Health Insurance Companies Do Not Give a F about You or Me

As a healthcare provider who has spent many years learning about the American Healthcare Industry.. I have one thing to say about health insurance companies.

They. fucking. suck.

How many people are suffering right now because of bills their insurance companies have placed upon them? How many people are denied necessary services because some piece of shit sitting in a nice, fancy office with a solid paycheck gets to make that decision?

Then you get to either sit and suffer without services, or you get a bill that you'll never be able to afford.

Actually, I challenge you to go on google right now. Google, "list of CEO health insurance companies"

What did you see?

Know what I saw?

A lot of rich and selfish WHITE MEN.

Who runs America again? White men? You mean white men are making decisions about my health? My child in utero? My ability to have care? My ability to give you care?

Tell me again that our government gives a shit about us? I don't care if a democrat or a republican is in office. Our healthcare system is a JOKE that is hurting people. And it's just a ton of white men...everywhere...making decisions.

In. every. area. of. our. lives.

As a provider, I get the joy of needing your insurance company's permission before I can prescribe you a medication that I know you will benefit from. If we decide to change your medication, the insurance company may want a "prior authorization." This means you're going to sit around wondering why your prescription isn't ready. I'll be submitting paperwork, asking my assistant to call them, and then be told we need to wait 72+ hours before they "make a decision" if you can have that medication.

How does this help YOU?

How does this help PEOPLE?

I'm pregnant. I decided to hire a midwife.

I am a sexual abuse and rape survivor, and I take medications for mental health. Most providers who are not perinatal mental health certified will not be okay with a woman taking psychiatric medications during pregnancy. As I am also a perinatal certified psych prescriber..I know the risks and benefits, and I choose to stay on my medications.

I found a fantastic midwife who is trauma-informed and who has been trained and certified through Postpartum Support International on perinatal mental health. I paid out of pocket because Oscar Health, my lovely insurance company, decided they don't cover midwives - only OBGYNs.

Historically, doctors never had prestige, and midwives were the preferred professionals to work with those giving birth. The American Medical Association decided to put out campaigns to slander and discredit midwives -- putting out a perception that home births are dangerous, midwives practice witchcraft, are unqualified, etc.

And now, ironically, many insurance companies ONLY cover physicians, not midwives.

I had necessary tests performed, and was billed over $10,000 because my midwife ordered them, and she was "out of network." They would have been covered had an OBGYN ordered them.

Had I subjected myself to some person I am uncomfortable with, and who is not trauma-informed, to get up in my vagina for some unnecessary exams, tell me to pee in a cup and take my blood.. I wouldn't have been billed that.

I've had enough people I didn't want up in my vagina.

I don't need the fucking medical system to be raping me too. And that's what this feels like.

I pay Oscar Health roughly $800 a month for health insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act. This is not so affordable, and this is based on an income I no longer even come close to making after moving from a pill-mill to private practice.

I have a baby coming, and now I have a $10,000 medical bill because I had a blood draw done. Thanks a lot you piece of shit insurance company.

What about people who have surgeries that someone later decides won't be covered?

An inpatient stay for feeling suicidal?

Other tests or blood draws? Emergency room or urgent care visits?

ICU visits because of contracting COVID?

People get bills for $30,000. $100,000. Beyond that, even.

People commit suicide because of medical bills.

And if the suicide attempt fails, they'll be getting another bill for a hospitalization. This young person was charged $93,000 for the care after an attempt.

On average, an American makes about $30,000 a year annually. How the fuck are you going to pay a third of your salary to an insurance company? Not like insurance companies are mom-and-pop operations either -- their CEOs and executives are certainly not hurting.

I am also a preceptor and a professor. I teach nursing and nurse practitioner students. You know what I tell every single one of them? The system is broken. You came with dreams to be a nurse and help people, but guess what -- you're a pawn.

Want to be a provider and prescribe medications to help people? You think you get to actually make clinically appropriate decisions as a nurse practitioner? That's a joke. Because insurance companies will dictate your every thought.

If you believe that universal healthcare shouldn't happen... I swear, someday you'll receive some crippling medical bill and then you'll be hurting for it, too.

There is no human reason that we should be punished for seeking care.

A lot of therapists are moving away from accepting insurances.

I do accept some insurances, and I'm on hold to be accepted by others. The only reason I do this is so you don't have to pay me as much.

Because I know some people cannot afford care without insurance. Similar to the way that I cannot afford the bill I just got.

I know my private pay prices are low compared to many others. I could easily charge $300-$500 for an evaluation --- there are services I could charge up to $1,000 for.

But I try to make care as affordable as humanly possible. I offer students to do appointments in order to provide another affordable option.

I want to be able to pay my bills, feed my family and pay my staff at Paperflower. I don't need a nice, fancy house. I don't need a fancy car or boat. I don't need designer clothes or bags. I get followed in those stupid stores anyway like I'm going to steal something. I've been wearing shirts from Walmart since I was a kid, and that hasn't changed since I've achieved a doctorate and started practicing.

I will not hire anyone for this practice who is money hungry.

I want us to put care first.

I came into this field wanting to help people, not bankrupt them. I studied public health so I could figure out a way to change the system. I became a provider so I could do something for people. The system can't change with just my practice. The system needs to change at an institutional level.

We need universal healthcare.

We need to not sacrifice our lives to be slaves to paying medical expenses that we need as human beings.

No matter how your insurance company markets "wellness" and "health" to you, it's all a fucking lie.

They don't care about you, and they don't care about me either.