I sent my first "need sharing" packet off to Samaritan this morning... with a prayer! My wonderful doctor, Dr. Griffin, is letting me put the whole ALCAT test "on account" till I get my shares from other members... it could be September! I am blessed!
Oh - and I bought my first kids' "get well" card this weekend, as my share was going to a nine-year old boy! Neat! Where can you personalize "insurance payments" like that...
No, it was more like "Dear Giant Insurance company, thank you for barely paying anything on my last claim. Here is the rest of my money for food for the year. Thanks so much."
I love being part of a Christian Healthcare Sharing Ministry!
Amen!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
My first healthcare "need"...
Okay - now we'll see how this "experiment" of mine will work in the real world.
I've been having some very weird symptoms lately - mainly since I took almost all sugar and most "cheap" carbs out of my diet. My blood sugar has gone down, so I've tried to reintroduce things like whole grains and so on back into my diet. When I did so recently, I ended up with a cracking headache that kept me up all night, and then a distinctly "hungover" feeling (sorry my Christian followers, I was a sinner before I came to the Lord) all the next day. I also had what felt like Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms that lasted three days one time (no RA factor in my blood - had that tested!).
Okay - long story short, Dr. Griffin told me about a food sensitivity test called the ALCAT that can look at over 200 foods, additives, herbs and environmental factors. I looked at the price and nearly fainted... $1100 for a blood test? Well, then I realized - this is a legitimate healthcare "need" as defined by Samaritan!
So - I called Samaritan and told them my symptoms (and thankfully they will publish those, not necessarily that it's a food allergy problem - because what if it isn't and I need more tests later??). I got my need packet in the mail last week and took it to Dr. Griffin today. He drew the blood, and will be sending it to ALCAT's lab in Deerfield, FL overnight FedEX. He knows I'm with Samaritan, so he will bill me! Not sure what the total is, because I will be getting his discounted price, which he will pass on to me!
This is what a trust-filled relationship between doctor and patient should look like! I trust him with my health, and he trusts that I will pay. And I trust that my fellow members in Samaritan will send their shares to me once my need is published. And I trust in the Lord that he will ultimately provide the healing that will come from having the wisdom of understanding my body's reaction to food... stay tuned!
I've been having some very weird symptoms lately - mainly since I took almost all sugar and most "cheap" carbs out of my diet. My blood sugar has gone down, so I've tried to reintroduce things like whole grains and so on back into my diet. When I did so recently, I ended up with a cracking headache that kept me up all night, and then a distinctly "hungover" feeling (sorry my Christian followers, I was a sinner before I came to the Lord) all the next day. I also had what felt like Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms that lasted three days one time (no RA factor in my blood - had that tested!).
Okay - long story short, Dr. Griffin told me about a food sensitivity test called the ALCAT that can look at over 200 foods, additives, herbs and environmental factors. I looked at the price and nearly fainted... $1100 for a blood test? Well, then I realized - this is a legitimate healthcare "need" as defined by Samaritan!
So - I called Samaritan and told them my symptoms (and thankfully they will publish those, not necessarily that it's a food allergy problem - because what if it isn't and I need more tests later??). I got my need packet in the mail last week and took it to Dr. Griffin today. He drew the blood, and will be sending it to ALCAT's lab in Deerfield, FL overnight FedEX. He knows I'm with Samaritan, so he will bill me! Not sure what the total is, because I will be getting his discounted price, which he will pass on to me!
This is what a trust-filled relationship between doctor and patient should look like! I trust him with my health, and he trusts that I will pay. And I trust that my fellow members in Samaritan will send their shares to me once my need is published. And I trust in the Lord that he will ultimately provide the healing that will come from having the wisdom of understanding my body's reaction to food... stay tuned!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Not waiting for disaster
I'm not sure if other people with crazily high insurance deductibles do this, but when I was "insured" I would wait till I had a litany of problems to discuss with a doctor, then try to get help for all of them in the 15 minute appointment allotted to me (after waiting for up to an hour to see the doc).
Now, I call Dr. Griffin's office in the morning and say "I'm going to be down that way this afternoon. Can the doctor see me sometime after 2pm?" The answer is "sure - come at 3 - he'll be free then." Arrive at 2:52, chat with his assistant, get in his office at 3, explain three problems, get blood drawn, out by 3:30... done, and done.
Dr. Griffin also has a patient portal on his site, so that when blood test results come back, I can see them online, securely and safely (HIPAA compliant, yadda, yadda). I can save them to my computer, print them, etc.
Oh yes, and I found out my A1C blood sugar level fell almost one point in the last three months - low carb/no sugar diet - and I've lost 10 pounds. Life is good when you want to be healthy and have a supportive doc to help you get there!
Now, I call Dr. Griffin's office in the morning and say "I'm going to be down that way this afternoon. Can the doctor see me sometime after 2pm?" The answer is "sure - come at 3 - he'll be free then." Arrive at 2:52, chat with his assistant, get in his office at 3, explain three problems, get blood drawn, out by 3:30... done, and done.
Dr. Griffin also has a patient portal on his site, so that when blood test results come back, I can see them online, securely and safely (HIPAA compliant, yadda, yadda). I can save them to my computer, print them, etc.
Oh yes, and I found out my A1C blood sugar level fell almost one point in the last three months - low carb/no sugar diet - and I've lost 10 pounds. Life is good when you want to be healthy and have a supportive doc to help you get there!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
An aside: A Total Money Makeover
Let's face it - if we could all afford huge insurance premiums, we'd be paying them. In my case, really bad financial decisions in the past mean that I absolutely must live on a budget.
I've heard financial counselors refer to "spending plans" because the word budget is so fraught with negative meaning. I wanted to find a way to rearrange my financial life along Christian principles; I wasn't looking to get rich quick, or even to get rich.
I found Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" - a plan that uses straightforward "baby steps" to help people achieve financial peace and freedom. Dave follows biblical principles like tithing, and he believes that money is meant for giving, spending and saving. Period. Money is a tool, nothing more. So far, I'm only on Step Two - the Debt Snowball. But I already have more financial peace than I've had in years. Thanks Dave!
I've heard financial counselors refer to "spending plans" because the word budget is so fraught with negative meaning. I wanted to find a way to rearrange my financial life along Christian principles; I wasn't looking to get rich quick, or even to get rich.
I found Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" - a plan that uses straightforward "baby steps" to help people achieve financial peace and freedom. Dave follows biblical principles like tithing, and he believes that money is meant for giving, spending and saving. Period. Money is a tool, nothing more. So far, I'm only on Step Two - the Debt Snowball. But I already have more financial peace than I've had in years. Thanks Dave!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Paying my "share" - joyfully!
I just got my Samaritan Ministries monthly newsletter. Each month, the ministry "assigns" me someone to whom I pay my $135 "share" (remember, it's not insurance, it's medical expense sharing). Usually I grab one of my stack of "get well soon" cards, pray about the particular illness or situation the person is going through, and then write out the check and a prayerful note. This month, my share is going to a couple who is expecting a baby in August!
Now, I always feel blessed to be able to send my share to a family who is paying for medical bills after an illness or injury. It feels really good to help a fellow believer or family in their time of need. This month, I get to share in another family's blessings!
So - I need to buy a "you're expecting - congratulations" card... because "get well soon" just doesn't cut it, even if the expectant mother might be suffering from morning sickness!
Still very grateful for my insurance alternatives!!
Now, I always feel blessed to be able to send my share to a family who is paying for medical bills after an illness or injury. It feels really good to help a fellow believer or family in their time of need. This month, I get to share in another family's blessings!
So - I need to buy a "you're expecting - congratulations" card... because "get well soon" just doesn't cut it, even if the expectant mother might be suffering from morning sickness!
Still very grateful for my insurance alternatives!!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Visiting the doc just for fun
This week I visited Dr. Griffin just for the heck of it. I wanted to try a Vitamin B-12 shot (since so many people swear by them) and get a "tag" on my neck removed.
Appointment was at 4pm - I got there early and went right in... Shot given, tag removed by 4:10... then to make sure I didn't react badly to the shot (I tend to get low blood pressure when I receive vaccines) Dr. Griffin sat and talked to me for the next 15 minutes...
Where do you get that kind of service at a clinic or practice where you see a different P.A. every time?
So far, loving my experiment in concierge medicine!
Appointment was at 4pm - I got there early and went right in... Shot given, tag removed by 4:10... then to make sure I didn't react badly to the shot (I tend to get low blood pressure when I receive vaccines) Dr. Griffin sat and talked to me for the next 15 minutes...
Where do you get that kind of service at a clinic or practice where you see a different P.A. every time?
So far, loving my experiment in concierge medicine!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Using Concierge Medicine
I've had the opportunity to use Dr. Griffin's services a few times since starting this blog. Remember, for $125 a month, I can see him as often as I need to. I've had a physical (total lab costs - $85), ear wax removal (think - when was the last time you went to a doctor for that - unless you have really, really good insurance that pays for everything), help from him to get me on a Patient Assistance Plan for my asthma medicine, a pre-cancerous lesion frozen off... and a visit for the sniffles...
All of these visits were things I had put off doing when I had "insurance" since I had to hit a $3000 deductible before it paid for ANYTHING. No office co-pays on that one, so I would be hit with a bill for a couple hundred dollars every time I went to the doctor (my last dermatologist visit was an example of that).
I even got a referral from him to a chiropractor... it remains to be seen whether Samaritan will pay for the chiro, but I've started a "need request" just in case. I may be able to come in on that one for just over the $300 minimum, so I may not even need help from the other members of Samaritan. I may wait till I have a real need...
It's all good so far... I'm a relatively healthy person, so I don't anticipate using either the doctor or Samaritan all that much, but I'm glad to know they are there!
All of these visits were things I had put off doing when I had "insurance" since I had to hit a $3000 deductible before it paid for ANYTHING. No office co-pays on that one, so I would be hit with a bill for a couple hundred dollars every time I went to the doctor (my last dermatologist visit was an example of that).
I even got a referral from him to a chiropractor... it remains to be seen whether Samaritan will pay for the chiro, but I've started a "need request" just in case. I may be able to come in on that one for just over the $300 minimum, so I may not even need help from the other members of Samaritan. I may wait till I have a real need...
It's all good so far... I'm a relatively healthy person, so I don't anticipate using either the doctor or Samaritan all that much, but I'm glad to know they are there!
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