Mary Lou Retton Fighting for Her Life in ICU

[Disneychick75]

What do you need besides the bone graft and implant? Here in Conn one implant would be about $6k.
Unfortunately here in CT the dental school has a LONG waitlist, so it isn't a great option for sending our patients there.

Tooth extraction and I don't know what all else.
I do know that I went to a private dentist and got the 10-15K quote while the dental school is between 1500-2000.
The website says we needed a referral but I filled out the paperwork online and when I spoke to the uni receptionist she said we were good w/out one. We have only seen 1 older couple and 1 single lady waiting for services. There are several clinics throughout our state so maybe that's why we were able to get so easily - from talking to the receptionist to our 1st appt was only 2 weeks. If a patient cancels 3 times for whatever reason, that person is out of the program forever.

 

[tvguy]

one thing we've seen with our advantage plan perscription coverage that i suspect has led to some cost savings is that some of our meds going to zero copay. stuff like cholesterol meds and others that idealy help maintain health shifted about 2 years ago to zero co-pay. i was surprised when i first learned of it while picking up some scrips but the pharmacist said several of the advantage plans had enacted it and they were seeing an uptick in the number of their senior customers regularly re-filling (hate it when i see folks picking and choosing between which meds to pickup at the pharmacy b/c they are so dang unaffordable ). saw my primary care doc a handful of months later and mentioned it-he said he was thrilled to see it b/c he saw far too many seniors for issues that regular consumption of their prescribed meds could aleviate/prevent.

we underutilize it but another cost savings benefit our plan offers is a quarterly otc allowance (via pre-paid visa card). so many things have gone from scrip to costly otc so if that allowance permits a senior to get their meds and maintain health i'm all for it.

I take two prescriptions that are HEAVILY advertised and on the Medicare List to be considered for coverage. Both are pricey. One costs $2,000 for a three month supply, insurance paid $1,200. THEN I discovered coupons from the drug maker. If I use a coupon a three month supply is $30!!!! So NOT using insurance is cheaper. The other is $1,200 for three months supply, insurance pays $500 of it, so far no coupons to be found.

 

[Dan Murphy]

The other is $1,200 for three months supply, insurance pays $500 of it, so far no coupons to be found.

If you haven't already, give GoodRx a look. Also SingleCare.

 

[Disneychick75]

I take two prescriptions that are HEAVILY advertised and on the Medicare List to be considered for coverage. Both are pricey. One costs $2,000 for a three month supply, insurance paid $1,200. THEN I discovered coupons from the drug maker. If I use a coupon a three month supply is $30!!!! So NOT using insurance is cheaper. The other is $1,200 for three months supply, insurance pays $500 of it, so far no coupons to be found.

Try contacting the pharmaceutical company. I need to have an epi pen equivalent at all times. My doc prescribed one that was well over $1000 but the pharma company gave me a code and I got it for $50!
My husband takes a med for gout and we both take natural thyroid meds. Those are all the scripts we need, thank God. Problem is you never know. We know folks who developed cancer. They feel like their medicare prescription plans saved them from terrible financial situations.

 

[tvguy]

Try contacting the pharmaceutical company. I need to have an epi pen equivalent at all times. My doc prescribed one that was well over $1000 but the pharma company gave me a code and I got it for $50!
My husband takes a med for gout and we both take natural thyroid meds. Those are all the scripts we need, thank God. Problem is you never know. We know folks who developed cancer. They feel like their medicare prescription plans saved them from terrible financial situations.

Yes, I went to the makers website and found the coupon option for one of the meds.

 

[focusondisney]

The other is $1,200 for three months supply, insurance pays $500 of it, so far no coupons to be found.

Did you check the Mark Cuban cost plus drugs? I think the drugs they carry are limited but they seem to be increasing.

 

[Mle8308]

But it’s not. Her choice to not get insurance is well-reported. And now she‘s begging for money. What a skank.

And she did commercials for an insurance company! Total grift.

 

[gmi3804]

And she did commercials for an insurance company! Total grift.

Hush! How dare you! She can't breathe on her own. We can't be saying Bad Things about her and her life choices. [/sarcasm]

 

[mjkacmom]

And she did commercials for an insurance company! Total grift.

It was for life insurance, and her daughters set up the go fund me for their family and friends.

 

[Mle8308]

It was for life insurance, and her daughters set up the go fund me for their family and friends.

It was still an insurance company. No excuse, live in a million dollar mansion but no health care insurance... family and friends could donate directly.

 

[tvguy]

Did you check the Mark Cuban cost plus drugs? I think the drugs they carry are limited but they seem to be increasing.

Never heard of it. I will check.

EDIT: Nope, they don't carry either medication.

 

[focusondisney]

It was for life insurance, and her daughters set up the go fund me for their family and friends.

If it was for family & friends, you wouldn’t have to announce it to the national press.

 

[mjkacmom]

If it was for family & friends, you wouldn’t have to announce it to the national press.

Her young daughters created the account and posted on their Instagram pages, the press picked it up. If I ended upon a vent and my kids set up a crowd sourcing account and posted it on Instagram, the press would not pick it up.

 

[leeniewdw]

Her young daughters created the account and posted on their Instagram pages, the press picked it up. If I ended upon a vent and my kids set up a crowd sourcing account and posted it on Instagram, the press would not pick it up.

It was for life insurance, and her daughters set up the go fund me for their family and friends.

Her daughters are adults. At least 2 of them competed in gymnastics at D1 schools (one still does). I believe most of them would be considered "influencers" based on their "collabs" and "referral links". McKenna directly appealed to her followers that number in the 10s of thousands (I presume she's had an uptick in followers since the announcement, but she was still insta-famous before this situation.)

One would also hope their father would help advise them in this scary situation, no matter the relationship with his ex.

It's an extremely odd situation to be her age (and status) and not have insurance and I suppose if people donate willingly, they are owed no explanation, but someday down the road it would be nice for her/her family to speak to this situation as it's a either an example of taking chances no one should take or it's another indictment of the US healthcare costs/options. She will have a cautionary tale, no matter how she landed in this predicament.

 

[gmi3804]

It's an extremely odd situation to be her age (and status) and not have insurance and I suppose if people donate willingly, they are owed no explanation, but someday down the road it would be nice for her/her family to speak to this situation as it's a either an example of taking chances no one should take or it's another indictment of the US healthcare costs/options. She will have a cautionary tale, no matter how she landed in this predicament.

Her anti-insurance stances (and lobbying!) have been reported in the past. She willingly chose not to insure herself, and now we're being asked to donate to her to help pay her bills, when, it's assumed, she has the means to pay. I think the daughters are seeing their inheritances flying out the window and into the pockets of the hospital.

 

[Southernmiss]

I think the daughters are young adults who had all kinds of emotions at the thought of losing their mother and did what many people do today when there's no insurance- go fund me type fund raisers.

 

[mjkacmom]

Her anti-insurance stances (and lobbying!) have been reported in the past. She willingly chose not to insure herself, and now we're being asked to donate to her to help pay her bills, when, it's assumed, she has the means to pay. I think the daughters are seeing their inheritances flying out the window and into the pockets of the hospital.

Have you ever had a very sick parent on deaths door? I sincerely doubt inheritance is on their minds. They just want to help, I have kids the same ages, college educated, who might have done the same since reaching out on social media is very common for these young adults.

 

[gmi3804]

Have you ever had a very sick parent on deaths door? I sincerely doubt inheritance is on their minds. They just want to help, I have kids the same ages, college educated, who might have done the same since reaching out on social media is very common for these young adults.

I've had both parents on death's door. They both had insurance and we weren't burdened with how their bills were going to be paid, either while they were sick or after they passed.

 

[mjkacmom]

I've had both parents on death's door. They both had insurance and we weren't burdened with how their bills were going to be paid, either while they were sick or after they passed.

And this family might not be burdened either, it would be odd if the kids knew everything about mom’s financials. I can’t even imagine worrying about an inheritance when a younger parent could be dying, but apparently some here would be.

 

[gmi3804]

And this family might not be burdened either, it would be odd if the kids knew everything about mom’s financials. I can’t even imagine worrying about an inheritance when a younger parent could be dying, but apparently some here would be.

Why do you think they'd resort to begging strangers on the Internet for money if they knew the money's there? To "help out?" Um, OK.