NaNo Day 2 and a Rant

An update on my NaNoWriMo progress. It is! I am writing. I had my opening words from the midnight write-in on November 1st. After a play rehearsal the evening of November 1st, I went home and wrote a little bit more.

Today (Thu 11/2), a writer friend and I met at the Corporeal Center and had a write-in, with other writers coming to use the space and Domi greeting and conversing. I managed to write a good chunk of words while there. Then relocated and a little while later I wrote more words.

The words were kind of flowing! It was a good writing day.

I closed out the day with a total of 5556 words - which is over the average target word count of 1667 words per day (which would make day 2's target 3334). I am deliberately over because I know there will be some minimal days ahead.

One of my goals this November is to write something every day. Last year I wrote most days; this year my goal, in addition to the 50k, is to write every day. Even if I meet the 50k target ahead of time, is to continue writing every day. (Can you hear me laughing? it will be a struggle to do this year, even though I usually finish around Thanksgiving.)

No, I'm not going to post much of anything about what I'm writing. What I started at the midnight write-in is probably not the story I'm writing. It was words and I thought that would be it. But there has been a major shift. A good shift and I feel on track. But I am not going to talk much about content this year. And I'm fine with that.

* * Warning: Stop here if you don't want to read my rant! * *

Now for the rant: health insurance (with mention of car insurance and taxes).

Maybe I should just stop right there.

No, here are the details, which I know many others are experiencing, as well. I am not alone and I know that I am in a better place on this issue right now than some. Though I am in that group of people who feel the ground slipping and resources changing.

I am so disgusted. Don't even ask me because I don't believe that the "health care" talks from Washington DC would make this any better - I believe 100% that it would be even worse. Does this system need to be fixed? Yes. Is the GOP/T plan any better - oh, no, not at all.

So - my insurance rant 2017 heading into 2018.

My new health care insurance packet arrived. Look at that screen shot, no, this is not comparable. It is not comparable at all. Another $90 per month rate increase for slashing my "benefits" - which I never use because the only thing I use them for is the requisite periodic lab work due to a genetic mutation, which I pay in full, and the requisite one medication I pay for in full, which has a total cost that is below the minimum copay for rx? So I pay you for the privilege of paying everything out of pocket and I get to pay you more for it? Does this look comparable to you? I mean, yes, I knew rate hikes and slashes were coming. But. Still. 

One difference not shown is that my 2017 plan I pay $70 for office visits with my primary dr until deductible is met; and $150 per visit to a specialist. Now I will have those 2 visits per year at $50 and then 50% after deductible? What about that gap of 2 visits to deductible, if needed? In full? At, what, $300 per pop?. 

Oh - I do go to the doctor when needed : My primary care is a Naturopath and Acupuncturist; I also do chiropractic and massage (necessary for the work I do; it has kept me from repetitive motion injury) - none of that is covered by my insurance, so also paid 100% out of pocket. 

With our property tax hike, the car insurance premium hike (no accidents or anything to raise it, it just went up because they could), my health insurance premium increase - is an additional $200 per month; and I don't know what my partner's health insurance rate increase will be, yet - I'm sure there will be something, but don't have those numbers yet.

On the left my deductible and my maximum out of pockets are the same (6500/6500). On the right, my out of pocket maximum is 7350 and my deductible is 6500. Whoopee; $850 "savings."

The left column, with the exception of right now having $70 primary OV/$150 specialist OV until deductible is met, is what my 2017 plan has been.

This screen shot shows the 2018 Marketplace version (left) and the KP version (right). I have been a direct KP individual member for years. I haven't wanted to do the Marketplace because I've heard of many problems with losing rights and access to information due to being Marketplace instead of KP direct. Now, staying with the direct KP plan will cost me $14 more per month than the Marketplace version and the direct KP plan will give me worse coverage; that is reversed from how it was in the past.

I don't get it.

Especially when I don't use it and what I use is so cheap that, in the case of the medication, it is below the minimum copay for a medication.

And, what I haven't said, is that I don't like my primary care physician. I ended up with her when my longtime doctor moved away. Doctors recommended by friends and my ND are not taking new patients.

I realize it is a privilege to have resources to make the premium payments. To have the choice to use natural medicines and chiropractic as my primary care and pay out of pocket. I do work - I have a part-time job at which I have no health care insurance benefits and we are kept under that hours cap where they would have to provide insurance. I also do some freelance work, including performance interpreting and coordinating.

One thing I wonder is at what point does the amount of work I have to do to be able to afford the insurance premiums become a factor in my need for health care? And at what point will it become unaffordable and what will I do? Work more which will increase mental and emotional and physical stress which will cause more need for health care which will .... and so it goes. As of 2018, my health care insurance premiums will have gone up $260 in three years. And this includes going from a Silver plan down to a Bronze plan; I had to decrease my coverage last year because, without it, my insurance would have been almost another $100 per month, in addition to the $70 increase I had to settle for.

I am not dwelling on the cycle right now. Because this is where things are. As the costs of living go up and insurance premiums go up for no reason and even without use, it does raise the question of where is that line of working more to keep making the insurance payments, when the working more becomes a factor in decreasing the standard of living and the need for more health care to address the stress.

There is more. But this is already long enough. And some of the other things I have to say do not belong in this space.

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Added note: I know my health care insurance situation is not the worst. I have been hearing stories the past couple of days from people whose situation is worse. One whose monthly premium is going up $350 just for herself. I don't know if hers includes dental and vision or what plan she's on. I don't have those; only medical. There are people going without insurance because they cannot afford the premiums. The ACA is not affordable; the alternatives proposed are far worse. I feel like I am being strangled by insurance and the mangling of health care and destruction of the environment and more. And some people have it worse than me, I know.

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Moving Forward

It's been a rough couple of weeks - which has affected my writing and energy and, well, everything.

While not a fun experience, I at least now know what was causing the health issue and I have started treatment to eradicate it. I've been trying to pay attention to everything, including my body any my schedule and my sleep. And I made a wrong guess about something a couple weeks ago. Then yesterday, it all came to a head and, when I passed out in the college parking lot between my car and the one next to it, I knew I had to stop going on my assumption and get myself into Urgent Care or ER. It turned out that my insurance provider didn't have any urgent care clinics I could get to before they closed; which was probably for the best, since I really did need the ER. Hours and tests later and there was a diagnosis - without a cause, but a diagnosis. And I was admitted. More tests.

And it's true that hospitals are not a good place to rest or get sleep. So many comings and goings, checking stats, and then the sounds in the hall and other patients and everything. Sleep - not so much.

They did release me this afternoon - another test of patience. But I got out and am home. With instructions to not work until Thursday. And with medications - one of them very expensive and I don't have prescription coverage (I rarely take medications, so it was cost effective for me to get the plan without prescriptions; even with the  high cost of one of today's drugs, it's worth the lower monthly cost).

Kaiser was actually very good. Everyone - with the exception of one snarky technician in the ER - was friendly and helpful and listened. I felt like I got very good care, and they paid attention to my needs.

So - back to writing. I've been doing less because I've had no energy. Now I have several days ahead where I've been instructed to take it easy, increase activity slowly, cautiously, and stop if any symptoms worsen or a couple of specific ones appear.

Maybe - just maybe - once I catch up on sleep after being home, I'll be able to get a little more writing done.

But, for now, I need to recover some rest and sleep time.

more politics of health care

Recently I've read several anecdotal stories supporting the need for health care reform. And I've heard people get up in arms and misunderstand or misquote or believe propoganda from the fear mongers and there is an outcry that we don't need to change the system.

Do they really think the current health care system is working? Do they really believe the lies being spread about what has been proposed and the options? Do they really believe the current system is fair and healthy and better than what most other countries have?

Recently my partner overheard a couple of guys talking right outside our house. I don't remember all the details of the story - but it was the usual about not needing health care change, how national health care would be a disaster and people would abuse it, and so on. Then one guy said, "aw, it doesn't really matter anyway, cuz I've already got mine; I don't care."

That's what it comes down to: an attitude of "I've got mine so I don't care what you need or want." I don't know what the perfect system would be or if there is a "perfect" one; I do know that this one is not working.

Today I saw the following article - which was not intended as a commentary about health care in this country, but I think it's a good one to add to the archives on the subject. This article was triple this length, but I think I'll let this article speak for itself - and I know there will be some who will twist this to mean other than I intended. I'm glad he at least has a community to help him where our "health care" system fails.

Where's Waldo 100k winner Erik Skaggs needs your support

Erik Skaggs, 27, of Ashland, won the Where's Waldo 100k in a time of 9:11:05; but was hospitalized later that day and remains in need of medical care.

.... Erik ran and won the Where's Waldo 100 Kilometer Ultramarathon last Saturday in record time but began having medical difficulties later that day.
....
Many friends throughout the ultrarunning community have already asked how they can help. One of Erik's biggest concerns is the mounting medical bill. Erik does not have health insurance. He may be eligible for some assistance through his membership with USA Track and Field, but will no doubt require monies for the deductible and for the expected costs well above the coverage. An Ashland runner and friend of Erik's has opened a bank account at Umpqua Bank in Ashland, Oregon to receive donations that will be used to help defray these medical expenses.

If you are interested in reading the rest of the article, you can do it on the Run Oregon blog on the OregonLive website.

Picture of Erik Skagg from UltraRunning Online

...about the potential falling into the water thing...

A coworker was asking me about the dragon boat experience last night. Which made me remember on the way home that one reason I continued with the same health insurance plan even after I lost the part-time faculty partial insurance payment stipend was just this. I could fall in the river and, if it's been raining, could be exposed to all kinds of nasty diseases. Or slip on the boat with a serious enough injury that I would need medical attention. Or slip down a trail on a hike; or on the Mt. Tabor stairs; or misstep on the treadmill at the gym.

Point being: Now that I'm more active, there are increased physical risks (though far less than if I'd gotten involved in downhill skiing or race car driving or hang gliding). So, as long as I can, I'm putting out about $375 a month for health insurance. I don't want to tempt fate too much by not having it and, because I'm not undernourished and unhealthily thin (which is what the current insurance scale would require; last time I weighed that amount my doctor said I was not healthy and needed to put some back on; you'd never guess that now!), so getting insurance again if I lose it will be a near impossibility. And I'm not 25. So I put out the money, have figured out how many hours I have to work to pay that (cough cough), and know that it's worth it. Unless I want to gamble on losing my house and everything else if a medical emergency strikes.

But at least I do have work and can afford it. I'd rather do something else with that money, but, I have it and I think it's a wise choice.