Scott, I have primary Medicare, secondary Blue Cross PPO from LA Unified
School District + drugs on the cheap through Medco Health.  Medicare and
BCPPO paid for my 2 DBSs which were very expensive..  Medicare started
covering it in 2003 the year I had them done.

When I was teaching I thought I would have to buy into Blue Shield when I
retired, but the LAUSD really came through for me.  I worked as secretary
before and
after teaching so I paid for my Medicare unlike most teachers in CA.  My
pension is puny, but I can't complain about the health insurance.

It is so different from school district to school district.
Ray
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Burnett" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 10:23 PM
Subject: insurance questions


>        My wife has the insurance for our family through her job as a high
> school teacher.  Each year at the start of school they have something
> called open enrollment.  This is the period we are allowed to choose
> which plan we want to use for the upcoming year.
>        We've always had the Blue Cross PPO since it let us choose our
> doctors
> even though it was more expensive.  This year the carrier has raised
> prices so much that we may need to look seriously at the HMO plan or
> even Kaiser as an alternative.
>        Does any one have stories to share about their experiences as a PWP
> working with a HMO?  Do you have a primary care doctor and a
> neurologist or does the primary care doctor supervise your treatment?
>        Secondly, are there any questions we should ask the various plans
> representatives to help us make the right decision?  Here are some of
> the questions we thought of...
>        Is DBS considered experimental surgery and is it covered?
>        What is their position on cutting edge treatments and drugs?
>        Will they cover me since I have a preexisting condition?
>        Is their an unwritten policy not to refer patients to specialists
> until absolutely necessary?
>        What about in home care?  Is any of that covered?
>
> I'd appreciate any help you can spare to create a list of questions to
> help me (and others in the same quandary,) sort out this insurance
> maze.
>
> Scott
> PWP since 1999
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to:
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
> In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn

----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn