Can't afford tests doctors are ordering

[chickentender]

I am supposed to have all sorts of tests and doctors visits and things and I just don't have the money for it. I worry about the unknowns with my health, but I'm in debt from the end of last year and this year from medical stuff (and I only go to doctors on an as needed basis now that my anxiety is under control, so it's not that my anxiety is racking up the bills at least).

I can't afford the genetic testing I'm supposed to get to see why I'm reacting badly to painkillers that I'm not allergic to(I am allergic to some painkillers also though). My teeth are garbage and I always need dental work, I have eye issues, skin issues and some kind of autoimmune thing going on that my doctor ordered bloodwork to try to figure out but, I can't afford it.

I can't afford therapy, so I have tried very hard on my own to get better and at one point, I even filled an RX for Klonopin though I have never used it just in case things get really bad at least I know I have that.

Since the checkup with my GP doesn't involve a copay, I was able to get that done at least and I got the routine bloodwork he ordered, he found I was quite low in vitamin D and since supplementing, my anxiety and depression are much more under control at least.

Sorry to vent, but I am so stressed over this. Maybe this is the ultimate way to get over health anxiety. Know that there is literally nothing you can do, but at least there are hospitals if something bad does come to pass...

 

[Cuchculan]

Is there no places that help people who can't afford such things? Here in Ireland we would all know where to go. They would finance the tests. That would be based on what you earn per week. If they saw you earned very little, they would cough up the cash needed. Or even a large chunk of it. Over here we have a medical card system. I have one of them. Everything is free. It is based around what you get per week. No idea what it is like in other countries. But there might be a few places that help out that you just never heard of.

 

[chickentender]

Is there no places that help people who can't afford such things? Here in Ireland we would all know where to go. They would finance the tests. That would be based on what you earn per week. If they saw you earned very little, they would cough up the cash needed. Or even a large chunk of it. Over here we have a medical card system. I have one of them. Everything is free. It is based around what you get per week. No idea what it is like in other countries. But there might be a few places that help out that you just never heard of.

Here, I would have to get off of my partner's insurance and switch to Medicaid. I'm in the US. I'm considering doing this, but the doctors where I live now are not very good. It's one size fits all clinics and doctors who aren't very skilled. They also often don't take Medicaid, so I would either see worse doctors or pay out of pocket, which is obviously very much more expensive. Most people travel to get to doctors elsewhere from here. This is why I haven't switched yet, because if I need to see a doctor, at least I can see a decent one, but I have to decide what doctors are most important to see and which tests I feel are most important to run. In a way though, it is kind of helping my health anxiety because I'm seeing that almost everything can wait.

 

[matisworried]

i'm sorry you're going through this. i don't really have any advice, though i can sympathize. i'm pretty much waiting to get sued due to the amount of money i owe to my hospital (a little more than $8,000 US.) depending on your household income, you MAY qualify for state insurance but the thresholds tend to be pretty low.