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Well, we just got some interesting mail today. At this time last year, our insurance premiums were $575 a month for my husband and myself. We're self employed so we pay the full amount of coverage ourselves, plus we do not qualify for subsidies...but I digress. We had high deductibles under that plan - about $4000 each.
Yesterday I got a notice that our PPO plan in Texas is being discontinued by BCBS - in fact, BCBS is discontinuing ALL PPOs. Bad luck for us because my husband works out of state for half of each month. Without boring you with lots of superfluous detail, let me just summarize the letter by saying that nearly without exception, in nearly every category I could think of, our costs went up and service or coverage went down.
EXCEPT FOR ONE AREA - MENTAL HEALTH. And here's where things get interesting.
You know what we have to pay for an office visit in network to a mental healthcare professional? Zero dollars. Zero. Everything else, we pay out the wazoo. Mental healthcare - we catch a major break. Need to get some mental healthcare? Go for free!
Never mind that both of us are as stable as the day is long - we might need some mental healthcare quite suddenly after living nearly 60 years on this earth in an emotionally and mentally stable state of mind, right? I mean, it could happen and if it does, great - no copay!
Now, I have a brother who is seriously mentally ill. I am sympathetic to the needs and challenges of the mentally ill. I am glad for ANY improvement in the treatment of the mentally ill in our society. Don't get me wrong.
But I got to thinking, "Say - what if I feel like I need some counseling after the death of a loved one/divorce/tough teen parenting/fill in the blank and I go get some of that free mental healthcare. Say I get there and the doctor tells me I'm depressed and prescribes something to treat that depression - a depression by the way which would be very normal to experience in some circumstances."
I wonder, with the push on mental healthcare and mental screening when buying or registering guns or other 2nd amendment issues, I wonder how difficult it would be to pull the medical records of everyone who receives mental healthcare and forbid anyone in their family/home/at that address from possessing a gun in that home?
It got me to thinking, because in the case of my brother, who is mentally ill, he cannot live in a home where there are guns. He cannot possess or own a gun. He cannot shoot a gun. He cannot live around guns. So...if he lived with family members, they would not be allowed to keep a gun in that shared house either.
Food for thought. I thought it was an interesting rabbit trail to run down - one that may have more portent than is immediately obvious. Am I connecting dots or rambling down a random path?
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 10-27-2015 at 01:05 PM..
I think random. I don't think any health care companies even care enough to involve themselves with this issue, let alone pay for mental health care only to serve an anti-gun agenda...sounds just a tad paranoid, frankly. I pay for my own BCBS in NJ, and my policy is about $700 a month for the new year, up from $670 no deductibles but I do pay a co-pay for any doctor visits, including mental health. My new policy offers no more mental health benefits than it did last year.
I think the issue would be the pulling of those medical records. Through doctor - patient confidentiality, I don't see how any outside organization would have access to those files to begin with.
I think the issue would be the pulling of those medical records. Through doctor - patient confidentiality, I don't see how any outside organization would have access to those files to begin with.
I also never thought the government would be allowed to force us to purchase a product from a corporation because we are alive.
I think the issue would be the pulling of those medical records. Through doctor - patient confidentiality, I don't see how any outside organization would have access to those files to begin with.
Patient confidentiality doesn't count for squat when it comes to gun ownership by the mentally ill - and I'm not sure it should.
However, what I'm wondering is WHY everything else in my policy increased in price, and yet I can get mental healthcare for free? Why would mental healthcare be free when getting a flu shot or getting an antibiotic for a sinus infection is going to cost me? Don't you think that's a little bit weird? So I'm looking for a reason WHY.
If you remove barriers (such as copays, coinsurance, deductibles, etc) from people, they are more likely to take advantage of a benefit. In this case, that benefit is mental health care. Now - I'm not saying that people who really need mental healthcare shouldn't seek it, but I AM wondering what makes that particular healthcare issue "more special" than, say, a trip to the doctor for a refill on a blood pressure prescription. Why is it so much easier and less costly to go get you some mental health care? And probably a prescription - most people want to feel better, right? Then you've got documentation of a mental healthcare issue, and maybe even a prescription for one of the many over-prescribed drugs for depression or other moods, and VOILA - you've got a documented mental health issue and suddenly no one in your family is allowed to have a gun anywhere around you.
You don't have to declare everyone mentally incompetent - just one person in a household would be sufficient to disarm a lot of households.
I'm not saying this is the crux of the clause - but considering my family's experience with mental health issues, it gave me pause for thought. For instance, when my brother comes to visit us, whoever is "checking him out" (he's in a program but lives independently), we have to sign papers stating that we will not allow him any access to any guns. This is just for a visit. He has never been convicted of a violent crime by the way, but was involuntarily committed by family members.
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 10-27-2015 at 03:44 PM..
I just read that BCBSTX was retiring all individual PPO Plans in Texas except those grandfathered. This will reportedly impact 367,000 insured people. Looks like a big push for HMOs.
In contrast, BCBS is expanding PPOs in my state.
Maybe there is more healthcare competition in my state or something else is going on.
I also never thought the government would be allowed to force us to purchase a product from a corporation because we are alive.
Do you drive?
Unless you live in NH and can demonstrate you have the means to pay a liability judgment, you have been required to maintain liability insurance that meets your state's minimum.
Is your car financed/ leased?
Your lender requires you to maintain adequate insurance.
Do you have a mortgage?
Your lender requires you to maintain adequate homeowner's insurance.
Do you rent?
Landlords are increasingly requiring tenants to demonstrate renter's insurance as a condition of your lease.
Do you have employees?
Unless you are in Texas, your state requires you to maintain adequate Worker's Comp insurance.
Do you do commercial contracts?
Your client will likely require you to demonstrate adequate Worker's Comp, liability and auto insurance.
I think random. I don't think any health care companies even care enough to involve themselves with this issue, let alone pay for mental health care only to serve an anti-gun agenda...sounds just a tad paranoid, frankly. I pay for my own BCBS in NJ, and my policy is about $700 a month for the new year, up from $670 no deductibles but I do pay a co-pay for any doctor visits, including mental health. My new policy offers no more mental health benefits than it did last year.
OMG!!!! Have you not been keeping up? Mental health is tied to many gun control proposals and in some states a family member can report someone for mental illnesa and the court can issue an order that the person can't possess a gun.
Unless you live in NH and can demonstrate you have the means to pay a liability judgment, you have been required to maintain liability insurance that meets your state's minimum.
Is your car financed/ leased?
Your lender requires you to maintain adequate insurance.
Do you have a mortgage?
Your lender requires you to maintain adequate homeowner's insurance.
Do you rent?
Landlords are increasingly requiring tenants to demonstrate renter's insurance as a condition of your lease.
Do you have employees?
Unless you are in Texas, your state requires you to maintain adequate Worker's Comp insurance.
Do you do commercial contracts?
Your client will likely require you to demonstrate adequate Worker's Comp, liability and auto insurance.
Not true. In most states you can purchase a bond and thereby get around having liability insurance.
Liability insurance is not required to drive, the bond, which is not insurance can be used instead of purchasing insurance. A bond and insurance are not the same thing.
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