Moving towards a Hip Replacement after no insurance for over 10 years

Posted , 10 users are following.

Well many of you out here were very helpful as a few weeks ago I was awaiting to have medical insurance. 

Well I am happy to say as of Nov. 1st got Medical Insurance and things are moving forward.

November 1st bloodwoork was done and all came out good.

November 3rd had a doctor appointment and he sent me in for 19 x-rays for both hips, pelvis and back.

November 11th I got my results showing I need a THR on my right leg.  No suprise considering the amount of pain I am in and lack of mobility.  Left hip showed moderate wear and back had degenerative arthritis and syiatica and etc.

November 18th consultaion visit with oral surgeon to remove a broken tooth before surgery.

Today November 19th I had a MRI on both hips.  The pain was really hard for me being in the MRI machine for 1 hour.  My leg was in so much pain not moving I just kept praying and moaning.  I had taken a pain pill before but did not touch it.  I was at a level 9 in pain.

Now Friday Novemember 21st I go in for another MRI on my back.  This time my time in the machine will be 30 minutes. More pain.

Monday November 18th I have a appointment with the Orthopetic Surgeon for a counstation. He will look at my xrays and MRI's.

Tuesday Novemeber 19th I return to my MD doctor for MRI results.

December 2nd Tooth Extraction

Wow for not having insurance for so many years i am grateful to moving forward to this.

My hip replacement may be in December or January.  Maybe around Christmas.

Well just wanted to put everyone up to date since i was out there earlier and so many took intrest to share with me.  Thank you all for listening.

Evelyn USA

2 likes, 59 replies

59 Replies

Next
  • Posted

    Amazing!  Makes us in the UK realise how lucky we are to have the National Health system.  Good luck with your hip replacement.  Carole
    • Posted

      Hi Carole, I am not familure with the National Health System.  I live in the USA.

    • Posted

      From what I gather, the National Health System is wonderful.  No premiums or co-pays for anyone like here in the US.  No being kicked out of your surgeon's practice and leaving you without a doctor after a botched hip replacement because you missed some payments on your account.  (That happened to me.)

       

  • Posted

    Evelyn, so happy for you!  It is hard work to catch up on health issues now that you have insurance,  but it sounds like it was more difficult to suffer beforehand.  Did Obama Care help you achieve insurance?  I am in the US Too.

    I sure wish you the best as you move forward and keep us informed.

    Dawn

    • Posted

      Hi Dawn,

      Thank you for writing.  No Obama Care was not what helped me.  I got medicare and got a supplemental to go with it.  I am getting good help with no waiting.  Pretty awesome.

       

    • Posted

      Darn it, I was hoping to hear of one positive story about Obama Care.  Sarcasm intended!  

      Keep us informed after your surgery.  There are a lot of good people on here for support!

      My best,

      Dawn

    • Posted

      I just had my minimally invasive THP surgery under Obamacare and it paid for everything but a $300 deductable.  Pretty good out of almost an $80,000 procedure. So here is your positive story about Obamacare, it's been wonderful for hundreds of thousands of people in the US that didn't have insurance. You shouldn't bash something you obviously know nothing about and this country desperately needed.
    • Posted

      Kathee,

      Sorry for my sarcasm in my reply to Evelyn.   I do know a great deal about it because I live in the US and voted for Obama.  Fortunately I do not need to use the new system, as I  have Medicare and a supplement, AARP Medicare Complete United Health Care.

      Yes ! I am glad it was so good for you, however I know too many people whose experiences were not positive and in fact caused them to have to spend more $$ than before and we're forced to buy categories of insurance they did not need.

      So this is where my sarcasm originated.  Please forgive my offense and now I politely bow out.

      Dawn

    • Posted

      Dawn,

       Unfortunately people don't educate theirselfs. When you sign up for the ACA, you have a choice of plans/deductible/premiums/coverages etc. People need to choose what's best for them. When I signed up in NC we only had BCBS to choose from and luckly it was a wonderful plan and all my doctors that I use signed up to accept the ACA insurance. I'm sorry your friends have had so many problems. It's open enrollment now so maybe they can search for a new plan. I accept your apology, I guess I'm just getting a little sensitive to the negativity in the US.

      Take care,

      Kathee

    • Posted

      Kathee,

      I understand about the condition our country is in and the sensitivity, so my sarcasm was unwarranted.  All the people I know had their previous insurance cancel and charged them two and 3 times higher premiums after they were promised they could keep their existing policys. 

      Have you studied about the death panels in the new system?  It all just scares me.

      I am truly glad to hear of a first hand positive story.

      Dawn

    • Posted

      Kathee, I don't know a soul who has ACA but I hear all the negatives from the opponents of it....I voted for our current president and believe all in all he's done a great job under the conditions he came into.....and he's gotten tremendous opposition all along the way....every grey hair in his head proves it.....who would want to be presdient anyway?  someone has got to do it though, right.   The plan was for single pay for all, but this is what we they had to settle for....  I'm sure the politicians have no problems with health care...ummmmm

      I'm happy with my Medicare and don't abuse it as I do so much of my healing....but abuse is rampant in the medical insurance world....it's the FIRST any kind of medical care since LBJ and medicare....bless him.

      There are enough issues I don't like about the US but too much I love....Joy

      Hope I didn't get too off on my soapbox.....We all have our opinions and I'm happy to hear them....and we don't need to get upset, if I got  upset with comments I've made, I'd have crawled in a hole a long time ago.   Peace out and keep healing as best we have the means to.  Joy

    • Posted

      You know with my hip replacement, surgeon billed Medicare $20,000 for the anterior approach and Medicare paid him $1,222....my friend's doc did a posterior on her and her doc billed medicare $5,000 and he got the same payment.....so docs don't make mega money on many of these surgeries.....medicare has schedules of payments I gather....

      There are wealthy people who have these replacements and get the BEST known surgeons and pay out of pocket as some surgeons accept no insurance.....

      A friend is going to have Botox injections for overactive bladder stuff, and the cost is $1000 for this injection and Medicare pays 80% and my friend's son will help her with the 20% as she is really low income now at 87.....   The cost of living and caring for our health gets more and more costly.    There are millions of stories out there.....  Joy

    • Posted

      Kathee, I keep thinking, did your insurance actually pay $80K to your surgeon?   I thought my surgeon's $20K charge to Medicare was high, but Medicare paid him only $1,222.     Hospital was paid $25,000 for 3 night stay.....

      Your surgery sounds almost extra ordinary, a short time in hospital, short time for surgery etc.....was it Anterior or Super Path as I think Dawn asked....  I'm not sure what minimally invasive really means, Anterior is supposed to be less invasive....just wondering...   Joy

  • Posted

    Hi Evelyn

    You are certainly making up for lost time now that you have your insulrancecheesygrin

    Like you not knowing about the NHS I know very litle about the US medical system.

    During our working years we pay National Insurance {comes out of wages}

    If we are married that helps because our husbands insurance helps us.

    We pay for nothing.

    Except something private.....Usually Alternative or Complimentary medicine  eg

    Homeopath, Osteopath, some acupuncture, some we can get on the NHS

    Anything like that but your ordinary medicine eg GP's, Operations, some medicines....Once you are pension age all prescriptions are free and before that some meds are free which means anything else on the prescription is free

    Someone else will come along maybe and explain it better than me

    Anyway I'm so pleased you are at last getting somewhere

    Love

    Eileen   UK

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.