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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2009 9:17:58 GMT
...I'm curious, is anyone on here from the states? Does anyone have experience or know of experience in the states regarding diagnosis and medication of ADHD. Personally keeping up payments on health inssurance would've been something I would have had a problem with, I find it really difficult justifying to myself ( my 15 year old mentality probably) paying ANY bills for anything except stuff that has imediate effect like food, gas card electricity i. e. if i dont pay it it will run out and ill starve, have no hot water or electricity, with this in mind, how do others affected by ADHD deal with health insurance? In some relative respects it would e essential, however in someone, say, undiagnosed, how is it important compared to food, electric, gas and other essential's that will have to be taken from in order to meet the payments?
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Post by roland on Aug 14, 2009 12:59:23 GMT
In a nutshell Asha I was glad to come home!
When I lived in America, I had a very difficult time getting health insurance because I have asthma (very mild) and the only companies willing to provide coverage quoted eye-watering and completely unaffordable prices. I did finally get insurance coverage through work (which meant btw that when the usual boredom set in, I was stuck and couldn't quit cos then I wouldn't be covered by insurance), but the insurance had a "pre-existing condition" clause so of course they wouldn't pay for anything related to something I had before I got the insurance including asthma and of course ADHD. But at least it paid for my broken leg (which I broke falling down stairs in a moment of inattention LOL). So I'd rather have the NHS (with all its problems) than a system of insurance coverage (or non-coverage in my case).
As for diagnosis of ADHD in America, I got my diagnosis while at Uni over there and my student fees covered the cost (I'm still paying off the loan I took out to pay the student fees), but I had to pay for my meds (I got reimbursed later for part of the cost), and they cost $120 a month (approx. £60). In California it was extremely difficult finding a doctor who would prescribe the meds for me, because the state required so much paperwork for them that doctors didn't want to bother.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2009 15:53:56 GMT
When I was in Spain I was forever having problems keeping up with my payments too, nothin to do with not having the cash and everything to do with being ADHD. As for your point about how important they are. I would now say they are very important to me and I really dont see me going without them anymore. It may not be as important as food for example, but my quality of life has shot up since ive been on the meds and that is only a month. Incidentally got my dose uppsed today and its back to being very effective. Laughing all day even though I was out in this horrendous rain. The words drowned and rat come to mind:)
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Post by Atticus on Aug 14, 2009 16:41:30 GMT
If you are talking about the practicality of remembering or being organised enough to pay a recurring bill month after month, year after year then it is the same as life insurance, mortgages, car insurance etc. etc. Without standing orders or direct debits I would be lost.
I used to be constantly being threatened to have my gas or electricity or water or phone or whatever curt off before I gave in and went over to DD.
Maybe I have less control but I used to forget to make a payment and wouldn't get round to it until the threat of cutting off or being sued arrived, by which time the next bill had arrived.
When I got that one I'd look at it in horror and think "But I've only just paid (or haven't yet paid) the last one! I'll have to look into this." With that I'd put the bill aside thinking that one day I would sit down and get all my old bills and go through everything and get it sorted, but instead I would just get further threats of cutting off / suing etc etc.
As for other aspects - I have relatives over there and it can be great provided your employer will pay for a good policy, but health care costs have gone up so much that employers are getting very itchy about paying for health insurance or are getting more and more cut price policies.
It must be quite hard for business start ups in the USA if they have to pay for health care. Here employers contribute a fair old whack in taxes but out of tax on their profits after they have made them whereas US start ups paying for health insurance would have to pay this before they even got a penny in profit into the cash till. Of course I am ignoring National Insurance that employers here have to cough up and not just the amount of VAT but also the byzantine paperwork connected with it - not very ADHD friendly - then there's business rates, having to pay for your rubbish to be taken away even though that used to be included in rates and...
One good thing about the USA is the pioneering work in the field of ADHD research - adult as well as child - that has been done. I believe Australia's done some of this too. Interestingly you never hear the complaints about the Ozzy health care system you hear about either the US or UK ones.
I've heard the health system in France is pretty good, too (as is Germany's, Holland's, etc) Dunno what they're like for adult ADHD though.
"Docteur, je pense que j'ai le Disordre Hyperactif d'Attention Deficiant."
"Enfette, j'ai jamais heard de ca. Tu fais le swingage du lead, non?"
"Pas du tout! C'st dans les guidlines du l'Institute National pour l'Excellance Cliniqual."
"Ah, j'ai heard de ca. C'est un pile des cobbleurs Anglais. Prenez cette suppositrie et return au work, slackeur!
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Post by andy12345 on Aug 14, 2009 19:31:12 GMT
HAHA,
That reminds me..........
I was able to talk french fluently at age 6, by age 8.....fading away. by age 12, forget it.
Does that make sense at all? What happened to me?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2009 22:10:54 GMT
I watched doc on current tv about how few people can affrod to pay insurance in america especially like me if you are unemployed. The NHS is one of the best things about the UK. The way millions, literally are wasted third largest organisation in the world and it shows is the down side. I spent a short time working in medical records scary stuff what you se behind the scenes and in my job i had to go round the whole hospital. Data protection act wich they make a big deal about at interviews and training is not followed at all.
To start working had to do a week induction paid what waste of money kept on saying how proffesional the Hospital was time and time again to the point i was thinking whats the big deal after working there i can see they are trying to give out that image as it so aint the case more like your local double glazing tele sales floor.
But the way massive amounts of money have been wasted on their new IT system wich doesnt work is terrible and thats just one thing i know about that doesnt get publicised. Makes me wonder what else goes on hear some stories interms of lack of staff massive operating lists everything being pushed to the limit like their making widgets for Ikea.
I think the way they are now being broken up into trusts is better as they become more accountable as that's the way all the hopitals were before the NHS came into being private companys.
So yes be gratfull for NHS but need to keep in check as lot of slack in these big orgs that needs wipping into shape as we are all paying for it.
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Post by andy12345 on Aug 14, 2009 22:32:56 GMT
1.2 million employees if I am not mistaken.......... The NHS is like the UK.
The scum in charge need to be kept on their toes and not allowed to roam unchecked. There are those who defend the current state of the uk by comparing it to iran/iraq/zimbabwe etc and that makes sense.
However, I also believe that just because you have a car that works, it does not mean that you don't have to maintain it for optimum efficiency. Everything should strive for improvement/progress not just give it the old "compare the uk to iraq/iran blah" It's true, but still room for improvement... If someone get's a C in maths should they be happy to get a C again if they resit at college? I don't think so, instead they should strive to improve.
Does it make sense?
It seems that lots of quangos have been created to extract money from the taxpayers?
Do they offer value or not? Does anyone know?
It also seems to me like the only time anything really happens in the world or when people stand up for something is when they either stand to make money from it or have to act to avoid losing something. I think that most people can be accused or acting only after the horse has bolted from the unlocked stable door.
Not in my back yard, but fine everywhere else etc.....
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2009 23:58:21 GMT
There has been a lot going on in the States re ADHD and medication. I get regular updates and news articles from CHADD. www.chadd.orgHoney x
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