I Heart our Health Insurance

While Andrew is sleeping his nap away on my chest (refusing to sleep on his own bed) and I am refusing to try to work in said condition, I thought I would post ... about health insurance.

I love our health insurance. As kooky as it sounds, one of the reasons I really loved the U of M was the fact that funded graduate students (i.e. research assistants, teaching assistants, and those on fellowship) get free health insurance for them and their dependents. Major reason I wanted to come here - besides the fact that they had really good programs for both of us and we both got accepted with funding. Anyways, our health insurance is not only free but it also rocks.

For example, my entire pregnancy and delivery with Andrew = FREE (plus a $15 copay to inquire my ob-gyn why my episiotomy wouldn't heal).

Andrew's helmet and associated doctor visits = FREE

Well child visits, visits to doctors at the student health center, and routine obstetrical visits = FREE

I appreciate this insurance even on those days or months where the copays start adding up like this month.

Andrew got a cold again this week. Tuesday, standard sneezing runny nose - no big deal right? Wednesday afternoon - a little cough. Thursday morning - a little wheezy, no big deal. By noon, we have a coughing, vomiting, fevering, wheezing, screaming child who is having a horrible time breathing and who is not responding to breathing treatments again. So, again we go to the dr. office and after a nice 3 hour visit, two sets of breathing treatments, steroids, four vomiting episodes, and a nice prescription, we have a somewhat healthy child. So much for going out to celebrate Valentine's day last night.

We almost made it a whole week without Andrew going to the doctor. Almost. So, yeah, the copays for the doctor and medicine are starting to add up, but everytime (which is not often) that I actually see the bill, I thank my lucky stars that we are not footing it. Thank you U of M!!!

So, between Andrew and all my pregnancy visits (oh, right - I am having another boy in July and am trying to adjust to the news .... maybe in another 20 weeks, I will feel exited / ready / etc. for this pregnancy), we average 2 appts at the doctor a week! So, we really love our health insurance.