Health Insurance

Some people here have suggested that I post my problem in here, so please bear with me....

I live in Canada, and although we do have 'free' access to doctors, we do not get free medicines, nor dentist, and soon not only will we have to pay premiums for heath care, but various programs like seeing an optometrist will NOT becovered, and we, as patients will have to pay out of our own pocket. For me, that's important because I have glaucoma, and need to see an opthamalogist as well as an optometrist.

I have talked to numerous insurance companies and they will NOT cover anything that has to do with my pre-existing conditions, mainly, asthma, glaucoma, and depression. The meds I need cost me about $300/month (please don't say it's cheaper in Canada, at least for me, I can't even support myself, let alone pay that much for my meds.) The company that I work for does NOT have any medical benefits at all.

Drug companies who make the meds I take said they don't have any programs that can help individuals, unless they're in third world contries and only through some special organization whom the drug companies donate meds to.

The government has a program. Unfortunately, it has a very stupid rule. EVERYONE who lives in the same house, regardless of whether or not they want to apply to the program, must state their net income and sign the application form. My family refuses to give me the information and refuses to sign.

I'm not poor enough to go on welfare, but not rich enough to pay all my bills and meds ( I live with my parents because I can't afford to live on my own. Yes, I pay rent - not as high as an apartment though.)

So far, I have been either not taking my meds, or rationing them. My conditions cannot be cured, they will only get worse - slowly, but surely. I am very scared to have an asthma attack because then I would have to go to the hospital. I need 3 different kinds of meds to treat asthma, and I've been rationing them to the extreme. I've even used old, expired meds. Figured even a little helps.

I need 2 eye drops for glaucoma. I haven't put any in my eyes for a month now. One of them has expired. The other is a sample.

Doctors here don't give out samples that generously. There are lots of patients and my samples come from specialists - not my gp.

If anyone have any other suggestions, please let me know, because I don't know what else I can do or where to go.

Thanks for taking the time to read all this.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

I wish I knew what to tell you, but all I can really do is let you know I read your post and am sympathizing with you. That's rough!

The only idea coming to me is to move out - the difference between paying higher rent and being able to get your meds might have you coming out ahead that way. I'm sorry your parents are like that. Mine were too. When I was a single college student in order to apply for financial aid I had to get their income information and signatures because they insisted on claiming me as a dependent so they could get the tax deduction. But they didn't help me with anything - I was on my own and they didn't even write or call or anything. Getting their income information for my financial aid application was almost impossible. Eventually I usually did get it, but by that time my application was 3 months late and the money had already been awarded to those who had it in on time, so I had to take out loans. I still owe most of what I had to borrow, and feel like I'll never get out from under it. They claimed later that they didn't know it was important.

Have you tried telling your parents that it is important? Or having someone else tell them?

It also reminds me of someone I know whose husband left her and she lost her job, and he isn't sending child support (the child lives with her), and she is applying for public assistance. She needs a statement from her landlord on what she owes for rent, but he won't give it because reporting the income from rent might cut his pension, so she can't get the money. We told her to tell him "thanks for the free rent" and just stay - she tried to pay him and he wouldn't cooperate. I think it's despicable of your parents not to either give you the information and signatures, or help with your bills. One or the other - their choice!

Rap

<font color=orange>"If a light beckons to you, follow it. If it leads you into the quagmire, you'll probably find your way out of it again; but if you don't follow it, you'll be plagued for the rest of your life by the thought that perhaps it was your star." Friedrich Hebbet</font color=orange>

I'm sorry you had to take out loans. I had to pay for most of my education too - I worked at 2 part time jobs, which turned out to over 40 hours a week and full time school.I worked year round so i could stay in school. My parents were too well off for me to get loans. They were willng to pay half the education cost to my brother who was in a co-op program and was paid $400/week. He came first. He was more important.

I told my parents how important it was. I told them I'll fill in the form - just give me the info. They did have to sign their own signatures though. They still thought it was too much trouble going through the drawers to find their income tax form. I could've looked for them myself, but wouldnt have done me any good if they wouldnt sign.

I really cant move out - the rent is so much more than i can afford. Unless I stay on the streets.

A quick death is better than a slow painful death.

Too much trouble??? Sheesh.

Are there any programs you can call... not to get meds or care, but just some sort of advocacy program, who knows the system, knows what is available, and may be able to cut through some red tape for you to get what you need? Maybe they can even intervene between the government program and your parents... you apply to the government and the advocacy program will force your parents to give them the information you need. This should not be "optional" for them, providing this information for your behalf should be as mandatory as filing their taxes.

There is a program I may have mentioned before, (if I already mentioned it to you and it is not helpful in Canada, I apologize for the repeat). called the Pharmacy Assistance Program. They have connections with the pharmicutical companies with regard to the billions of dollars of medicines they make available for free (the drug companies do this for good will plus tax writeoff) and this organization can contact them on your behalf and see what programs they can get for you. There is a fee for their service but I believe no fee if they aren't able to get you the meds you need.

Their phone number is 1-800-564-0565, web address
-- The world is what we make of it --
-- Dave
-- <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.idexter.com>http://www.idexter.com</A>

Thanks (((((((((dave)))))) it is based in the U.S. I'll have to contact them to see if they have a canadian counterpart. Maybe they can get to the drug companies where i couldnt. PAP ppl may have more pull than me.