No longer have Medical Insurance

exquisitedevine
on 7/19/12 9:16 pm - CA
 What do you do when you no long have medical insurance, I haven't had my blood work checked since surgery Im about 10 months Post Op have never felt sick and i've lost about 105 pounds...Help please!!!!
 "It doesn’t matter how slow you go, just make sure you finish"                      
Winnie_the_Pooh
on 7/19/12 9:26 pm
Hospitals have a charity program.  Depending on your income you could be eligible for free or reduced cost of hospital services.  Doctors are not required to offer the same benefit.  See if your surgeion witll give you an order for blood work.  Have it done at a hospital outpatient lab or county clinic. 

 Winnie

 

MrsLitch
on 7/19/12 10:22 pm - Morris, IL
RNY on 06/04/12
Many areas the health dept has a clinic that is based on a sliding scale. OR there may be a free clinic in your area. I'd start with the health dept.

View more of my photos at ObesityHelp.com

5' 3" - HW: 244 SW:234  GW:120 LW: 107 CW:110 Made goal 3/16/13!    

jrobin14
on 7/19/12 10:53 pm - Charlotte, NC
I had surgery on Aug 16 2011 and lost medical insurance through my employer and could not get medical insurance through anu insurance company but my state has this thing called a risk pool where they offer insurance to people who can not get insurance through thier employer and also get denied trying on thier own. Now to my knoweldge which might change from state to state but I could not get insurance because of the surgery. Good luck and mu insurance through the state is high but it is worth it because I had to have another surgery.
            
poet_kelly
on 7/19/12 11:30 pm - OH
You find a way to pay for your labs and follow up care yourself.

In most areas, there are clinics for low income people where the fee is based on your income.  Call your local United Way and ask where you can go that charges on a sliding scale.

You absolutely need labs done.  You also need a bone density scan at one year out.

View more of my photos at ObesityHelp.com          Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR.  If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor.  Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me.  If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her.    Check out my blog.

 

Sherrie P.
on 7/20/12 11:43 am
RNY on 02/06/13
You probably have more options than you think...you just have to seek them out.

1. Is your income low enough to qualify for Medicaid?

2. Are you established well enough with a GOOD family practice office that would be willing to let you set up payment plans for your testing?  Most doctors really are compassionate and if you show that you are willing to try and be responsible for your bills, they will help.  That is what we do at my office. If you pay something... we won't turn you over to collections.

3.  Your Health Dept should be able to see you for free or at a reduced rate. Most counties should have one.

4.  Credit ... ;-) your health is more important that new shoes.

5.  We have an Open Door clinic that meets once a month where docs volunteer time for free.

6.  Are you near a local university? They often have programs. Ones with a med school anyway.

7.  The ER cannot turn you away. Even if you cannot pay a dime.  In our county if the ER refers you to a specialist and you are uninsured or cannot pay - the ER has to pay us for your visit.  If you go in feeling sick or run down, they will likely run your bloodwork --

Good luck!

Revision Lapband to RNY 2-6-2013   HW: 286  Pre-Op Diet: 277  Surgery Day: 265  Goal: 155  CW: 155

Plastic surgery 8/28/2014: Brachioplasty, mastopexy, & abdominoplasty.

Plastic surgery 1/27/2015: Butt Lift

    

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version

on 7/20/12 12:46 pm - OH
Great suggestions.  I would be very surprised if an ER would run vitamin panels for someone who just came in feeling run down, however.  

Lora

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

Sherrie P.
on 7/20/12 1:37 pm
RNY on 02/06/13
Agree - but if you are desperate, they are really the only place that cannot turn you away. I would hope the situation would not get that bad.

Revision Lapband to RNY 2-6-2013   HW: 286  Pre-Op Diet: 277  Surgery Day: 265  Goal: 155  CW: 155

Plastic surgery 8/28/2014: Brachioplasty, mastopexy, & abdominoplasty.

Plastic surgery 1/27/2015: Butt Lift

    

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version

on 7/20/12 4:15 pm - OH
But they are only required to provide critical care; when people go to the ER in lieu of a doctor's office bevause they have no insurance, they are only required to do the necessary testing to be sure the person is not in any immediate danger.  They then send them on their way (usually with a referral to a clinic).  They are not required to run a bunch of labwork to check a patient's vitamin levels unless a particular vitamin level is relevant to the presenting problem (and being tired or run down is not an critical care condition).

Lora

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

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