how do you pay for all those medical expenses???

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DW2 wrote in a recent comment:

once he fell and hit his head, requiring one or two stitches. Another time I found him lying flat on the floor with hs eyes shut on the kitchen floor between the counter and the refrigerator.

and it got me to thinking.....how do you continue to finance the increased costs associated with diabetes?  Not just the medications and office visits....but the emergencies.  We have excellent health insurance - due to my past employment.....not his!  I am so grateful for the decisions I made throughout my career that afforded me the ability to retire at age 50 with such excellent benefits.  But what if I weren't so fortunate?

It is open enrollment time and hubby is now on Medicare.  We are going from low option on my plan to high option - another $275 per month!  But I feel that we have to increase the coverage as the co-pays and deductibles on low option will eat us alive.  And because the premiums are taken out of my retirement checks, I've told him he has to write me a check each month.

I can already see what is going to happen.....there will be excuse after excuse as to why he won't write the check - so I will have to manage my expenses on $275 less per month.

Which simply put - aggravates me!  Why am I paying for his health insurance at all?  Because I'm a good wife.  LOL!  But there are moments when I have to ask.....why should I?  Remember, he does nothing to take care of his health.  Except take pills.  It is completely and totally frustrating. 

Last month, his pharmacy dinged his bank account $966 for his Humulin.  They held the month out 9 days.  Fortunately, he had the funds to cover it.  He called the day it happened and they claim they didn't "see" his supplemental insurance on my account.  What if he hadn't had the funds to cover that for the 9 days?  What if other checks had bounced because of this?  So I filed a grievance with the health insurance company in order to get them to change their policies to insure this doesn't happen to him or anyone else.  I am learning the grievance process now.  Nothing happens fast in a huge insurance company.  We drove 75 miles to attend 2 meetings that we could schedule on the same day. Everyone agreed it is their fault....everyone agrees what needs to happen - no one knows how to make it happen.  I get a phone call about every 3 days telling me they are "working on it."  

I feel certain that his next prescription will come due before they figure out what has to happen.

And I'm sure we are not alone in this journey.  I'm sure it happens all the time.  But when it happens to you and it's almost ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS that is taken out of your account inappropriately....it tends to make you sit up wide awake!  LOL!!!

So lets do that math.  I'm going to be out ANOTHER THREE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS in 2016 - that's the $275 increased insurance premiums times 12 months - because of this man who refuses to comply with his diabetes plan.

Hmmmm........

What is your greatest fear?

I think that is such a brilliant question.  As the spouse of a non-compliant diabetic  - what is your greatest  fear?

Wow!  Not sure.  It could be the progression - not knowing what will happen next.  Will he have another heart attack, need more back surgery, have his kidneys fail completely - he's stage 4 ERSD and will refuse dialysis.

Is it the prospect of future hospitalizations, medical bills, and how do we pay for them without losing the house?

I don't fear death, or being left alone (been there for the last 3 years), or coma (been there with him on that as well)  

Do I fear that he will die on "my watch"?  Perhaps sometimes.  I think it is the old question of what to do when.  He has a DNR in place, but if I don't call 911 immediately - what are the ramifications of that decision?

Perhaps I fear the unknown - just not knowing what could happen at any moment.  No - once you have jumped on this roller coaster ride of highs and lows....I think you just learn how to be flexible and go with the flow of the ride.

What about crazy anger outbursts, sugar lows or highs, this emotional spikes and rages?  No - I have learned to live through them, sad as that sounds.

No, I really do not know what my greatest fear is.  What's yours?