PSA As We Go Into Spooky Season And People Start Using Activated Charcoal To Make Foods Look Spooky.

When a chronically ill or disabled person gets their lab tests back as “normal” or all clear, we aren’t sad because we WANT to be sick.

We’re sad because we *know* there’s something wrong with us, yet the scans still stay clear.

Before you kill the monster you gotta know its name.

Time to order your free Covid tests:

http://covidtests.gov

April is IBS Awareness Month. If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you are not alone – IBS is common with prevalence estimated at 10% to 15%. Yet many people remain undiagnosed and unaware that their symptoms indicate a medically recognized disorder.

Paging Dr. House: A Medical Mysteries Reading List - Longreads

Once upon a time, I wanted to be a doctor. Never mind my terrible grades in all things science. Never mind that I decided this in my second year of college, after deciding that the music school that I’d wanted for years wasn’t for me. It was 2006. It was the age of Dr. Gregory […]

I love a good medical drama. My mother, a nurse, raised me on ER and General Hospital, always pointing out all the plot lines that “would never happen in real life” but were really cool to watch on TV. My mother credits ER with pushing her toward her decades-long career in the operating room. So when I, a poor lost college sophomore who had gone to school to play French horn (French horn!) and found it wasn’t what I thought it would be, I did what I knew best to do and turned to TV. And on TV, I found House.

House had it all: a painkiller-addicted doctor with a smart mouth and a slap-worthy face, medical mysteries solved via CSI-style case-of-the-week format, and a beleaguered crew of sidekick physicians whose instincts were never quite as good as House’s. I would spend each episode studying the setup and trying to unravel what the medical culprit could be before the ultimate reveal. Instead of realizing that what I might want to be was a writer with a good plot, I missed the mark and decided I wanted to be a doctor.

Want to feel like you’re watching House, M.D. this Tuesday morning? Dig into Lisa Bubert’s new reading list on medical mysteries!

It's too hot to exist. 🥵

Stay safe, SpoonieStrong fam. 💙🥄

friendly reminder you dont need a diagnosis to be in disability spaces, as an example im in constant pain and fatigue, have migraines every week and my joints hurts to a point I can't write, but since familiar gaslighting/medical trauma and the fact that im an indigenous, brown skin fat man a diagnosis is fucking hard (but im in my way! :)) , but i still deserve a safe space to talk about my experiences and to feel valuable and supported.

never feel like youre interrupting someone's space or that you shouldn't be here cause you dont have a diagnosis, disabilities existed before diagnosis

Introduction

Hello! If you've found your way to this blog, congratulations! Or condolences, if the circumstances that brought you here suck. Either way, welcome!

I am someone who works in the health insurance field (and will be remaining anonymous due to my obligations to my employer), so I've got some insider tricks. Not only that, I have multiple chronic conditions which means I've dealt with insurance from both ends.

The purpose of this blog is to help people (Americans, mostly) understand health insurance, how it works, and how to make it work for you.

All this to say, I see a lot of bullshit in my day to day life. I watch people pay more than they should or not receive the care they need because of a lack of understanding and knowledge.

I want to change that, one person at a time.

Below the cut are important posts and resources for basic information. Always feel free to write an ask if you don't see your question answered or want more detail.

**Disclaimer: No information on this blog is legal or medical advice. This is meant to be a resource for common questions or problems people run into. All information on this blog is generalized, and may not apply to your health insurance policy. This is based solely on my experience and is not binding information. The information here does not reflect the opinions or policies reflected by my employer. Always consult a medical professional for health questions, your insurance policy for benefit/claims questions, or a lawyer for legal advice.**

Basic Terminology

Types of Insurance Plans

Calling Your Insurance

So you want to make a doctor appointment...

Preventative vs Routine Services

Investigate Your Providers

Medical Malpractice/Lawsuits

What the &$#* is a claim?

My claim got denied...now what?

How to Pay Your Bill

Collections Agencies and Credit Scores

Medical Binder

HIPAA Part One

Resources:

United States Preventative Services Task Force

Healthcare.gov Preventative Services

doctors offices are always like BE ON TIME IF YOU'RE MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES LATE WE'LL EXILE YOU TO MARS meanwhile you get there on time and wait a minimum of 20 minutes