Quitting my good job due to bad insurance!

Type 1 and LADA
#1

Omigod! I am sitting here hyperventilating. My wonderful new job has the WORST insurance I have ever seen. Medtronic has sat on its butt with my claim, and it looks like I will not get my pump under the old insurance plan which is very good. I need this pump to LIVE. I cannot just take injections due to my insulin allergies. I HAVE to have a pump and soon. I will not be able to afford it under this new insurance. It has a durable medical equipment limit of $2500 a year...not even enough for SUPPLIES for the pump! What the heck happens when I can't afford this thing? Even though I am working, I can't get the money I need that fast. My salary is high enough that I don't qualify for assistence, either. So now I have to quit my job to get insurance that will cover the pump. It takes time to get a new job, maybe more to qualify for insurance. I'm doomed! This might even kill me. My blood sugar is already in the 300s. I don't think I can wait the several months I will probably have to. Anyone know where I could go for help?

Yes, I am SCARED TO DEATH.

#2

Go to whitehouse.gov and copy what you’ve written here.
Then contact your state senator and representative. Make explicit what insurance it is.
Contact moveon.org so it can be publicized. Your story is why health insurance needs reform.

#3

Yikes! My company has a $3k limit. The insurance company has a price negotiated w/ Medtronic that is MUCH lower than the $6k retail and they also offer interest-free financing I am paying off the balance at $55 a month, so it might not be quite as bad as it sounds

Also check w/ your insurance and make sure that your pumping supplies are in the DME category. I though mine were, but found out that they are actually in the Medical Supplies category and therefore the DME limit does not apply to them

Good Luck!

#4

Scott has some good ideas. Don’t quit the job just yet. Work with MM to see what they can do for you. Bug your insurance company too, the squeaky wheel does get the job done. They can figure out how to get this to work for you. Don’t take the first no.

Talk with your company to see what they can do about the insurance also. I’ve always thought insurance is not for those who need it.

Good luck!

#5

I’m assuming you mean you’re allergic to long acting insulin and not fast acting, because the pump still uses insulin. If that’s the case you should talk to your doctor about other brands of long acting insulin.

#6

BREATHE.

All of the suggestions below are good, so follow them, but also be aware that you DO NOT HAVE TO PAY ALL THE COSTS AT ONCE UP FRONT. Pump manufacturers can work with you to set up a payment plan, and those payments are tax-deductable if you itemize, so in short, you might get a lot of the money back through your tax refund.

Second, you don’t state whether you’re T1 or T2 but there are ways you can lower your blood sugar and maximize the effectiveness of the insulin you’re using. Believe it or not, many common herbs, spices, vitamins, and foods decrease insulin resistance, lower blood sugar, and help you use insulin more efficiently. Some of them are listed here: http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/the-best-herbs-and-supplements-for… and you can find others by doing internet searches.

Third, talk with your HR department and see if they offer (or are considering offering) flexible spending account benefits. If they do, see if they can sign you up retroactively. An FSA takes money pre-tax out of your paycheck and makes it available to you to pay for health related costs–it’s kind of like a pre-emptive refund. I use mine for a lot of the out of pocket expenses that insurance doesn’t cover, including copays. It probably won’t be enough to cover all your costs, but it’s better than paying the money in taxes and then waiting till April to get it refunded.

#7

Sorry to hear about this, but ask your company representative for more info before you do anything drastic. Also check if it makes a difference who you order pump and supplies from (i.e. pump company vs. outside supplier).