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I'm leaving this as an open, unf-locked post, because I'm interested in hearing what people think on this.
I've been reading the CNN coverage of "Sicko" and thinking long and hard about things, from both sides of the arguments. I work in health insurance (recordkeeping), so I see not only what people pay every paycheck or month, but what the companies pay as well. I also have a chronic illness, and I've dealt with it with and without insurance, and I know first-hand how much medicines cost. As I've been reading the comments in the blog below (and I have not seen "Sicko," so I'm only going on what I'm reading here), I've been doing a lot of thinking.
I have at least one Canadian on my flist who is going through hell right now dealing with the socialized medical system. As Canada is the country normally held up in the "well, we should have universalized health care!" debate, that's why I'm bringing this up.
For those who don't realize it, when you pay for health care premiums out of your paycheck every month or week or however often you get paid, your company also pays a premium. Let's say, for example, that you are paid weekly, and you cover yourself, your spouse and your two children on your account. You pay $125 a week in premiums for your medical.
What you may not realize is that your company pays as well. If the premium for Member Plus Family is $1100 (which is fairly typical), then your company pays $975 per week for your health insurance. Which is why, when people leave a company and get their COBRA information, they freak. COBRA, btw, isn't a medical company program: it's a government act that allows you to continue your CURRENT health care coverage at 102% of the premium for up to 36 months. So, in our hypothetical situation here, you get laid off. You get your COBRA paperwork, and your monthly premium would be $1122 to cover your family. Once your 18 months (36 if you were disabled, or a dependent that aged off a plan) is up, you are responsible for finding your own health care.
Now, on to Canada. I wanted to do some looking on my own, so I googled Canadian Health Premiums. I came up with the Canadian Health Act FAQ, which is a very interesting document. Especially since it turns out that Canada really DOESN'T seem to have universal health care: according to the FAQ, they have a national health INSURANCE plan, which is different. Interesting stuff.
On the other side of things, like I said, I have a serious health condition. I have Crohn's disease, which requires me to stay on medications for the rest of my life. As of this point, I have a fairly mild disease, and am only on 3 medications. At the most extreme end of this disease, you can go through tons of surgery, ending up with a bag on your side and not being able to eat ever again (it's called "total parenteral nutrition" or TPN). And since Crohn's is an autoimmune disease, it seems to bring along a whole host of other problems.
I'm currently on Pentasa, which retails without insurance for $0.58 per pill according to HealthPricer.com. I take 3 pills, 3 times a day. In an average month, I take 270 pills. That's $156.60 for a month. Without my insurance, if I order it over the internet. (I currently pay $20 a month, because Pentasa is not a generic drug yet).
I'm also on Remicade, which is an infusion drip that I get every 8 weeks. The medication alone is $2000. Just the medication. That doesn't cover the nurse, my hospital stay (I get it done in the infusion suite), or the prep kit (Benadryl and Tylenol). Again, because of my insurance, I pay $20 each time.
I'm also on Prilosec, which I'm not going to link to, which I could get OTC but is cheaper with a prescription ($20 for 90 days vs. $20 for 20 days in the store). That's it.
I went without health insurance for one month, during which time I paid approximate $300 dollars for my Pentasa in the store (this was about 5 years ago too, so that's why the price has gone down), and stopped my Imuran (which I am no longer on) completely because I couldn't afford it.
So what's the answer? Honestly, I don't know. I know I'm damn lucky to have health insurance, and that I'm pouring every penny I can into my 401k because once I retire, I won't have any company-sponsored health insurance (my company doesn't offer it). And since I'm only 33, and Medicare is going to be bankrupt by 2020 (when I'll be only 46), at this point, the only health insurance I'm planning on is what I will have put aside for. Sad, but true. I'm going to do some more digging - see what I can find out about treatments for folks with my disease in other countries. I know that the several Canadians on my email list for Crohn's (off of Yahoo groups) say they don't have access to all the medical treatments and medications that we do here in the States. And one of the comments in the CNN blog mentioned that the US does do a LOT of cutting-edge medical research.
I'm going to keep following this, but I'm curious to find out what the folks who read this think. What's your answer? Links welcome!!! But please - I know this is a hot button issue. Remember my rants from a bit ago? I don't like fanatics - let's have a reasoned discussion.
Where do you stand on health insurance?
I've been reading the CNN coverage of "Sicko" and thinking long and hard about things, from both sides of the arguments. I work in health insurance (recordkeeping), so I see not only what people pay every paycheck or month, but what the companies pay as well. I also have a chronic illness, and I've dealt with it with and without insurance, and I know first-hand how much medicines cost. As I've been reading the comments in the blog below (and I have not seen "Sicko," so I'm only going on what I'm reading here), I've been doing a lot of thinking.
I have at least one Canadian on my flist who is going through hell right now dealing with the socialized medical system. As Canada is the country normally held up in the "well, we should have universalized health care!" debate, that's why I'm bringing this up.
For those who don't realize it, when you pay for health care premiums out of your paycheck every month or week or however often you get paid, your company also pays a premium. Let's say, for example, that you are paid weekly, and you cover yourself, your spouse and your two children on your account. You pay $125 a week in premiums for your medical.
What you may not realize is that your company pays as well. If the premium for Member Plus Family is $1100 (which is fairly typical), then your company pays $975 per week for your health insurance. Which is why, when people leave a company and get their COBRA information, they freak. COBRA, btw, isn't a medical company program: it's a government act that allows you to continue your CURRENT health care coverage at 102% of the premium for up to 36 months. So, in our hypothetical situation here, you get laid off. You get your COBRA paperwork, and your monthly premium would be $1122 to cover your family. Once your 18 months (36 if you were disabled, or a dependent that aged off a plan) is up, you are responsible for finding your own health care.
Now, on to Canada. I wanted to do some looking on my own, so I googled Canadian Health Premiums. I came up with the Canadian Health Act FAQ, which is a very interesting document. Especially since it turns out that Canada really DOESN'T seem to have universal health care: according to the FAQ, they have a national health INSURANCE plan, which is different. Interesting stuff.
On the other side of things, like I said, I have a serious health condition. I have Crohn's disease, which requires me to stay on medications for the rest of my life. As of this point, I have a fairly mild disease, and am only on 3 medications. At the most extreme end of this disease, you can go through tons of surgery, ending up with a bag on your side and not being able to eat ever again (it's called "total parenteral nutrition" or TPN). And since Crohn's is an autoimmune disease, it seems to bring along a whole host of other problems.
I'm currently on Pentasa, which retails without insurance for $0.58 per pill according to HealthPricer.com. I take 3 pills, 3 times a day. In an average month, I take 270 pills. That's $156.60 for a month. Without my insurance, if I order it over the internet. (I currently pay $20 a month, because Pentasa is not a generic drug yet).
I'm also on Remicade, which is an infusion drip that I get every 8 weeks. The medication alone is $2000. Just the medication. That doesn't cover the nurse, my hospital stay (I get it done in the infusion suite), or the prep kit (Benadryl and Tylenol). Again, because of my insurance, I pay $20 each time.
I'm also on Prilosec, which I'm not going to link to, which I could get OTC but is cheaper with a prescription ($20 for 90 days vs. $20 for 20 days in the store). That's it.
I went without health insurance for one month, during which time I paid approximate $300 dollars for my Pentasa in the store (this was about 5 years ago too, so that's why the price has gone down), and stopped my Imuran (which I am no longer on) completely because I couldn't afford it.
So what's the answer? Honestly, I don't know. I know I'm damn lucky to have health insurance, and that I'm pouring every penny I can into my 401k because once I retire, I won't have any company-sponsored health insurance (my company doesn't offer it). And since I'm only 33, and Medicare is going to be bankrupt by 2020 (when I'll be only 46), at this point, the only health insurance I'm planning on is what I will have put aside for. Sad, but true. I'm going to do some more digging - see what I can find out about treatments for folks with my disease in other countries. I know that the several Canadians on my email list for Crohn's (off of Yahoo groups) say they don't have access to all the medical treatments and medications that we do here in the States. And one of the comments in the CNN blog mentioned that the US does do a LOT of cutting-edge medical research.
I'm going to keep following this, but I'm curious to find out what the folks who read this think. What's your answer? Links welcome!!! But please - I know this is a hot button issue. Remember my rants from a bit ago? I don't like fanatics - let's have a reasoned discussion.
Where do you stand on health insurance?
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Agreed. I have a friend in Canada right now dealing with ruptured disks, and it's been hell for her trying to get in to see people. She's flat on her back, can't do ANYTHING really, and she's waiting 3-4 weeks for an MRI.
You're right about the people who overuse it, too. My GI recently chastised me for not seeing my primary in over a year, for a checkup. I looked at him and said, "But I see you every 3 months for a checkup. Why should I see her for anything more than my annual?" I mean, she's going to do the exact same blood tests he's doing. So why should I waste her time?
Then again, I have a friend who's in the emergency room once a week, convinced he's dying of "something." Talk about abusing the system.
Thanks for the comments - it's definitely given me more to think about.