I've spent a lot of time doing research and I've come up with some other options for my health insurance dilemma. None of them are great, but it's nice to have some different options.
1. Stick with my current plan and hope for the best with the LLS covering it. Pros: I don't have to change anything. Cons: Super expensive and involves borrowing the money for the first scary bill. I should be able to pay back whomever I get that money from pretty quickly though since the LLS will reimburse me.
2. Cancel my current plan and buy into the MD high-risk pool. Pros: Much more affordable. I can keep my current docs as they're covered by the MD high risk plan. Cons: Requires being uninsured for 63 days. Super long application. Still requires me to pay that first scary bill from my old insurance.
3. Hope Josh gets a new job offer, marry him and get insurance that way. Pros: We BOTH get insurance. Probably affordable. I'd get to get married. Cons: This plan only works if he gets a better job! Not sure what the plan options would be or if I could keep my current docs. Getting married means combining our incomes and could affect eligibility for things like the LLS program (together we might earn too much to qualify) or student loan related stuff (I need to research how being married would affect our finances...we've always kept everything separate and would like to keep it that way as much as possible). May involve planning a small wedding and related drama.
4. Hope I get a better job offer. Pros: affordable health insurance. Cons: Stress of starting a new job/routine. This plan is really up to chance and I have no control over when it might happen.
I think those are all the options I've come up with right now. If it weren't for the 63 day waiting period, plan 2 would be awesome and it's really frustrating that I'd have to take such a big risk to get affordable coverage. I feel like I don't even need to say this, but seriously, the health care system in this country is messed up!!
I got a few more details sorted out today about my new job at the wildlife center. I'm going to be starting on the 27th and working all day Saturday and Sunday, plus one morning a week (likely Tues or Thurs). It'll work out to about 25 hrs a week. It'll work well with my current schedule at the Eye Care Center (I work there alternate Mondays, Tues-Thurs afternoons and approximately every other Friday). Josh is going to be doing his turtle work again this summer so his weekends are shot too, so it's not like we'll be missing each other that much. It sounds like I'm going to be starting out feeding tons of baby squirrels which should be entertaining. I need to look into pre-exposure rabies shots so I can see if I can feed the baby opossums (which I'm most looking forward to!!). It's going to be crazy, but I think I'm going to enjoy it a lot!
And to add a little extra crazy to the mix, I got a call yesterday from one of the labs I applied to at Hopkins. I think I mentioned that one of the jobs I applied for was in a lab studying blood cancers and that was the one that called! I'm feeling really strange about the position for a number of reasons, but I'm gonna go to the interview anyway to check it out. I mentioned before that I'm really hesitant to head back into the lab and that's still a big concern for me. I also feel really weird about potentially working in a lab studying Hodgkin's and other blood cancers after having had Hodgkin's. It might just be that I don't like the idea of going to work every day and being reminded of cancer and cancer treatment. It would be a good job and it'd be lovely to have the benefits, but it's stressful to think about. I just told Josh earlier that despite the money woes, I love that at my current job, I don't bring any stress or work home. I leave at the end of the day and I have nothing to worry about (despite minor coworker drama which I've determined is inescapable regardless of where you work). Anyway, this could all be for nothing since I only just have an interview scheduled...it's not like I have a job offer yet. If I get one, I'll just deal with everything then. No sense worrying before then!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)

1 comment:
Sounds like a lot is going on there!
How much is your 1st bill for?
Man that is a hassle!
Post a Comment