I have insurance!!!

Yes, it is true.

I signed the papers yesterday at work to become a member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield - Standard plan. As you can imagine, it is a HUGE load off my mind considering that I've been avoiding it for as long as possible.

I was so excited yesterday that I celebrated by going bowling (yeah, I'm a real party animal) with a bunch of friends last night. I did alright until the last game. It was humbling even while it was fun especially since I haven't bowled in probably 4 years!

Anyway, I'm very excited about being able to focus on the next step. I've still got some paperwork left over from my new job--things like life insurance, retirement plan, flexible spending accounts and ethics forms--all easy stuff compared to the health insurance. Most importantly, this now makes it possible for me to at least make an appointment with my new doctor and figure out what my treatment plan will look like.

This is What I Do in My Spare Time

Health insurance plans. If I never see another one again it will be too soon! As I stated yesterday, the number of plans that I started with was 27. I am pleased to announce that I am down to 11 -- less than half.

Even more important, however, is the fact that I spoke with the most informative person at Georgetown University Hospital. After explaining my unique situation to her, Cheryl helped me out by giving me an idea of how much 6 weeks of radiation will cost a person. Not only that, she also went through all the plans that I had left and helped me eliminate two more HMO's and two more PPO's -- leaving me with 8 PPO's and 3 HMO's.

Let me just say that you really gotta be a nerd to get excited about this stuff -- trust me, I'm telling you from the first-person.

So, in case you were wondering what a 6-week session of radiation therapy will cost, it is roughly $70,000 for Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). Keep in mind that this is the most advanced cancer treatment available anywhere. It is the best of the best. Anyway, if I were to walk through the door tomorrow without insurance and get this treatment, it would cost $70,000. However, most insurance plans negotiate a 40-50% reduction in price. So now with insurance, the price of the procedure drops to around $35,000 to $40,000. Most of this covers the cost of running the equipment and using hospital resources.

Now is where the insurance company really comes in. Most HMO's offer a plan where you pay a specific dollar amount (usually around $30) per visit. So for 5 days a week for 6 weeks that would be $900. The bad part is that many times not every part of the procedure is covered by the HMO. The part that is even worse than that is that if something isn't covered by the HMO, the patient is solely responsible for it meaning that even though you escape a $70,000 procedure for around $1,000, you may still end up paying a lot more in smaller procedures not covered by the plan. All that without the freedom to choose where you want to go and get treatment. This isn't a big deal for me now, but what happens if I need a different specialist and hospital in September?

I know that was confusing, but I hope you are staying with me.

Now switching over to the PPO side of things. PPO's generally make the patient pay a percentage of total bills instead of a specific dollar amount, generally around 10-20%. As you can imagine, the roof is a little bit higher than for HMO's. Recalling the $35K - $40K amounts, it is not out of the question for the out-of-pocket costs to be in the neighborhood of $4,000 to $5,000 out of a possible $70,000. The really good news about a PPO is the added flexibility. I can choose the doctor and the facility and the most I will pay out of pocket is about 30% of the negotiated rate even if they aren't in the PPO network. If they are, it stays at 10-15%. More importantly, every part of the procedure will be no more than 30% instead of paying all costs in the HMO plan. The other thing to keep in mind is that there is a $4,000 catastrophic limit usually when it comes to PPO's. I'll probably reach that and anything over that is covered without any copays necessary.

Whew...sorry about all that. I'm still trying to learn it as well and writing it out helps me understand it just a little bit better.

Finally, it looks like I've got my doctor picked out, too. I've heard several good things about him and he is supposedly known to be the head and neck guru at Georgetown University Hospital. More on this later!

quick update

Hi Everyone!

It's been far too long since I've updated this blog and I hope you are not feeling neglected. I really have been keeping myself busy with insurance stuff as well as trying to settle into a routine and put as many finishing touches on my place as I can. It's still pretty bare in my apartment, but things are coming along nicely. I need some wallhangings and a love seat and I'll be good to go. I tried to post pictures of my apartment (before and after) the other day, but apparently I'm not smart enough to figure it out just yet. But keep checking back because I will get them up eventually!

The really good news is that I got my DVD player in the mail yesterday -- thanks Mom! I haven't exactly had the time to use it yet, but hopefully that will change by the weekend when I should (operative word: should) have my insurance picked out and the forms signed in blood. I started out with--get this--27 different plans!!! I've got the numbers narrowed down to 15: five HMO's and 10 PPO's.

By the way, does anyone know how much a 6-week daily radiation therapy session costs? I'm being serious actually. I don't know and I'm trying to find out. That will play into my decision quite a bit probably.

In closing, did any of you see the new MyPyramid nutritional program rolled out by USDA today??? It got a little overshadowed in the media by the election of the new Pope Benedict XVI so you may have missed it. Since I work at USDA, I've poked around on a little bit and it is quite user-friendly. (I had no part in its development, FYI.) I would encourage you to check it out at www.mypyramid.gov.

Hasta manana!

Rest In Peace

I don't even know how to begin this entry.

Many of you know that part of my young career has included just over a year of working in the United States Senate. It was a wonderful experience and the people I had the pleasure of working with embodied every aspect of civil servanthood on a daily basis. Without pause, I can say that you will not find a harder-working group of dedicated individuals who love their country and their fellow citizens.

As a mere twentysomething, I know already that it is one of those times that will forever be cemented in my life story as a high point and a unique experience.

Today, while speaking with a very dear friend who still works in the Senate (I have since moved on), I was informed that a mutual friend and former colleague who was one of those people--giving his all on a daily basis--was diagnosed with kidney cancer around Christmastime 2004. When the cancer was discovered, it was in the final stage (Stage 4) and had already begun the horrible process of metastasis (transfer of a disease to one part of the body to another). Of course it originated in the kidneys, but soon after infected his lungs, and then his brain. I was shocked and saddened to learn of his April 2 passing just today.

In addition to the smorgasbord of emotions that are never too far off when learning of something like this, I just couldn't help but think of how unfair this physical life can be sometimes. My heart aches for his family and goes out to them in the pain they are going through. I pray that God will give them the strength to carry on in such unimaginable hardship. The profound difference he made in the lives of those around him will be missed.

Surprise in the Mail

So the official first care package received here in Arlington, VA came all the way from Florida and included some really great brownies! Kudos to "Betty Crocker" in Casselberry, you know who you are! (They actually arrived several days ago in great condition!)

In other news, my dad was just in town on Thursday evening/Friday morning on his way to work in Delaware for the weekend. He stopped by and was the first left-coast visitor I've had since getting here. We went down to Ikea and picked up a couple of chairs and a TV stand. With that, my living space is almost completely furnished (with the exception of the items I mentioned yesterday).

In still other news, my cable got hooked up today. Comcast had a really good deal for new subscribers that'll last me 6 months. Very excited about this and I'm actually watching my adopted Washington Nationals lose to the Florida Marlins--it's 0-2 in the 8th inning in case you were wondering.

Progress

It is 12:34 on a Saturday morning and I'm still in bed. But before you think I'm lazy, consider that I have been spending every evening of the past week moving things into my house after a day of work at USDA. So it is not exactly like sleeping in is undeserved! Plus, I'm waking up in a real bed and not an air mattress. So now, my apartment, instead of being a barren wasteland, now includes a baker's rack (because my kitchen wasn't big enough and I needed for storage space), a dining table with 2 chairs, a television with a stand, a full-size bed, and a night-stand. So all that is left for me to get is a loveseat, some shelving for my closet, and a room divider.

Once I receive some boxes that were shipped from my parents' house earlier in the week then I'll be able to upload some photos to the site and you'll be able to see some cool before and after pics.

Polar Bear Club

This morning I woke up to an apartment lacking hot water.

This is the most awake I've been since I moved here.

I didn't warm up until around 11 a.m.

Needless to say, I think the honeymoon is over.