Still reeling from my first panic attack!?
So last night I had my first panic attack. It was terrifying. I was shaking for a good two hours afterward. It basically came from too much coffee & drinking three beers a few hours later. Anyway, it’s 24 hours later and I’m still anxious. I wasn’t too bad in the first half of the day, but then I started getting anxious four or five hours ago and have been unable to relax. I think I’ve been traumatized. I have no medical insurance so I can’t get something like Xanax (not sure how much it costs without?). Any recommendations on how I can get over this?
When you don’t have money to get the care you need:
http://ask.hrsa.gov/pc/
http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=18
http://www.hrsa.gov/help/default.htm
http://www.thefrugallife.com/medicalalternative.html
http://www.google.com/search?q=Free+Low+Cost+Medical+Health+Services+&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&start=10&sa=N
http://www.hrsa.gov/hillburton/default.htm
Hill Burton Hotline
1-800-638-0742
(1-800-492-0359 in Maryland)
In 1946, Congress passed a law that gave hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities grants and loans for construction and modernization. In return, they agreed to provide a reasonable volume of services to persons unable to pay and to make their services available to all persons residing in the facility’s area. The program stopped providing funds in 1997, but about 300 health care facilities nationwide are still obligated to provide free or reduced-cost care.
Steps to Apply for Hill-Burton Free or reduced-cost Care
1.Find the Hill-Burton obligated facility nearest you from the list of Hill-Burton obligated facilities.
2.Go to the facility’s admissions or business office and ask for a copy of the Hill-Burton Individual Notice. The Individual Notice will tell you what income level makes you eligible for free or reduced-cost care, what services might be covered, and exactly where in the facility to apply.
3.Go to the office listed in the Individual Notice and say you want to apply for Hill-Burton free or reduced-cost care. You may need to fill out a form.
4.Gather any other required documents (such as a pay stub to prove income eligibility) and take or send them to the obligated facility.
5.If you are asked to apply for Medicaid, Medicare, or some other financial assistance program, you must do so.
6.When you return the completed application, ask for a Determination of Eligibility. Check the Individual Notice to see how much time the facility has before it must tell you whether or not you will receive free or reduced-cost care.
More about Hill-Burton Free or Reduced-Cost Care
You are eligible to apply for Hill-Burton free care if your income is at or below the current HHS Poverty Guidelines. You may be eligible for Hill-Burton reduced-cost care if your income is as much as two times (triple for nursing home care) the HHS Poverty Guidelines.
Care at a Hill-Burton obligated facility is not automatically free or reduced-cost. You must apply at the admissions or business office at the obligated facility and be found eligible to receive free or reduced-cost care. You may apply before or after you receive care — you may even apply after a bill has been sent to a collection agency.
Some Hill-Burton facilities may use different eligibility standards and procedures.
Hill-Burton facilities must post a sign in their admissions and business offices and emergency room that says: NOTICE – Medical Care for Those Who Cannot Afford to Pay, and they must provide you with a written Individual Notice that lists the types of services eligible for Hill-Burton free or reduced-cost care, what income level qualifies for free or reduced-cost care and how long the facility may take in determining an applicant’s eligibility.
Only facility costs are covered, not your private doctors’ bills. Facilities may require you to provide documentation that verifies your eligibility, such as proof of income.
Hill-Burton facilities must provide a specific amount of free or reduced cost care each year, but can stop once they have given that amount. Obligated facilities publish an Allocation Plan in the local newspaper each year. The Allocation Plan includes the income criteria and the types of services it intends to provide at no cost or below cost. It also specifies the amount of free or reduced cost services it will provide for the year.
When you apply for Hill-Burton care, the obligated facility must provide you with a written statement that tells you what free or reduced-cost care services you will get or why you have been denied.
The facility may deny your request if
·Your income is more than the income specified in the Allocation Plan.
·The facility has given out its required amount of free care as specified in its Allocation Plan.
·The services you requested or received are not covered in the facility’s Allocation Plan.
·The services you requested or received are to be paid by a governmental program such as Medicare/Medicaid or insurance.
·The facility asked you to apply for Medicare/Medicaid or other governmental program, and you did not.
·You did not give the facility proof of your income, such as a pay stub.
You may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe you have been unfairly denied Hill-Burton free or reduced-cost care. Your complaint must be in writing and can be a letter that simply states the facts and dates concerning the complaint. You may call your local legal aid services for help in filing a complaint.
Where can I go to get free or reduced-cost prenatal care?
You can call this number if you need free birth control help, too!
Women in every state can get help to pay for medical care during their pregnancies. This prenatal care can help you have a healthy baby. Every state in the United States has a program to help. Programs give medical care, information, advice and other services important for a healthy pregnancy.
To find out about the program in your state:
·Call 1-800-311-BABY (1-800-311-2229) This toll-free telephone number will connect you to the Health Department in your area code
·For information in Spanish, call 1-800-504-7081
·Call or contact your local Health Department.
Comments
Comment from Megumi D
Time January 6, 2010 at 3:26 am
It is not uncommon for those who have experienced their first panic attack to continue to be fearful of it — and so to continue with the symptoms–for an extended periood of time. Most definitely, if you are prone to anxiety, caffeine can trigger a panic attack. As a consequence, the fear of another panic attack can actually trigger another one. In a way, your description of being traumatized is exactly correct because the one panc attack brings on a lot of fearfulness of another. Some people are so traumatized by the panic attack that they continue to stay "hypervigilant" (the technical word for being very alert for the symptoms of another attack) for weeks or months. Panic attcks occur, in rather simple terms, because you lack enough a natural neurotransmitter that is related to benzodiazepines, the class of medications to which Xanax, Ativan, Valium, etc. belong. The quickest way to deal with a panic attack is to be able to take one of these mdications. In their generic form, they are not very expensive. Diazepam, the generic equivalent of Valium, is particularly inexpensive, but some of the other benzos are as well. My big concern, given that you say that you drank 3 beers, would be that you might take the medication and mix it with alcohol, a big no-no since each of these drugs potentiates the other–they become stronger in the presence of each other than they are alone. You MUST not drink alcohol when you take a benzo for anxiety! Alcohol itself can cause panic attacks. Even though you don’t have prescription coverage, the cost of the meds for your panic disorder should not be too expensive.
The most effective treatment for panic disorder is a combination of medication therapy utilizing benzo medications (called "anxiolytics") and Cognitive-Behavioiral Therapy (C-BT). It is usually almost 100% effective. You should see a psychotherapist though who is well-trained in C-BT methods, not just any psychotherapist. Local mental health/behavioral health and counseling clinics often offer sliding scale fees for low-incme patients. If you need medications on a routine basis, there are a number of ways to obtain them at low-cost or no-cost. I believe that Wal-Mart pharmacies now offer generic Valium on their list of medications that they charge $4 for a one month’s supply.
Good luck with it. Panic disorder, although it is scary and can be immobilizing, is very highly treatable. The success rate for those who use both medication and C-BT is very close to 100%.
References :
Psy.D. in Clinical Psych and multiple years in practice.
Comment from Ziggy
Time January 6, 2010 at 4:03 am
When you don’t have money to get the care you need:
http://ask.hrsa.gov/pc/
http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=18
http://www.hrsa.gov/help/default.htm
http://www.thefrugallife.com/medicalalternative.html
http://www.hrsa.gov/hillburton/default.htm
Hill Burton Hotline
1-800-638-0742
(1-800-492-0359 in Maryland)
In 1946, Congress passed a law that gave hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities grants and loans for construction and modernization. In return, they agreed to provide a reasonable volume of services to persons unable to pay and to make their services available to all persons residing in the facility’s area. The program stopped providing funds in 1997, but about 300 health care facilities nationwide are still obligated to provide free or reduced-cost care.
Steps to Apply for Hill-Burton Free or reduced-cost Care
1.Find the Hill-Burton obligated facility nearest you from the list of Hill-Burton obligated facilities.
2.Go to the facility’s admissions or business office and ask for a copy of the Hill-Burton Individual Notice. The Individual Notice will tell you what income level makes you eligible for free or reduced-cost care, what services might be covered, and exactly where in the facility to apply.
3.Go to the office listed in the Individual Notice and say you want to apply for Hill-Burton free or reduced-cost care. You may need to fill out a form.
4.Gather any other required documents (such as a pay stub to prove income eligibility) and take or send them to the obligated facility.
5.If you are asked to apply for Medicaid, Medicare, or some other financial assistance program, you must do so.
6.When you return the completed application, ask for a Determination of Eligibility. Check the Individual Notice to see how much time the facility has before it must tell you whether or not you will receive free or reduced-cost care.
More about Hill-Burton Free or Reduced-Cost Care
You are eligible to apply for Hill-Burton free care if your income is at or below the current HHS Poverty Guidelines. You may be eligible for Hill-Burton reduced-cost care if your income is as much as two times (triple for nursing home care) the HHS Poverty Guidelines.
Care at a Hill-Burton obligated facility is not automatically free or reduced-cost. You must apply at the admissions or business office at the obligated facility and be found eligible to receive free or reduced-cost care. You may apply before or after you receive care — you may even apply after a bill has been sent to a collection agency.
Some Hill-Burton facilities may use different eligibility standards and procedures.
Hill-Burton facilities must post a sign in their admissions and business offices and emergency room that says: NOTICE – Medical Care for Those Who Cannot Afford to Pay, and they must provide you with a written Individual Notice that lists the types of services eligible for Hill-Burton free or reduced-cost care, what income level qualifies for free or reduced-cost care and how long the facility may take in determining an applicant’s eligibility.
Only facility costs are covered, not your private doctors’ bills. Facilities may require you to provide documentation that verifies your eligibility, such as proof of income.
Hill-Burton facilities must provide a specific amount of free or reduced cost care each year, but can stop once they have given that amount. Obligated facilities publish an Allocation Plan in the local newspaper each year. The Allocation Plan includes the income criteria and the types of services it intends to provide at no cost or below cost. It also specifies the amount of free or reduced cost services it will provide for the year.
When you apply for Hill-Burton care, the obligated facility must provide you with a written statement that tells you what free or reduced-cost care services you will get or why you have been denied.
The facility may deny your request if
·Your income is more than the income specified in the Allocation Plan.
·The facility has given out its required amount of free care as specified in its Allocation Plan.
·The services you requested or received are not covered in the facility’s Allocation Plan.
·The services you requested or received are to be paid by a governmental program such as Medicare/Medicaid or insurance.
·The facility asked you to apply for Medicare/Medicaid or other governmental program, and you did not.
·You did not give the facility proof of your income, such as a pay stub.
You may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe you have been unfairly denied Hill-Burton free or reduced-cost care. Your complaint must be in writing and can be a letter that simply states the facts and dates concerning the complaint. You may call your local legal aid services for help in filing a complaint.
Where can I go to get free or reduced-cost prenatal care?
You can call this number if you need free birth control help, too!
Women in every state can get help to pay for medical care during their pregnancies. This prenatal care can help you have a healthy baby. Every state in the United States has a program to help. Programs give medical care, information, advice and other services important for a healthy pregnancy.
To find out about the program in your state:
·Call 1-800-311-BABY (1-800-311-2229) This toll-free telephone number will connect you to the Health Department in your area code
·For information in Spanish, call 1-800-504-7081
·Call or contact your local Health Department.
References :
Comment from mizz_car
Time January 6, 2010 at 4:16 am
get enough sleep and distract yr mind from thinking abt the things that traumatize u
References :
Comment from bunnygaloo6
Time January 6, 2010 at 4:47 am
try holding you breath for 10sec and let out slowly do it till you feel rellaxed again and go see your gp
References :
Comment from Neil L
Time January 6, 2010 at 3:10 am
xanax is cheap….. what’s more important is to talk with a Doctor to get insight into attacks / causes. Cut back on the coffee and definitely no drinking beers.
Bless u.
References :