fee" EACH TIME I go to a doctor

$11000 family deductible

I am so grateful to have insurance that is covering all that I have done this past year. We have to budget in the base cost and the full deductible. (Although many things aren't covered, like PETscans, and everything has to go through multiple appeals.) But we are both still working 7 days. I don't know what happens in future. I just don't think about it.

Alicebstable even as owner, I am treated as The Help 🙄