A PE / year is a good way to maintain health . It also keeps the Health Insurance premium down.
NH, I'm not sure insurance premiums are going to see any downward trend. As a matter of fact, today's San Jose Mercury News has a huge article on health insurance. Not only are health insurance premiums going up by double digits, many companies are dropping life long coverage. Retirees on fixed incomes can't afford to pay Part B, so they do without. MediCal is reducing benefits. It doesn't look good. c.i.
Oh, one important point I forgot to include: many hospitals are turning away people WITH insurance, because they can't handle them. c.i.
I was recently told by my rheumatologist that three injections of a cartilage-like material would bring my knees back into shape, and the benefits derived from the injections would last, perhaps, for about six months. Or, maybe they would not work at all.
The three injections would be a total of $1,000.00. The rheumatologist suggested I call my insurance company to see if it would pay for these shots.
I haven't called.
william, why haven't you called? c.i.
BTW, did you get a second opinion? c.i.
The substance for the knee is similar in chemical composition to the aritifical vitreous injected in the posterior area of the eye.
Relative to the insurance paying for it, the knee injections would certianly be cheaper than have the knee replacement operations.
ci:
You mean the patients are being turned away from the ER?
My dog has health insurance. If he doesn't have any illness for one year, his premium goes down.
Yes. Patients are being turned away - even if they have insurance, because they can't handle the load. They've been closing hospitals, while the demand for health care is increasing. Send this message to GWBush will ya. c.i.
One reason for this is the fact that too many patients show up at the ER not having either insurance or a personal physician. They want to save money and they think that going to the ER for rountine care is the way to go.
WRONG WAY!
Sounds familiar. But the closing of hospitals is not gonna change that problem. It only exacerbates it.
c.i.
That's true. We need better management of the ER, for openers.
As I mentioned on another thread, most of the patients I saw in the ER had runny noses, sprains and dirty contact lenses. They should never have been in the ER.
Are they that desperate to leave work and come over to the hospital ER to watch TV?
An article in the San Jose Mercury News recently told the story of a patient that went to the San Jose Valley Medical Center, and on the list of her statement was $435 for the emergency room visit. If the hospital puts up a sign with that information, most of the patients waiting in the waiting room will disappear. I wonder why they don't do that? c.i.
In the ER, prior to treatment, have the patient pay the total cost up front.
This way they won't be in any hurry to get into the ER.
c.i.<
I have not called the insurance company because the rheumatologist injected my knee with a steroid shot. It is still working well for now.
The next step would be the $1,000 injections which are not guaranteed to work.
Rather than knee replacement, my internal medicine doctor suggests arthroscopic surgery first because of my relative "youth."
Time will tell . . . but thanks for asking.
Surgery is always a risk. However, at least you should feel better once you arrive home.
The arthroscopic surgery has been touted to me as relatively simple. I have heard a number of personal stories that indicate the after-effects are quite painful.
