When I was growing up I lots of wonderful role models, my mother and her sisters and Brothers who I stayed with during Christmas, holiday and summer breaks. I lost my father when I was eight years old and my mother and her other 5 sisters and Six Brothers took turns at raising me over the vacation times and sharing their “perils of wisdom with me for how to take care of myself and the correct habits the thought I should for my health and welfare…
Needless to say I was like a lot of “Kids growing Up”, and I listened respectfully but did what I thought was good for me but probably wasn’t the correct thing I should be doing. I did a lot of physical activity like Backpacking, Landscaping etc. And was very active outdoors….
Over the years I have had my share of aliments, broken and sprained limb, colds, flu etc. I have been in and out of the hospital a few times and when I was younger went for a long period of time without going to the doctor or dentist…My medical costs over all my life have been pretty minor and I have benefited from being on excellent health and dental plans that have paid the majority of the cost of my medical and Dental bills, leaving me with very small amounts to pay for deductible and Out of pocket cost…
When I reached my 60’s I started to realize that I needed to have regular medical and dental checkups and when I turned 65 I went on Medicare and started with a Medicare Supplement with staying on my wife’s Group Dental plan thru her work place. As I entered my 70’s, my needs for medical and dental yearly checkups increased and I changed over to a Medicare Advantage plan four years ago with Prominence… My health remained good until this last year when I turned 77.
In 2018 in February I had my third back operation on my lower back disc and started the physical therapy to regain my strength. In September I had to be taken to the emergency Room at St. Mary’s Hospital because I had become swollen and the pain in my legs increased dramatically due to my back and the nerves extending into my knees and feet. I had called and tried to schedule an appointment with my primary care Physician and the first opportunity to see her was a month away, but I was advised to go directly to the emergency Room at St. Mary’s for immediate assistance which I proceeded to do…
Seventeen days later after I was stabilized and had a band new pace-maker installed and learned I had developed CHF-Congestive Heart Failure, I was transferred to Regent Care Center for Re-Hab where I spent another 21 days before being released to go home under Home health Care from St. Mary’s for 4 weeks…..
Looking Back over My lifetime of health and Dental care, I realize that whenever I need to see a doctor or dentist, be it an Urgent care situation or just for a yearly checkup, I have been able to access that care in an acceptable and reasonable cost to me. I feel blessed and thankful for the American Healthcare system that we have today that I have access to for my overall health…
I hear on all the news reports about how our American Healthcare system is broken and needs to be fixed, from my standpoint of being a product of the system for the last 77 years, personally it has been the best that I am aware of in the world…
Yesterday in the mail I received a Summary of my out of pocket spending for Medical and Hospital claims for 2018.. The total came to $244, 529.56 and my share of that for co-pays was $3,337.18.. This summary was from my Medicare Advantage plan administered by Prominence.. All I can say is thank you Prominence and the USA Health system for for Seniors for Taking such great care of myself over the last year and the 76 years before now…When I have need the healthcare it has always been there in my hour of need and performed miracles that never cease in healing my ailments,,, This is what makes me PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN AND A USER OF OUR MEDICAL SYSTEM…!!!!!
English
Spanish