Health Care Cost

Oh yes. Mine has skyrocketed. My Dr copay is $100 and my hospital copay is $ 1500 per day for 3 days. I have many other copays and out of pocket costs also. My drug prices tripled and esp for my cimzia. I am responsible for 35% but luckily I have a copay assistance card for the cimzia. It is horrible to be sick but even worse to be burdened with all these costs. I wish we could go to a nationalized program like Medicare.

I guess I was hoping with healthcare reform things would improve not my premiums skyrocket, my coverage goes down, the cost of everything goes up..I am worried about new medications and Ct scans and being able to have access to them..I have a job and coverage..It seems the healthcare community, drug companies, and insurance companies have decided to fight back with inflated rates and lack of availability unless you can pay what your insurance doesn't up front..I could come up with a little but $1000.00's no..and if you if a chronic illness it can be alarming! I have been looking into alternative treatments, and I will look at drug coupons..My husband was offered a couple new medications but when he looked at the cost ouch..When you look at the side effects of this new drugs, you trade this for a host of that..I read medical files for an insurance company and deny claims for a living..don't ban me..but I was reading a file where a woman took this particular drug that is also given for CD for her RA and it ruined her liver and she ended up on the transplant list and died..but I also see people who refuse medical treatment and die..It is a coin toss..

My insurance went south BEFORE the new healthcare laws took effect, about 5 years ago. My insurance only reprices my drugs and doctor bills slightly and I have to pay the rest in full. My doctor's visits have more than doubled since the law took effect, and I've noticed just in the last few months that my generics have gone up. My last GP visit cost me more than $300.00 out of pocket, not counting any new prescriptions. One reason I haven't seen my GI in a long while.

Our insurance through my husband's employer was grandfathered in, that is, it didn't have to meet with the standards set forth in the new law, and one reason it's lacking. I've considered checking to see if I can get better coverage under Obamacare, but at this point, I figure it will be repealed as soon as the new legislature hits DC.

I feel like I'm living in a third world country within the US borders because, frankly, that's what life is like for many who are too sick to work. Oh well.

I understand we always paid for the uninsured. It happened two ways. Through our taxes with Medicaid and Medicare. In a 2010 national report for all age groups, the per enrolled average cost was calculated to $5,563 for Medicaid not counting Medicare. Some 43 million Americans were enrolled in 2004 at a total cost of $295 billion. It has gone up from there substantially thanks to Obama

Additionally, by law hospitals have to treat patients if they have coverage or not. They have to recover their costs so they charge crazy fees like $2,000 per day in a hospital, or $100 for an aspirin. Also Medicaid payments do not actually cover the cost of treatment, so hospitals have to make that up by increasing charges to those who pay.

A key difference is Obama significantly increased the number of folks who get "free to them" health insurance and legislated even more free services. The grand plan was to "tax" the young, by legislating that they have to have insurance. This population would pay but use little services, so the profit would be used to offset the additional services and additional folks who are now eligible. The young are not signing up, there is a massive funding shortfall that is falling back on those that pay.

In addition to increasing spend everywhere none of the things that actually control cost were put in place, as you said. I understand this was due to lobby groups (read corruption) influence.

IMHO the reason folks look at folks people who work in the system with distain is because of the massive deceit and hidden taxes in the system. The hidden cost transfer in the system means that hard working people who could pay for their healthcare, cannot and remain sick, as they also have to pay for all the "free" services.

The law, and the medical system is literally making millions sick. People do not understand the cause, so they label everyone in the system

Dave

Gumby...I agree that we need to support each other with cost of care. my main frustration with the ACA is that there were the more simple ways to save costs and use that money toward better Medicare and Medicaid type programs for those in need. The fraud that is perpetrated (by both users and providers) would have saved a TON of money. I watch how much we save in just a few counties of one state. The other issue I have is that we are paying for research (PCORI) but not knowing what is being researched, how research priorities are made and where that money is going. And if the government wasn't so afraid of scaring off providers, they could have made a maximum billable schedule that would have allowed people like my nieces and nephews to afford treatment without forcing them to buy a coverage they can not afford.

ps...expect pharmaceutical costs to rise more. Generics are where most scripts are filled (we are a skewed population on this forum but most scripts are generic). The pharmaceutical companies are increasing the costs of those meds. We are seeing prescription drug trends increase enormously from what they were in prior years. Yes the new Hep C drug and Specialty drugs are playing a role, but the increase in generic fill rate and the increased cost of generics are really driving the costs.

I am caveating this with I AM NOT TRYING TO OFFEND ANYONE. I hate that you can not hear my tone of voice to know how much all of this concerns me. I am simply stating what I see as someone so close to the industry on both the patient and payer side (and no I don't make enough money at my job to not care).

In the beginning when I was able to keep my children covered, I was happy my premiums when up alittle bit in 2010--Well in the mean time, I am paying double the premiums, my coverage went down, the drug cost went up, and I now can't schedule my CT scans till I can come up with $1500.00, which the GI does not want to move forward with new treatment options till I have them done and I have insurance unless it is deemed an emergency no access..I could still not afford coverage if I lost my coverage..There was recently a rx price increase and simple drugs like generic thyroid medication that use to be on the WalMart $5.00 list are now through the roof..Cash price is $100.00 for a 90 day supply if uninsured..I paid $30.00 for a 90 day supply, but my insurance only paid $13.91?? My son elected to pay me to stay on my plan, which is $110.00 monthly rather than go on Obama Care for more premium with an $8000.00 deductible and he is healthy and 23 years old..Employer plans are feeling the crunch, and I am for everyone being able to afford decent health care..I am in a worse place now in 2014..I am starting to look at employment with the state or federal government just for the health care benefit..Private employer groups are feeling the brunt of this..Wages have not increased or tax incentives to offset this..In 2004 when this all this CD fell on me with a surgery(I was on death's door due to no coverage) I ended up with medicaid help I was on a 90 day waiting period with a job when hospitalized, I have had private group health care since then..My doctor did not dx me till I had coverage and he advised me to get life insurance as well due to "pre-existing!!"

Hi Betty, between 2004-2009 I was CT'd & MRI'd & EGD'd to death and I was concerned about the amount of radiation I received other than stool cultures and blood tests that it is all I have had since..I have not had any recent tests and with the development of new trouble and fear that predisone has stopped working and needing to look at the disease progression it is needed..I feel like large intestinal involvement has kicked in..Before Thanksgiving, I had an incident where I passed blood and clots all day..I almost went to the emergency room..I have had periods of constipation which I am not custom too..and pain in different places..My blood work was off and the new gastro wants tests to see what is active now..I can feel a lump under my right rib and one on the lower left side..I felt like I could make payments but they said they could ask for it up front under the new health care law..I am in Oklahoma City..It may be different in other places..My husband had an MRI a couple of years ago after we moved back from Vegas and that was not an issue..I may make a call to my regular dr to see if she can do anything..My short term disability does not kick in until the last week in January if anything major happens..just holding my breath..My sister in law just got out of the hospital and she went to get her new rx's filled they wanted $650 dollars with insurance after paying around $125 normally for her rx's so I am considered about any new drugs with costs..

Post Edited (cindywchrones) : 12/13/2014 10:10:34 PM (GMT-7)

No scopes..I have a colon that they get a fourth of the way in and it rolls..I ended up with a barium enema last time which never again..I have had small bowel follow through ect..My CD just has not had much large intestine involvement..Here you just got to pay your deductible and copay cost upfront..which means I would wait till January anyway..but my deductible is going up to $1750 from $1200 only my doctor visit, labs, an RXs are not subject to my deductible..My last employer was an HSA so some improvement..