Bipolar Support Group

I lost my health insurance coverage in mid September from a divorce. Now I have no insurance coverage to see my doctor & my medications are too expensive, especially Geodon 20 mg is over $420 a month. My Trileptal is $130, & Wellbutrin $140. When I last saw my doctor at the beginning of Sept. she gave me free samples of the Geodon to last me until January. I've heard some of the medication companies help for people with no health insurance coverage, but from what I found out you have to be at a low income to qualify. I was supposed to see my doctor in November but I couldn't afford it. I spoke to her & explained that I felt it was more important, at this time, to buy my medication than pay for an office visit...now she won't let me make an appt. in the future because I have no insurance. I have a couple of refills left & I have no plan of what I'm going to do. I've never been without health insurance, so I'm not sure what to do. I know stopping my medications is not an option, but I tried stopping my anti-depressant in October because I couldn't afford it & I'm hanging in there, but it's the mood stabilzer & anti-psychotic causing depression symptoms. Without medications I'm always manic. I really don't want things to go down hill in the new year. It already is with the divorce in Sept (after 24 years of marriage) & my only daughter (that recently turned 18) moved in with him & they all act like my bipolar is somehow my fault & everything that is happening to me is my fault. I am hoping this site that I found yesterday will help me find the advice I need to move forward in a positive way.

For anyone that reads this...thanks for listening

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

I can't really give you that much advice on this but I can support you. I hope everything will go well for you. I know you'll find a way to get medication so you can deal with your bipolar. Stay strong and hand in there. I know it's hard to get medication and with the the divorce.

It's not your fault why your dealing with bipolar. It's something that we can't help. I hope that your not blaming yourself for this, because really it's not your fault. I just wish that you ex-husband and your daughter will understand this. I say that they need to become educated in bipolar so they will understand better of what your going through. Do they every come to the appointments with you so that can understand what your going through? Maybe that would help them a little?

Like I said stay strong and everything will eventually fall in place. Your in my prayers.

dear xina,

first of all welcome to the group.i hope you will like it here as much as i do.

i am sorry about your divorce,your husband,your daughter and your insurance.

i do not understand your doc.but from what you are saying i don't think is a good one anyway,maybe is time to look for a new one.

i know where i live there is a lot of programms out there where you can get help.i going to drow some out maybe you can find one that can help you.if not maybe you can contact NAMI and ask them if they can give you an idea of what to do.NAMI is an organization for people with mentall health non-profit in case you never heard of them.try social services,vocational rehabilitation.those are just some of the organizations that popped in my mind right now.i am pretty sure that NAMI definitly can point you in the right direction just explain them your situation.

hope everything goes well for you.if you need to talk pm me.

sybille

Supposedly United Way has resources for mental health if you are indigent. Also dhhs.gov can lead you to you local state website where there are resources. Your public health dept may also have a clinic. Some churches have resources like counselors. I know around here, I've heard in larger cities the Presbyterian church and Catholic church even have some psychiatric resources. There are free clinics every where you may have to dig. I would also check your local nami.org chapter or mental health association.

definitely check with human services. they may be able to get you on the medical card so you can go again. i heard they just opened a clinic around where i live where for a minimum donation (to keep the place going) you can see a doctor AND get meds. i'm so tired of seeing things like this happen to good people because the insurance system refuses to treat mental health the way it does physical health. if these morons would just realize a mentally unhealthy person is typically a physically unhealthy person.....grrr my rant is beginning. but i feel your pain very deeply. i'm sure someone will have an idea that will work for you.

Go to a county mental health clinic (that's what I did), and they give me my meds and treatment and say if they need to prescribe something I need to pay for they will deal with the company to get it free for me. You have to sign your life away and abide by what they tell you to do and take, but hey, it's better than ending up where you could very well end up if not on your meds.

I don't know if human services will help me...I'm still paying off a $5000 medical bill from the last time I was taken to Mental Health in 2009. I also thought the only helped low income people with meds & their doctors. Plus I really didn't like the doctor when I saw him in '09...but my doctor I've had definitely made it clear she thought I should see someone else because I don't have the health insurance anymore. There are some people that are so uncaring & are just all about getting their money.

That's exactly where I'm afraid I'll have to go & that would be my last resort. I was inpatient there twice in the past 5 years & don't want that to happen again, but I hated those doctors there. Still I think you have to fall under a certain income to get their services. After my divorce in Sept...I lost ALL my health coverage for prescriptions & doctor appts., I am unemployed, but I receive monthly maintenance from my ex which I can't qualify for government assistance or like medicaid.

Since you are recently divorced you may qualify for medicaid. I am not exactly sure what the income is, but it is less than 2000 in a checking and savings account and only one vehicle.

I'm on a waiting list for WI's medicaid, but from what I've recently seen, you have to make less than $1800 a month. So I don't believe I will qualify for any government aid. I have no vehicle. I got nothing but stress from the divorce.