New Medical Forms and No Insurance

[alex gregory]

I was impressed to see that the new forms have a prominent "No Insurance" option. Too often medical forms make it seem that medical insurance is somehow required by not including a no insurance option.

With 12%+ unemployment in Oregon, we have our fair share of the 50 million+ uninsured in our troop. For those that have insurance deductibles are often high enough that it basically feels like no insurance. An annual checkup is not cheap - I know it stings when it comes out of my pocket. The troop opportunity fund is already stretched by increased number of families who need help with summer camp fees. The new rules in effect at least double the cost of going to summer camp.

My question is what if anything are troops, districts or councils doing to help families handle the medical costs that are now required under the new rules?

Hmm, it must be nice to live in Canada, France, UK, Denmark, Japan or just about anywhere else outside the 3rd World and not have to ask such a ridiculous question.

[FrankJ]

Our district just had a check up Sat for completing the physical for the medical form. $3.00 donation.

[wagionvigil]

Great Idea. WHo did the checkups?

[FrankJ]

Foothills has been doing this since before I knew the difference in a class 1 & class 3. The exact procedure is a bit of hearsay because I see my Dr. far more often than my wallet likes so having my form signed is not an issue.

It is coordinated by the members of the health & safety committee. They use volunteers to do the screening & clerical stuff. The forms along with the bodies are then reviewed by people with the qualification to sign off on them. It take an ongoing recruitment effort to find the volunteers with the right qualifications

A very laudable effort by all involved. (I have nothing to do with it)

[LSR]

I was impressed to see that the new forms have a prominent "No Insurance" option. Too often medical forms make it seem that medical insurance is somehow required by not including a no insurance option.

With 12%+ unemployment in Oregon, we have our fair share of the 50 million+ uninsured in our troop. For those that have insurance deductibles are often high enough that it basically feels like no insurance. An annual checkup is not cheap - I know it stings when it comes out of my pocket. The troop opportunity fund is already stretched by increased number of families who need help with summer camp fees. The new rules in effect at least double the cost of going to summer camp.

My question is what if anything are troops, districts or councils doing to help families handle the medical costs that are now required under the new rules?

Hmm, it must be nice to live in Canada, France, UK, Denmark, Japan or just about anywhere else outside the 3rd World and not have to ask such a ridiculous question.

I work in a Medicaid office in my "real" job. Louisiana might have a program different around the edges than Oregon's, but the federal requirements make them pretty similar state to state. If anything, ours is probably less generous. Have a chat with your local Medicaid office (They probably call it something different. Here it's "LA CHIP".) about the program requirements. The upper income limit is generous. There is no reason a kid should not be eligible for Medicaid if the parents are unemployed up to fairly well paid. I *rarely* have to turn down a family for income, and when I do, one must wonder what they were thinking.

[John F.]

At one time the military (the reserves side) would do scout physical for free. I don't know if they still do this or not. It wouldn't hurt to call a local reserve center to find out.

[wagionvigil]

Every council has Dr.'s on their Executive board. It would not hurt them to provide free physicals in lew of FOS. Yeah Right like a council will allow that to happen.

[smtroop168]

Our CC is a MD who does our physicals pro-bono. Of course I tell hime he's doing them Sonny Bono.

[alex gregory]

Our district just had a check up Sat for completing the physical for the medical form. $3.00 donation.

How do we get every District to do this?

[Cowboy]

We have the misfortune of having a community that values sports more than education. We have educational programs cut due to budgetary cutbacks, but they can increase the sports budget and even increase the number of sports that the kids have available to them. Really ticks me off! That was the lead in:
In order to play sports every student must have a full physical every other year with a cursory physical on alternate years. Because sports are so important, the local clinics provide these physicals either free once a year or at a discount. The clinic down the road a piece charges $10 for it. We always take the BSA form in with us and they have no problem signing that one too. Doesn't help us adults out, but it sure makes things easier and cheaper with the boys.

[mt_goodrich]

We are fortunate to have two MDs in our Church congregation who have always been gracious enough to provide physicals for our boys and adults, for free. One of them is my primary physician.

[AquilaNegra2]

Our local chiropractor will do sports and camp physicals at his office on a time-available basis for only $10. If you bring your child's records and previous forms, a standard exam for someone in good health shouldn't take very long.

Love the Council idea, FrankJ! I think I'll approach them for next year -- could easily wrap it into a Medicine Merit Badge day. Docs donating their time should then be available to write the value of the services donated off their taxes.

Glad to see that the new form no longer has an observation space for genitalia. My boys were horrified when they first read that. "Non observed, right? RIGHT?"

PS If you actually lived in those countries, and waited your eight months to get your physical, you might change your mind . My dad recently broke his ankle while traveling in Europe. Waited fourteen hours (yes, 14) in an ER to be seen. In pain the whole time. Finally got in to the doc, who gave him two pain pills, told him to immobilize it and put it on ice, then moved on to the next patient. They rented a car and drove to Switzerland, where they were able to be seen by a doctor with incentive to treat.

[alex gregory]

PS If you actually lived in those countries, and waited your eight months to get your physical, you might change your mind . My dad recently broke his ankle while traveling in Europe. Waited fourteen hours (yes, 14) in an ER to be seen. In pain the whole time. Finally got in to the doc, who gave him two pain pills, told him to immobilize it and put it on ice, then moved on to the next patient. They rented a car and drove to Switzerland, where they were able to be seen by a doctor with incentive to treat.

In the USA you wait 14 hours in the ER and then get a $10K bill. I can't be the only one on this forum who is among the 50 million without insurance.