Bipolar Meds and Health Insurance

Hey, y'all --

Well, first of all, the NAMI Day-on-the-Hill in Nashville was great! There were 300-400 people who all met at the state's capitol building and saw our senators and representatives about bills surrounding mental health issues. I met with Senator Overbey, my state senator, about his bill regarding crisis services for people who can't afford them, which is something I really believe in.

He was so receptive and even kind to me! I told him some of my testimony about how crisis services had helped me and my son (who was 12 at the time) when I was a single mom and couldn't afford it. Well, he's 19 now, and stable with his bipolar disorder.

The senator sent me an email thanking me for my visit and my testimony. His email crossed with my snail mail letter with an enclosure of a front-page article from our local newspaper about the homeless, and how they wouldn't be so, if there were crisis services to help them!

I think early intervention is important when it comes to mental illness. I know in my own case, I believe I always had bipolar disorder -- I just didn't get formally diagnosed until I was 44 or 45. Until then, I self-medicated my symptoms with alcohol and drugs. Had there been early intervention for me (like there was for my son), I know I wouldn't have done those things.

I also wouldn't have ended up sleeping in my car, or marrying several husbands, either! To say nothing about all the money I spent (that I didn't have to spend)! Or any one of a number of bipolar behaviors from countless episodes that would never have taken place had I been diagnosed earlier than I was. Can I get an amen???

Sorry, didn't mean to preach -- I know I'm preaching to the choir anyway. I know there's a lot of people who don't have insurance and, even those who have it, many of them are under-insured. I've been told that many health insurances won't even cover behavioral health, and that is an outrage!

Hubby and mysef were even turned down for life insurance because of our bipolar disorder.

Even with Medicare, some of my medications aren't covered, and even those that are have a co-pay. But I'm not complaining, because I know that just one of my bipolar meds costs $650 every month, so I am grateful for Medicare and Medicaid help. I don't know what I'd do without it.

Sometimes my husband and I kid around about winning the lottery, but the truth is, I can't afford to lose my disability, because I can't afford to lose my health insurance coverage! My bipolar meds add up to almost $2,000 each month! That'll eat up a lottery income pretty fast, won't it? No joke!

At any rate, I think there should be more help for people who have mental illness. Because of their situation, they end up on the street or in jail much of the time. That's even what this article said. And then, according to our local sheriff, they just get sicker. I know I did.

Well, here's wishing you peace and stability,

Remember God loves you and so do I,
Michele