Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group I finally get to have health insurance!

In just 180 days those adults who have been denied health care coverage due to pre-existing conditions (AS) will be able to receive coverage through a special provision of the new health care law (this provision is in place until 2014 when insurance companies will no longer be able to deny people coverage due to pre-existing conditions -- children with pre-existing conditions will be able to get coverage almost immediately -- 90 days after the president signs the bill into law).

I can't tell you how happy this makes me. In just 180 days I'll be able to see a doctor about my AS and perhaps get LDN to help with the pain or perhaps something stronger!

Starting immediately, no one can be dropped from their plans due to being sick or using their health care coverage; parents can keep their kids on their plans until age 26; seniors on Medicare will receive $250 to help pay for prescriptions; and the "donut hole" in prescription coverage begins to shrink this year and will continue to shrink until it's eliminated in 2014. There are a lot of good things in this law that begin immediately but I forget the other ones; there are lists on-line somewhere of exactly what starts when. But as for me, after 11 years of having no insurance coverage, living without a safety net, I'll finally be able to get coverage. Sigh. Oh happy day.

Pete, my sweetie and I cheered yesterday as we watched the news, for those of you who will benefit from this new legislation.

Warm hugs,

That's great news, Pete. How much irreversible damage do you feel you have from your AS? Have you been unable to work because of it?

This is wonderful news for you and everyone who will benefit from these changes.
It has been a long time coming but glad it is finaly on the way.
Good luck to you and hope this allows you to get some relief.

Great news that you will be covered by health insurance - only sorry you have to wait 180 days still to see a doctor
Hope your AS has not deteriorated to a great extent while you have had this long wait to be seen.
You must be very excited that you can see a light at the end of the tunnel though - what a huge relief!
Take care.

Is there any information about how much the insurance will cost? Does it help to say they have to cover people with preexisting conditions if the insurance can charge a lot more to pay for the extra money they will have to pay out in medical bills?
Donna

Thanks guys, I'm really excited.

My AS has definitely progressed over the last 6 years (diagnosed in 2004). I've lost some range of motion in my SI joints and my neck, my shoulders, ribs and probably a lot more. I've been able to work a bit, but have been a stay-at-home dad for the last 11 years. So, in the end, I'm not sure how much I can work and what kind of work I can do.

I've been able to be a part-time valet which includes lots of walking and getting in and out of cars, and while I do have bad days, my body is performing remarkably well (although I haven't flared since taking the job in Jan). But I had to leave the retail work I had been doing because I cannot stand in one place for very long at all. As long as I keep moving, I can get by okay.

I've applied to a school to become a radiologist with a goal to eventually be a Cat Scan Technician. It's a two-year program. I'm not sure if my body will hold out or if I'll be physically able to perform the work, but the survivor benefits from my wife's passing in 1998 run out in a few years, so I need to find something. If I cannot do the work, I fear I'll be in a position where I'll have to apply for disability, but I fear even more so that I'll be denied. First thing's first though; let's see if I can get into the school, and then let's see if I can do the work day in and day out.

As for the initial benefits of the new law as they apply to me, I'm not sure how the risk pool (the one that kicks in in 180 days)for those with pre-existing conditions will work, but I'm guessing it'll be similar to what will be in place once everything takes effect in 2014. At that point, those who cannot afford the insurance will get subsidies so that they can. But I'm not looking for subsidies, I'll be willing to pay; it's just that up until now, nobody would cover me because of my AS -- that is no longer an issue! But as to cost for the coverage and the details, I don't know yet. I imagine they'll send out an information sheet to everyone indicating the benefits and when they'll begin and how to take advantage of it. It takes time to put this kind of reform in place (hell, it took over 40 years to get here, and then over a year of debate under this president to get the law passed; now we have to implement it!).

As for cost containment, there are definitely provisions in the law to protect against that, after all, that's the whole point of the reform, lol. I'm sure the insurance companies will still try to jack up costs, but the law is designed to prevent the kind of dramatic increases we've seen here in the states for a long, long time.

Sadly it's not a Canadian style plan, but we'll leave that for the next big push whenever that can come (had Clinton been able to pass what Obama passed, Obama might have been able to get us all the way to single payer or at least a public option, but the nature of politics is what it is, so I feel lucky to have what we ended up with...so are 32 million other people!).

But thanks again. This is going to help so many people, both short term and long term (even those who opposed it).

First let me just say how sorry I am that your wife passed. That AND having AS speaks volumes of your strength of character.

If you really want to be on LDN now, you could go about it "backwards" like I did.

1-call local compounding pharmacies to find one that has/is compounding LDN
2-ask them which Doctor(s) are prescribing it
3-get an appt with that Doc and get on LDN

This works best anyway because so many Docs say no to trying LDN. This way you hopefully won't waste $ on an unfruitful office call. Depending on which type of Doc you choose it will probably cost you $85-$200 for the appointment without insurance. A family doc or PA is around $85 here in Idaho. My Rheumy was $200. It's probably different state to state. Then the LDN costs $22-$40 per month without benefits. Maybe you've already thought all this through, I just thought I would share my methods of bucking the system!

Hi Pete

Sorry but I didn't realise you had lost your wife, life must have been pretty tough at times as a lone parent without having to cope with ill health. I don't understand your American health care system but it sounds as though this new bill will help a lot of people. I am really glad you will finally get to see a doctor and hopefully start treatment.

My best wishes to you.

though i've been one of the lucky ones (to be able to keep working thus far, to have good benefits, to not be denied insurance due to pre-existing condition, etc), i've watched the developments carefully and am so delighted for everyone not as lucky as i have been!

rachel maddow's show last night (3/22/10) had a good run down of the changes and when they go into effect at the beginning of her show. you can download the free podcasts, or i'm assuming you can watch on-line. but as you said, the list of changes and when they go into effect are probably elsewhere on the internet as well.

i am so happy for you! and everyone else, who's lives will be positively impacted.