Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) is one of benefits that I have acquired from employment. When I started with the company they provided me with the card of our HMO. For years, that cards has only serves as a decoration on my wallet. There was even a time when I did not get it from our HR and let it rot there. But things has changed when LUPUS came. And now, I am forever grateful to the company I am working with for putting this in our benefit.2002 – I have two confinements which sums up to 90K. My HMO limit then was only 80K. I have used that up and shell out 10K.
2003 – One confinement. But have used up the 100K limit.
2004 – Two confinement. One in January where i was operated. My operation is 30K which was not shouldered by my HMO. But i used up the 100+ k limit.
2005 – have not yet reach the limit. Because no confinement as of the moment. Yet, the test and doctors visit adds up to the limit.
You see, for three years now…the expenses that I have incurred for my health reaches 100K or more, not to mention the medicines that i have to buy from my own money. If I do not have an HMO where will this lead me..To a huge amount of debts i guess.
Although, sometimes using the HMO is quite irritating. Especially if you are confined in the hospital. sometimes there AEs would go to your room, and bother you. Irregardless if you are sleeping or resting and will tell you and update you about your hospital bills. Which would add to your anxiety if you are reaching your limit.
I remember one time when I really have to argue and got annoyed with my HMO. They don’t want to shoulder na the expenses I got last Sept 2004 confinement. I was arguing with its AE because I was explaining to her that I was not hospitalized because of LUPUS and that I should have that 100K limit. She told me that no, they still consider it to be LUPUS because I was taking the meds for LuPUS. I really wanted to throw her out of my room. My HMO POLICY is that 100+K for every disease. I wanted to tell her that this time its not LUPUS so that I could have a larger limit. Ayaw talaga nyang pumayag. The very next day, when my rheuma visited me..I told him that I wanted to go home because of the thing that happen to me and the AE of my HMO. I told him also that I do not want my hospital bills to add up. You know what Dr. I did? She called that AE. And told her that I should be given the 100+K limit because I was not being treated because of LUPUS but of PULMONARY EMBOLISM. I remember one of his lines..”IF there is one person who knows what kind of disease she’s being treated that would be me. And I say to you its not LUPUS this time’.
And with that my HMO divided my bills into three. LUPUS, PULMONARY EMBOLISM and another one (which i choose not disclosed). Thanks to Doctor I’s call.
Now, thank God no confinement yet. But having an HMO has help me a lot financially because I still have to go for follow up check ups and blood test.
Think of the money I am saving now because of my HMO. My doctor if paid for every consultation is 300. I go to him every week. That is 1200 for one month. And if i go visit him, I have to undergo blood test. There are a lot of blood test. The most expensive amounts to 1K. But the most common i have to do is PT INR which cost 595 and CBC 395. For one month without an HMO i would be spending around 4K. Not to mentions, XRAYS and ULTRASOUND and BIOPSY. I had skin biopsy last summer and it cost around 2K. A TVS cost 1620 in St. Lukes. Would you believe that kind of expenses? Mahirap talagang magsakit.
So for you guys out there. Treasure that health card always put it in your wallet or anywhere accesible. Although I wish all of you a healthy life…you will never know when that card might be saving your life.
My Health card is much important than any credit card in the word =).
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