These stories come from the real people who live with a broken health care system. Some have health insurance and some do not. Many of these stories suggest potential solutions* that lead to quality, affordable health care we can count on. One thing we all agree on is that the we cannot trust the insurance industry to fix themselves. To learn more about what Health Care for America Now stands for read our Statement of Common Purpose.
We wanted to give you a chance to speak for yourself, in your own voice, about the need for Health Care for America Now. Do you have something to say? Tell us your story.
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Jeanne
East China, MI
I had an hmo for 7 years. They would not allow me to have a ob/gyn or any other specialist. The nearest place to my house with a doctor on their list was 50 miles way in a clinic. I had seen her on pain in my left side. She checked my bloodwork and said I had diabetes with the 153 as a high. I was put on glucofaish. I was not checked out for my side. The only way I could get checked out was by going to the ER at the nearest hospital to me and BCNHMO would cover it. They finally asked me one time what my pain was on a scale of 1-10. I said 20. They would not let me go until they found out an answer. They finally did a catscan and found a 5 cm cyst on my left side. They said se an OB/GYN. I couldn't because I had an HMO thru my husband's work and they would not cover an OBGYN. I went to work for a grocery store chain that had PPOM. I went and worked there. I paid $5.00 a week to do the health insurance plan I could get with an OB/GYN. ONce I received the insurance and was covered I went to one and he said I had to have a hysterectomy. From 1998-2004 I was in pain and the clinic I went to misdiagnosed me. I ended up in April 2004 having a laproscopy by the OB/GYN and they took the 5 cm CYST out plus and infected left ovary and filopian tube. They found out I had endometriosis as well. I had to have ahysterectomy August 2004. They found another 5 cm cyst on the right side of me and took everything out becuase my endometriosis was so bad. I do not think a general practioner is qualified to find out things like this and is very important that a woman have the coverage they need. I also told the doctor I had been of my stuff I went thru and she was appauled that I went thru what I did. I was then proven by another doctor that I DO NOT have diabetes and was taken off the glucofaugh. I was taking meds that I should not have taken. I wrote a letter to the state of Michigan and also took all the receipts I had for the year 2004 and sent them to BCN HMO. They were pissed off at me becuase I did not use them but when I told them of my dilema they said to send in receipts and they would pay for them. They did end up sending me money but refused to pay all of the bill because I had PPOM as my main health insurance. I told them that was not good enough because PPOM was my secondary insurance. They said they would only cover certain portions. I do not know how to get approximately 10,000 back from them. It is not fair that I had to go thru a nother insurance to prove what I knew was wrong with me. The doctors via hmo said everything I had in pain in me was all in my head, go home and take tylenol and sleep. So I ended up wasting my time with them. I want to know how I can go about suing BCNHMO for the damage done to me. If they had found my endometriosis when I origannly started complaining of pain I would not have had to have a full hysterectomy. I blame them for the negligence of the doctors who were unable to assist me becuase I was not provided with a specialist to assist me with the care I so desperately needed. I could have died from the endometriosis.
*Health Care for America Now is not responsible for the content of these stories. These stories are submitted by individuals in the online audience and have been edited in some cases. Health Care For America Now does not endorse any of the solutions or policy positions suggested in the content of these stories. Health Care for America Now is a coalition of organizations that agree to the Statement of Common Purpose.
See our coalition partner list.
Read the Statement of Common Purpose.
