Which Comes First, The Baby or The Maternity Policy?
Can you get car insurance for the car you just destroyed in an accident? Can you get fire insurance for your home after your house burns down? Of course the answers are no.
Surprisingly I have recently talked to some folks looking for health insurance AFTER they have reason for a claim. One guy said he needed insurance because the doctor told him he needs back surgery and he can’t afford to pay for the operation. Just in the last 2 months I have spoken to three different women without health insurance, who just discovered they are pregnant and are looking for coverage. I’m excited for their good news, but the bad news is…it’s too late to get a policy.
Any insurance is for the unknown, the “what if” in life. Insurance is not an entitlement. Insurance carriers are companies like McDonalds or Exxon, they offer a product and expect to make a profit from it. You pay premiums and rarely have a claim? The insurance company loves you, you are contributing to their bottom line. You pay premiums and have lots of claims? You are costing the insurance company money, but in this case, lucky for you you had the wisdom to get the insurance before you needed it!
Accidents, illnesses and even pregnancies happen. Now, no one realizes more than me, not everyone can afford insurance. I talk to people every day that just don’t have the bucks for anything. Many that can afford it, can’t afford “good” insurance, so they’ll get something of a catastrophic nature, but that’s better than nothing! The bottom line is, you have to have common sense. And if you can afford health and/or life insurance, get it BEFORE you need it!
As a footnote. Those with limited incomes may qualify for certain programs that can help. Healthy Beginnings is a program in the Lancaster Area that aids pregnant women with the costs associated with delivering their child. Highmark Blue Shield has something called Special Care for individuals on a limited income that need insurance. Just about every hospital has their own program for helping with costs associated with surgeries, hospital stays and procedures based on need.
The Joy of a Colonoscopy!
Oh what a blast it is turning 50! I hit the big 5-oh back in December. Three days after my birthday I had foot surgery to remove a planters wart from the ball of my left foot. Now, 6-7 weeks later it finally feels as good as new. This ends nearly 6 months of nagging pain with this stupid wart. But that’s another story.
One of the things recommended for anyone turning 50 is to have a preventive colonoscopy. I had a sigmoidoscopy done about 10 years ago, and that’s a completely different violation of the human body which can only be experienced to fully understand. There is no pain with the colonoscopy, the discomfort is in the “prep”. And I might also add, a liquid diet the day before the procedure no party, even though I could have milkshakes all day!
The day before your procedure and the morning of your procedure, you must chug a quart of liquid that tastes like, and has the thickness of, lemon fresh Joy dishwashing liquid. My brand was called MoviPrep. It is almost comic in its efficiency. About 45 minutes after the first 8oz gulp of this goop you think a volcano is going to erupt in your belly. And it does. Many times over the next hour. Then peace reigns, until assault part 2 begins the next morning!
After part 2, your colon is picked cleaner than Cindy Lou Who’s house on Christmas Eve after the Grinch got done with it! By the time I was in Ephrata Hospital ready to be wheeled into the OR, I couldn’t wait to be put under by the anasthesia, because I was so insanely hungry I pondered eating my own fingers!
God only knows what kind of jokes the doctor and staff are cracking while the roto rooter is trolling your intestines, because you are OUT. I remember rolling over on my side and then waking up in recovery about an hour later.
They found polyps, as they did 10 years ago. Almost 4 weeks since my colonoscopy and I haven’t heard anything about the diagnostics on the polyps. I’m mildy concerned about the polyps themselves, more concerned about the bill! Because I checked with my insurance carrier before the procedure. As a “screening” it’s at no cost as a provision of health care reform. However, if they find polyps, it’s diagnostic and the free part is thrown out the window. Or so I’m told, we’ll see. I will report on it when I see it.
Did I mention I got my AARP card?
Hello?! Attention 50 year olds: Get a physical!!!
It seems like every week I sit down with someone, mostly men, who are over 50 years old and they tell me how healthy they are, “Why I haven’t been to the doctor in 20 years! I’m in great shape!” Maybe.
Pretty much every health insurance company insuring individuals requires someone 50 or older to have had a physical with bloodwork done in the last 2 years. No physical? Case closed. Period. No insurance. It’s too much of a risk for the insurance company. Plenty of these so-called healthy folks will drop dead tomorrow! Do you really have to think for more than a minute to come up with the face of a fifty something friend or c0-worker that “seemed to be in good shape”, that collapsed with a heart attack or stroke?
Geez, if you already have insurance, a preventive physical is FREE as a mandate of health care reform. And even if you forget the wise old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, if you are in the market for health insurance for yourself…you won’t get coverage without a physical!
So suck it up you wimps that fear all doctors. What? You’re TOO BUSY! Heart disease and cancer thrives on people who are just “too busy”. And stop being so self-centered, it’s not all about YOU. I have a hunch some people you know might also have an interest in you getting a physical. So what are you waiting for? Make that appointment!
Is Your Life Worth A Dollar A Day?
This message is relevant any day of the week, for any man woman and child across our great nation…
How sad is the story of Shannon Stone, the 39 year old firefighter who tragically died while reaching out for a baseball at a recent major league baseball game? Incredibly sad, especially as his 6 year old son was by his side.
I imagine through his work his son and other family members will benefit from his life insurance. Though often the only life insurance one has is through their employer. Do you know what a dollar a day buys in life insurance for a 39 year old man? It could be a million dollars in term life for a healthy non-smoker.
What’s a dollar a day to you? A coffee at Turkey Hill? A bottled water at Wawa? A candy bar from a vending machine? A scratch and win lottery ticket?
I’ll bet you don’t have to think to hard to come up with the name of someone you know who died unexpectedly. My gut aches when I see people doing fundraisers for a family that lost a parent too soon. God bless the goodness of those who sell subs, hold a car wash or set up a golf tournament to benefit the family. But really, how much can that do?
When you add up the final expense costs, medical bills, lost income and other financial obligations, like mortgages, college educations and consumer debt, the number is often well into high six figures or low 7 figures. Most families struggle to make ends meet with 2 incomes, how can they do it with one income? A dollar a day.
Everyone’s situation is unique, and maybe a dollar a day won’t buy a million dollar policy. What if it was only 100,000 dollars? That’s still enough to have enormous impact.
What about you? Do you have life insurance? Do you own some outside of work? Do you have enough? Can you spare a dollar a day?
Father’s Day 2011
It’s Father’s Day 2011. I became a father a week short of my 37th birthday. In my mind, a man at 37 is probably fairly well established in his chosen profession, and secure in all things financial. Three months after Kate was born, I was let go from my chosen field, little did I know at the time that I’d be out for good. Staying in broadcasting would likely have meant a move out of town, probably out of state. Been there, done that, and didn’t want to do it again, especially with a family in tow.
Unemployment gave me 6 months as a Mr. Mom and a special introduction to fatherhood. I certainly wouldn’t trade that time for another meaningless 6 months in radio.
12 years later a recurring theme is readily apparent. 12 years of work, selling beds, cars, loans and insurance have been fun and occasionally fruitful, but really…almost meaningless. Suffice to say I haven’t changed the world. All of the above was a means to an end, supporting a household.
Decisions on employment could be second guessed eternally, but the underlying consideration in all judgments was my kids. I wanted flexibility and freedom to be an active and willing participant in their lives. I work hard and enjoy work, but I am not a workaholic. After losing my own Dad at 13, I couldn’t bear the thought of being the guy who looks back on his life and wishes he spent more time with his children.
Those 3 am feedings and changing poopie diapers was not just for Lori. Bathtime and bedtime were playtime. If it was the straw that broke the camel’s back, it will be the piggyback rides that do me in. There’s pages of stories in my noggin between peek a boo and training wheels, and just as many from that first bike to the first lacrosse practice just 3 months ago.
I’ve made mistakes as a parent and would welcome some do overs, but that’s life. I guess my most sincere hope is that I’ve set a good example, as they learn so much more by seeing and experiencing than they do from hearing me lecture about life.
In 6 months I’ll turn 50. By then I’ll have a teenaged daughter and a 9 year old boy. Exiting college I imagined great things for a 50 year old Bri. I’d have logged decades ruling the radio dial from behind the mike in some major market. Perhaps I’d have retired triumphantly and gone into station ownership.
Alas, I’m just a guy making a living in Anywhere, USA. Yet I feel wealthy as hell, because I AM LUCKY TO BE A FATHER, SO BLESSED to have Kate and Nathan. Time invested in them always brings great returns. They are my pot of gold. So greetings from the end of the rainbow on another great day, that just happens to be called Father’s Day.
No More Pennsylvania Adult Basic!
As of 2/28/11 the state of Pennsylvania ran out of dollars to fund its’ Adult Basic health coverage. About 40,000 individuals across the Commonwealth are scrambling to get something in place. The options are many, the affordable options are few. I may be able to help. Give a call: (717) 468-0130.
Vision Insurance
This is the best deal in the business! For $3/mo for one person or $7/mo for the whole family you can have really affordable coverage for eye exams, glasses and contacts. Wathc the video, send me an e-mail (broweems@ptd.net) or give me a call (717-468-0130).
Do You Have Dental?
When I talk to prospective clients for health insurance, about half the time the question, “Do you have dental?” comes up. There are no really fabulous dental insurance plans and you can probably imagine why. An insurance company makes money when they don’t have to pay claims. Most people are very healthy and rarely have a claim, so the insurance company is making $$$. But give someone dental insurance and they’ll go as often as they can! That COSTS the insurance company money. Nonetheless, they are some possibilities. Watch the video, send me an e-mail (broweems@ptd.net) or give me a call (717-468-0130).
Am I Paying Too Much for Health Insurance?
Whether you are looking at your pay stub and looking at the deduction for your health insurance, or looking at your bank statement and seeing the autodraft of another month’s health insurance premium…from time to time you wonder if you are paying too much for health insurance. What should you do?
Should I Self Insure or Use My Employer’s Health Plan?
As the cost of health care rises in this country, employers may be paying less and less toward your health benefits. It’s very common for the company to pay a lot for you the employee, but very little for your spouse and/or kids. It’s worth it to look at options to self insure.