June 11, 2010

This morning was one that found me waking up in an irritable mood. It seems that there is a two week period every month where I have no money to work with. The social security just isn't enough to keep up with everything. I am on social security disability insurance because I have MS. So I am only allowed to make a certain amount of money per month. But the cost of my insurance and medications change. The Social Security administration put me on Medicare, which they do automatically after a predetermined period of time. Medicare offers several prescription drug plans which all are more expensive than the health insurance offered by the state I live in.
After searching through all the different plans, I ended up opting for the AARP medicare package, (and I'm only 45 years old!) which offered no prescription drug assistance that I qualify for. They also don't list my primary care physician on their plan, so I have to go make appointments at the closest Dr.'s offices they do list, and see which one I can get assigned to me.
The doctor I had for 5 yaers has his office about two blocks from my house. Any of the ones I will have to change over to will require some travel. Not much, but with MS, walking is dangerous, and driving is out of the question as I don't trust my vision.
I sometimes feel like the way things work, (or don't work,) is as if some specialist looks at your situation and says, " OK, you have MS, we'll cut your income almost completely, then we'll charge you double for what you get in the meantime. Now, after you fill out these reams of applications, and jump through these flaming hoops, we'll give you something that may help with the symptoms, it may be a placebo, but we need to see if that works before trying the actual medication. Just sign here, and pay the copayment at the desk. Have a nice day."