Changing Jobs – Diabetes Style

Posted by Chris on Nov 6, 2009 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

Like I mentioned briefly yesterday, I am in the process of changing jobs. I am no longer working at the diabetes supply company that I used to, so I guess I can take that out of my disclosure of the website now. I won’t get into details of why I am no longer there, but the most important part is that both sides are happy and it’s time to move on. I am still running CSI Marketing Solutions LLC, but due to the fact that I have this thing called diabetes I can’t work solely on this, I have to work for a corporation as well in order to have health insurance. I am currently seeking a new job, and I would love to get a new job doing what I love to do, social media and internet marketing. If not, then I will find something that I don’t mind doing.

While changing job for most people can be difficult, but when you have diabetes there is a whole other game added to it. Sure, everybody has bills that they have to pay and families they have to take care of, but when you have diabetes, you have one of the most expensive diseases to manage it and there really isn’t much help out there for you if you don’t have insurance. There are resources, but they are limited and they can still be way too much for those without a job.

Then when you finally do get a new job, some places don’t give you health insurance right away, let’s say for example a 90 day period before health insurance kicks in. Well since we have this pre-existing condition BS, we have to prove to the insurance company that we have had credible insurance coverage within 63 days, and if you haven’t then you will not receive insurance for 12 months due to that pre-existing. So if you have 63 days to prove your coverage, but your insurance doesn’t kick in for 90 days, what are you supposed to do? If you’re married, which I’m not, you can try to get insurance through your spouse. Amanda is not working full-time because she is finishing up her degree, also we’re not married so that’s not an option.

The next option is to pick up Cobra. I don’t know too much about it, but when I had discussed with them two years ago when I thought I was going to have to pick it up, it was going to cost me nearly $650 a month. How the heck are you supposed to pay for that. I’m not even sure what it covers, but I’m guessing you still have to pay for strips, insulin, pump supplies, doctors visits, and even blood work? If you have answers, please let me know.

Gee, I would sure like to have a new health care system that didn’t force you to work for a corporation in order to get health insurance. How about you let 50 uninsured diabetics get together on the same insurance plan, just like a small business with 50 employees, and even let their family members on board as well, so let’s say it ends up being 100-150 people on the plan and they pay a premium just like anybody else would for a small business. Why can’t we do that? It would be the same thing as a small business. Oh, I know, because when 50 employees at a small business get a group plan, there is only a few diabetics, so the insurance company still makes their money from the “healthy” people that are just paying a monthly premium.

I better stop now, I’ll get back to this another time.