With the ranting I've been doing over the last 24 hours, Sophie and Michael's first words are likely to be "Single Payer."
At their 4-month well visit yesterday, I gave the receptionist our new insurance card when I signed in. Up until July we had HAP coverage, but apparently during my maternity leave my school district didn't renew that option, and we all now have Blue Cross Blue Shield.
I was under the impression that there wasn't much difference until the receptionist enlightened me. He knew right away that I was about to get blindsided; he sees it a lot. It turns out that unlike HAP with it's unlimited coverage on preventive care, only $500 worth is covered by my BCBS. We used that up on three vaccines yesterday and there are more to come in October. And January. And April. And October again. Parents of young children are the ones who typically run up against this problem as $500 goes pretty far for your average, healthy adult.
I know preventive care is part of the new health care act, but from what I read that doesn't apply to plans that begin before Sept. 23, 2010.
Fortunately, even now there are shots provided by the government (Wait, isn't that socialism? Run for cover!) for the underinsured...like us. We can get them from the pediatrician and pay for the administrative cost, about $17/shot, or go to the health department. Underinsured? Health Department? With three degrees between us and two good, full-time jobs, that was an unpleasant conversation for Mike and me to find ourselves in. We can certainly afford $17/shot, but the principle of not just covering immuniztions recommended by the CDC blows me away.
By the way, you really should watch this if you haven't already. The new health care act is a start, but our babies still deserve better.
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