Medical Insurance Issues

[Thepurplem0nkey]

I have to pick my medical coverage this month for my work. I work for a college, so the benefits are nice, but the reality is ANY benefits are nice. I have the option of chosing a Kaiser HMO, or a blue shield HMO or PPO. The PPO is 150 bucks a month for 10 months! At first, I was like "Hell No!", 150 a month is a nice chunk of dough! But as I began to dwell on it, I realized that I have some serious medical proceedures that I will need to get done within the next year, specfiicaly my corenal transplant. I dont want to pay nothing for an HMO who will give me the least amount of work at the cheapest expense they can possibly arrange. If I am going to be getting an operation on my eye, which has the potential to cause blindness if the cornea is rejected, I want to be able to pick my OWN doctor, and get the best coverage from that doctor. I want to be able to research and pick the best doctor in the field, who will provide me wth the best.
I felt like posting in here because many of you fellow medical marijauana users probably face the same insurance issues as I am facing. I was lucky enough to be employed by a company that provides good health benefits, which is a necessity for me since I have a pre-exsisting condition and no insurance company would take me as I am now. This is the first time I will have this kind of coverage, and the amount of medical work I am getting done for what equals a little over a grand a year for excellent insurance is worth it in the end. Of course, it will also be cool to go to my medical marijuana doctor and have my insurance cover my visists and renewal payments
I plan to get my corenal transplant, in which a cornea from a deceased individual is taken out and placed into my eye, in August of 2006. I will have to ask my surgeon if marijuana will be a help or detriment to the eye, since it relieves occular pressure when smoked. I dont know if thats good or bad for a transplant. Needless to say, I'm scared sensless of this operatin, as it can take up to a year to heal and I could go blind if my body rejects the cornea.
-PM

 

[Pinch]

Yes, Mr PM, go with the PPO.. get it done right!~

Best of luck, my friend, I 'll say a prayer.

 

[Half Baked]

^yea, go with the ppo

 

[JamesF]

health insurance is def. something you dont want to go cheap on.watch what you spend and you will be able to pay for it easily.
good luck with the surgery.if your body rejects it can they put your original ones in first?maybe they should only do the surgery on one eye and if it works then they can do the other surgery.if it doesnt work then you will have one working eye,but its better then nothing.
good luck brother.

 

[Kalotermes]

DO NOT USE KAISER.....
My wife is all fucked up from their screwed medical ethics.
Blue shield is great as it will allow's different groups.
The PPO will allow you to choose speacialists without the BS, but you will pay for it.
What are the max out-of-pocket limits?
The HMO will get it done, and usually by the same doctor you would have had in the PPO.
PPO just allows you more freedom.

 

[Thepurplem0nkey]

I think the max number of out of pocket is 1,000 bucks, which considering my transplant can cost up to 25,000 per eye, is nice. I think I will go with the PPO, if nly until I get my surgery. I want the most freedom and the ability to choose any doctor. Once my major medical issues are taken care of, I can ten chose to switch to the HMO. ALl of this insurance stuff is pretty new to me, I'm still learning all about it. All I know is, if I am having problems with my cornea, I dont want to ahve to wait weeks to visit my HMO doctor.
As for the transplant, I will only be gettiong one eye done. My right eye is still correctable with contacts, but my left *which was the first to have the disease) will need to be replaced. THe proceedure consists of transplanting the cornea of a recently deceased individual by removing my corena and replacing it with the donated organ. The catch is, because there is no blood flow to the cornea, and very little blood flow to the eye, pain pills and what not dont work. THey perscribe steroid eye drops, which I ahve no desire to take. It's all a messy, serious proceedure, that can have some serious side effects if doctors are sloppy. FOr those reasons, I will pay the PPO
-PM