So I recently switched healthcare providers... 

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 01/24/2018 at 19:47 • Filed to: None

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A month later, I get a letter from Kaiser Permanente (my old provider) asking if I want to “challenge” myself by allowing malaria infected mosquitoes to bite me after receiving an experimental vaccine (also delivered via mosquito bite). Should I switch back? They make a compelling case...

Old provider - “Physical therapy?! What are you, an Olympic athlete?! Ha! No way, that’s way too expensive! Not covered! But here, how about we give you malaria instead! Also here’s a $6800 bill for absolutely nothing, we screwed up your account but won’t admit it until you’ve made 20+ calls and gotten a lawyer involved. See you next visit!”

New provider - “you’ve got $5 co-pays, lower monthly dues, all prescriptions are covered, ambulances are covered 100%, physical therapy is covered in-house OR any private clinic (aka the good stuff), specialists can be seen without a doctor recommendation and I’m SO HAPPY you chose to join with us! If you ever have any questions or concerns, here is my personal line and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!”

It was a tough choice, but I decided I’d stick with the new company.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 19:51

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by allowing malaria infected mosquitoes to bite me after receiving an experimental vaccine

What??? Fuck that

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 19:52

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Where did you switch to? I know Kaiser that you posted is an option for me, they have one of their super buildings like within walking distance of my apartment. Seems weird how everything is in one building. Makes me think there isnt much choice for who to use and such. But if all that other crap is part of their insurance too, definitely not something I would want to switch to!

Also who gets to be the lucky control group who just gets malaria lol??

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 01/24/2018 at 19:55

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I’ve been with them and group health before they were bought out since I was a kid, so everything in one building seemed like the norm for me. I switched to united Healthcare. They seem to have a bad reputation around here, but I’m paying significantly less for much better coverage, and access to basically anyone in Washington so I’m absolutely thrilled with them so far. Only complaint is it’s harder to find a 24/7 urgent care facility through united

Ash78, voting early and often > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 19:59

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Permanente just seems so cocky.

Temporal is more like it.

And I haven’t seen a plan like your “new” one in about 20 years (excluding government jobs). Congrats!

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/24/2018 at 20:00

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No kidding. Top right of the letter ”Malaria takes the life of a child every two minutes.”

Well shit, when you put it that way, sign me up!

AestheticsInMotion > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/24/2018 at 20:02

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“bitten by five mosquitoes infected with fully infectious malaria parasites”

Yeah.... Nope.

AestheticsInMotion > Ash78, voting early and often 01/24/2018 at 20:07

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I pledged to go through EMT training and at least 6 months of related schooling past that in order to get the deal I did. I was already considering trying to get into firefighting so this works out!

AestheticsInMotion > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever 01/24/2018 at 20:09

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My favorite part is that if you’re randomly chosen to be apart of the Control Group, you still do the “malaria challenge” like the other groups where you’re bitten by multiple malaria carrying mosquitoes, but.... You don’t get the experimental vaccine.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 20:14

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It really sucks to be part of the control group. Here, have some malaria! Oh, by the way we aren’t treating that malaria for you.

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 20:23

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Well, someone’s gotta win the grand prize in the malaria challenge, you could be one of the six lucky winners !

dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 20:25

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This is why they illegally test these kinds of things in third world countries.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 20:25

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I am completely blind to healthcare, Ive never even used mine once. It just seems like some annoying thing coming out of my paycheck. The pains of being healthy lol. Havent had a prescription medication in at least 5 or 6 years and didnt bother learning how healthcare worked while under my parents before that. This is something they should definitely teach in school.. I dont quite get what an urgent care is either, its like an ER but not a hospital?

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 01/24/2018 at 20:32

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I’m not the one to ask, I don’t know anything haha. I just like having a good sports-oriented physical therapist on call so I can preemptively avoid injuries from high-stress gymnastics and handbalancing.

Here’s my (probably wrong) understanding

ER is for serious emergencies, as in you’re dying, got shot, hand chopped off, etc. Also where the ambulance will take you. Always 24/7

Urgent care is something that should be looked at TODAY, but not as... Er... Urgent as ER stuff. You still go in with no appointment needed and generally don’t wait too long to see a doctor. Broken collarbone, high fever (but not passing out level fever), etc. It’s also typically much cheaper than an ER visit. Most of the time they seem to be open 8-8, but there are some open 24/7 as well.

And then least urgent is a scheduled visit. The lines get blurred because a lot of people don’t use these services correctly and will go to the ER for a cough or something equally “urgent”

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 01/24/2018 at 20:57

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Healthcare reimbursement in the US is ... complicated. I could say a lot more but I need to keep my blood pressure levels down

LastFirstMI is my name > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 21:07

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Kaiser is a very cost-effective system. In fact, it Is much cheaper if you just die.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 21:35

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This is how you get AIDS. Fuck Kaiser and the horse they rode in on.

Cash Rewards > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 01/24/2018 at 22:04

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Gotta know the infection rate of malaria first! Thanks control group!

Now pay $5000 for anti malaria treatment

Cash Rewards > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 22:05

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Hey, did the vaccine work, or did nobody get infected? Gotta figure that out somehow! How much they willing to pay for this?

BigBlock440 > AestheticsInMotion 01/24/2018 at 23:25

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Healthcare, or health insurance?

AestheticsInMotion > BigBlock440 01/24/2018 at 23:43

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Uh... Both, I think? I don’t get what you’re asking

nerd_racing > AestheticsInMotion 01/25/2018 at 07:51

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How much would they be paying you for your testing services?

StudyStudyStudy > AestheticsInMotion 01/25/2018 at 18:11

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Damn, like really damn. I’m in the general field of this, but I can’t believe how this is written and sent out. If I’m not mistaken that means 6 people will get malaria or be at high risk of malaria, the rest have a vaccine that is on a trial basis. I hope to god that it goes into some kind of blanket treatment if you start showing symptoms with a huge financial incentive or something.