This is so wrong, man cannot leave hospital because of insurance

[luvwinnie]

http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/99214929_Man_faces_life_in_hospital_due_to_insurance_gaps.html

If you know a golfer in the tristate area, please tell them about the golf event they are holding to raise money for this man. This story has really touched me. He lives in my town.
www.golf4mike.com

 

[golfgal]

No health insurance company pays for long term in home health care. If he wants to use Medicare, he would have to go into a nursing home anyway. It is sad that he can't be home. Had Aetna been covering his care chances are they would see that the home care would be less expensive and pay that vs the hospital stay but that is not the case here. It's a sad situation but this is what happens when you use a government run health plan, they can't make adaptions to the policies where as private carriers can.

 

[wendy46001]

Not to be cold hearted but he can sign himself out, he's not being held against his will
He either has to pay out of pocket for the care he desires or abide by the rules of his chosen Insurance company. Sadly this is what happens with under insured patients

 

[wdwfan16]

This is why DH and I have LTC insurance. We have the at home ride of 100%.

It is very sad for this family but the amount needed to get him home and keep him home will be way more than a golf fund raiser.

 

[ajk912]

That is unfortunate, but he has to be grateful that his hospital stay was/is paid for and he gets a pretty sizeable disability check. There are so many people who would love to be getting the help that he is getting. I agree with a pp, I know he got sick young, but insurance companies don't pay for long term home health care, stinks but if you take a gamble (and not find a way to get that insurance) you take a risk. Not being all high and mighty at ALL, because DH and I don't have ltc insurance yet either. We need to get on that.

 

[golfgal]

This is why DH and I have LTC insurance. We have the at home ride of 100%.

It is very sad for this family but the amount needed to get him home and keep him home will be way more than a golf fund raiser.

We have it as well.

 

[luvwinnie]

Often, you don't think about long-term care insurance until it's too late to even get it...for example I thought about it after I was dx with an autoimmune disease at only 32. No way would an insurance co even accept me then...luckily finally I convinced my employer to purchase it for all of us...sometimes life isn't perfect and we don't all make the best decisions or think ahead. I just think it's a shame this man has to live the rest of his life in a hosp. when even he says he thinks he could hold a part-time telecommuting job if he were able to live at home.

 

[allison443]

This is so sad....

The article says if he was home he could work for several hours a day, telecommuting. Maybe it would be possible to get him set up to do that at the hospital? He already spends time on the computer at the hospital.

"At the hospital, he walks short distances with a walker and sits for hours in a wheelchair working on his computer. He tosses a ball to his son when Brian and Debra visit on weekends. Stanzione says he is capable of doing light chores, such as making sandwiches and folding laundry in his Cape Cod house. He says he may even be able to work several hours a day as a computer programmer for his previous employer, Affiliated Computer Services."

I don't know how that would affect his disability payments, etc.