medical question for friend

[IceBergSLiM]

This girl I know....no job, no money. 23 y.o. She is certain she has severe bi-polar and its seriously impacting her ability to get back on her feet. How can she get medication without incurring thousands in medical bills?

She's tried walk in clinics but they won't do anything without a psychiatrist referall. Psychiatrists cost money she just doesn't have.

What options are available?

 

[Uppsala9496]

Hospital and hope she has medicare/aid.
Hospitals can't refuse treatment. They will have psych on staff.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Uppsala9496
Hospital and hope she has medicare/aid.
Hospitals can't refuse treatment. They will have psych on staff.

yeap. wich makes going into the emergancy room a fucking pain.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

What is medicare/aid ?

I don't think she even knows what that is?

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Uppsala9496
Hospital and hope she has medicare/aid.
Hospitals can't refuse treatment. They will have psych on staff.

I thought this only applies to emergencys..? The OP's friend's situation does not sound like an emergency.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Uppsala9496
Hospital and hope she has medicare/aid.
Hospitals can't refuse treatment. They will have psych on staff.

I thought this only applies to emergencys..? The OP's friend's situation does not sound like an emergency.

so? she can still go in and get treatment. you havent been toa ER lately have you?

 

[BassBomb]

Move to Canada

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Uppsala9496
Hospital and hope she has medicare/aid.
Hospitals can't refuse treatment. They will have psych on staff.

I thought this only applies to emergencys..? The OP's friend's situation does not sound like an emergency.

so? she can still go in and get treatment. you havent been toa ER lately have you?

She knows she can goto the emergency room but she cannot take on a $5k emergency room bill she is uninsured

 

[nakedfrog]

Try St. John's Wort?

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Uppsala9496
Hospital and hope she has medicare/aid.
Hospitals can't refuse treatment. They will have psych on staff.

I thought this only applies to emergencys..? The OP's friend's situation does not sound like an emergency.

so? she can still go in and get treatment. you havent been toa ER lately have you?

Not recently, last time I went to the ER was a few years ago (2 total visits to ER in my life); but from my understanding, the ER was for actual emergencies. Someone with bi-polar psych problems doesnt quite seem to be an emergency. In other words, I don't think I would be seen in an ER if I strolled in for depression.

Is there something I'm missing?

 

[Whisper]

Community mental health clinics? It might not be free, but it's generally provided at a reduced cost. You can also try contacting a local psychologist or psychiatrist and asking if they have any information they'd be able to provide on low-cost mental health care.

 

[tw1164]

Have her contact her county's social service

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Uppsala9496
Hospital and hope she has medicare/aid.
Hospitals can't refuse treatment. They will have psych on staff.

I thought this only applies to emergencys..? The OP's friend's situation does not sound like an emergency.

so? she can still go in and get treatment. you havent been toa ER lately have you?

She knows she can goto the emergency room but she cannot take on a $5k emergency room bill she is uninsured

they will take payments. little as $10 a month. IF she has really low income they may even forget it..

 

[vi edit]

Has she actually talked to a Dr.'s Office? A simple consult should be able to be done for under $100 out of pocket. Especially if she communicates up front that she is uninsured and has to pay out of pocket.

From there the primary care physician should be able to make a referral to somebody else that can actually help and reasonable billing arrangements should be able to be made.

If she isn't mentally capable of making the phone calls or negotiating the rates, then you or someone else should step up and handle that for her.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: BassBomb
Move to Canada

not funny or helpful

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: vi edit
Has she actually talked to a Dr.'s Office? A simple consult should be able to be done for under $100 out of pocket. Especially if she communicates up front that she is uninsured and has to pay out of pocket.

From there the primary care physician should be able to make a referral to somebody else that can actually help and reasonable billing arrangements should be able to be made.

If she isn't mentally capable of making the phone calls or negotiating the rates, then you or someone else should step up and handle that for her.

She's tried clinics but they need a psychiatrist and like i said she has 0 dollars. No way to make payments of any kind. She actually tried to get into see a psychiatrist none of them were taking on any new patients. She doesn't even have a steady roof over her head at this point. She's in a bad spot.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Uppsala9496
Hospital and hope she has medicare/aid.
Hospitals can't refuse treatment. They will have psych on staff.

I thought this only applies to emergencys..? The OP's friend's situation does not sound like an emergency.

so? she can still go in and get treatment. you havent been toa ER lately have you?

Not recently, last time I went to the ER was a few years ago (2 total visits to ER in my life); but from my understanding, the ER was for actual emergencies. Someone with bi-polar psych problems doesnt quite seem to be an emergency. In other words, I don't think I would be seen in an ER if I strolled in for depression.

Is there something I'm missing?

yeap. sadly its not that way anymore. i was in Saturday for a combination of asthma attack+dehydration (didn't realize it was bad until i almost passed out and fell down the stairs then wife had to take me in heh).

I sad in the waiting room for 4 hours (yes even with breathing problems). one guy was there for a cold, another to get her baby immunization shots (which they did get after complaining) in other words stuff that they should have been going to a clinic for and not the ER.

about 4 months i was in the ER waiting room (same waiting room as Pain clinic) and one 18 yr old girl was in the ER to get formula for her daughter! WTF!

 

[Uppsala9496]

Medicare / medicaid

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp
She may qualify for state mediciad.

People go into the ER for all kinds of shit that they shouldn't go in for. I'm not saying it is right that they do it, but if the OP's friend can't get treatment or a proper diagnosis anywhere, the ER may be the last option for her.

She should contact the state department of social services at the very least.
I'm assuming she is in CT based on the OP's profile:
http://www.ct.gov/dss/site/default.asp

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Uppsala9496
Hospital and hope she has medicare/aid.
Hospitals can't refuse treatment. They will have psych on staff.

I thought this only applies to emergencys..? The OP's friend's situation does not sound like an emergency.

so? she can still go in and get treatment. you havent been toa ER lately have you?

Not recently, last time I went to the ER was a few years ago (2 total visits to ER in my life); but from my understanding, the ER was for actual emergencies. Someone with bi-polar psych problems doesnt quite seem to be an emergency. In other words, I don't think I would be seen in an ER if I strolled in for depression.

Is there something I'm missing?

yeap. sadly its not that way anymore. i was in Saturday for a combination of asthma attack+dehydration (didn't realize it was bad until i almost passed out and fell down the stairs then wife had to take me in heh).

I sad in the waiting room for 4 hours (yes even with breathing problems). one guy was there for a cold, another to get her baby immunization shots (which they did get after complaining) in other words stuff that they should have been going to a clinic for and not the ER.

about 4 months i was in the ER waiting room (same waiting room as Pain clinic) and one 18 yr old girl was in the ER to get formula for her daughter! WTF!

That irks me. A few years ago, my doctor told me to go to the ER for a few procedures that required immediete attention; so I went and I waited for an hour or so in the waiting room with everyone else. Looking around the room, I saw some people who looked like they needed help immedietly. One guy was breathing like he could barely get any air in him.

 

[Away]

She should really consider applying for disability if she has severe bipolar. At that point, she would have a monthly income and medicare.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Away
She should really consider applying for disability if she has severe bipolar. At that point, she would have a monthly income and medicare.

yeap in 3-5 years as long as she has medical proof (wich is going to the problem) lol

 

[BassBomb]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: BassBomb
Move to Canada

not funny or helpful

If she is useless in the states, at least she can be useless in Canada and have her medical issues mostly covered

 

[Away]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Away
She should really consider applying for disability if she has severe bipolar. At that point, she would have a monthly income and medicare.

yeap in 3-5 years as long as she has medical proof (wich is going to the problem) lol

They will send you to one of their doctors for proof. I've been down this road before.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Away

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Away
She should really consider applying for disability if she has severe bipolar. At that point, she would have a monthly income and medicare.

yeap in 3-5 years as long as she has medical proof (wich is going to the problem) lol

They will send you to one of their doctors for proof. I've been down this road before.

then you should know the medical doctor they send you to is not there to help you but to find out if they can claim you can work.

for SSDI she is going ot need more proof then they think. the odds on getting a full favorable decision with one doctor is low.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: Uppsala9496
Medicare / medicaid

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp
She may qualify for state mediciad.

People go into the ER for all kinds of shit that they shouldn't go in for. I'm not saying it is right that they do it, but if the OP's friend can't get treatment or a proper diagnosis anywhere, the ER may be the last option for her.

She should contact the state department of social services at the very least.
I'm assuming she is in CT based on the OP's profile:
http://www.ct.gov/dss/site/default.asp

I'll pass this on. Thanks for the info.