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Margie... I'm staying on top of the health insurance, to the extent that I now have Kaiser Permanente as my HMO, and am quite pleased at their service and general medical staff. Since my Kaiser plan is thru Medicare, I believe I WILL be able to transfer it over to a general membership at the end if the 36 months. However, it's hard for me to project mentally what my life will be like in another 18 months (when that 36 months is over), as I seem to live SO day-to-day with this disease, and month to month with the MSN contract. It's hard to think of, much less plan, for the future when the NOW is so cluttered with just trying to keep the details of daily living - personal and job-wise - kept together when I'm always running on empty. Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Parkinson's Information Exchange On Behalf Of Dick Swindler Sent: Sunday, April 27, 1997 11:20 PM To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN Subject: Re: FW: Muscle pains - please can anyone help? Barb - I wish every legislator could (meaning, would take the time to) read your letter, and one like it from 1000 other PWP. You've painted such a clear picture of the financial and *human* toll this disease takes. For every PWP out there, there's a similar story of financial dilemmas and Catch-22s. Come to think of it, it wouldn't do the general public any harm to hear it either. Thanks for putting the case so clearly. I want to respond to one specific item in your letter that worries me. You wrote: > >In addition to losing SSDI, if I'm still working 36 months after my >employment >start-date, I will also lose my Medicare benefit, which means I'll be >out-of-pocket each month - IF I CAN GET private medical coverage once again, >due to the PD. I'm currently using the services if Kaiser Permanante, an >outstanding (in my opinion) HMO, due to Medicare, and I'm not sure if they'd >take me on if I was off Medicare. Before you hit the 36-month mark, I hope you'll check on this. I don't know of any private insurance carrier that will insure a PWP - not for health insurance, and not even for life insurance. I should amend that to say that I guess there are a few that will offer insurance at an exhorbitant rate - there was a woman in our support group who was paying $1000 a month for health insurance. If you find out, will you let the net know? And please, for your sake, don't let the 36-month period slip by without knowing where you stand. Warmly, Margie Swindler [log in to unmask]