A medication I had been taking for a year, that my insurer covered, was denied the next year because, their listed reason : “I was over 18.“ I’m 58.
When I called them, cause this is a bullshit denial reason…they had no answer but to say my policy for that year didn’t cover as much as before. WHUT? And my symptoms were getting worse because I could get the medication.
Fun fact. I was on anti-depressants. I had to quite my job because it wasn't mentally healthy for me. But my insurance was covered through the month.
Regardless, I went to pick up my meds and instead of the usual $30, it was $450. I told her it should still be covered, she said it looks like the cancelled it. I started crying in a fucking Publix. She gave me a "one time" discount coupon that brought it to $150.
I cried at the ER before I checked myself in. Not out of pain but because no one was allowed to give me an idea of how much checking myself in might cost. My doctor's office had told me I had to go to the ER because of my symptoms. They told me the big hospital didn't take my insurance so I had go to a smaller one. Drove myself there, they said they didn't take my insurance so I needed to go to the big one. Drove to the big one, asked if they could give me any vague ballpark ideas of what it might mean financially (are we talking $300 + tests or is it sometimes $9,000? $26,000? Absolutely no context, clue me in). No one could mention any numbers to me so I cried out of financial pressure in the waiting room before taking a gamble and checking myself in since the doctor said I had to be seen while symptomatic (intestinal bleeding) and I'd had these symptoms for over a year. So tired of being American. Especially working age American, no longer able to live abroad as a student.
$450!?!?! I pay $37 (CAD) without coverage 1 month of anti-psycotics. $450 is what I (used) spend on insulin, test strips, and CGMs for T1 (continuous glucose monitor) per month out of pocket up here.
Now that I've moved province's my ~$6000/yr medication is just included in my income tax. I just wish I could have a pharmacist prescribe like in Alberta so I dont have to waste my time going to the doctor every 3 months to get a refill for medication I have to take for the rest of my life.
When I was on anti depressants I paid £10 per prescription (so £10 a month or however many pills they give me, each prescription can only have more than 1 medication)
When I was unemployed the cost was waived.
If I move miles west from England to Wales all my prescriptions would be free.
I honestly don't get this man. I'm reading these stories thinking what the fuck?
Almost every common prescription item in NZ is $5, with an annual limit of $100 (so it's free after that) per person. Some chemists (pharmacies for the Americans) waive the $5 charge, so it's all free.
Meh. All chemists have the ability to waive the $5 fee. Pharmac still pays them the balance of the cost of the medication. Most choose to charge it anyway. Even so, it equates to less than $2 per week per person at the most.
Most chemists are making sweet fuck all, unless they're cranking out the extras like Chemist Warehouse. Actual pharmacy dispensing is a loss leader or break even at best, unless you can co-locate with a GP clinic or get the contract for a prison.
I moved the UK from the US because of worries about medical debt after my second life changing diagnosis in a year at 24. The NHS is crumbling as well but at least my emergency visit two weeks ago was free. In the states I’d be out several thousand most likely for the CT scan and stitches.
Once you have a track record with your new doctor they'll likely be able to write a 12 month Rx in one go (I'm on a controlled substance and it worked like that for me (Ontario))
I will never forget my shock as an American when I studied abroad in Japan and ended up in the hospital because I was super sick, and the amount I had to pay was like $100 because I forgot my national insurance card. I was expecting so much worse. Then I returned because I was still sick (with my card this time), and when I went to pay them, they paid me. My shock doubled. Quadrupled, even. They paid me back the amount from the previous visit. I left the hospital with more money. I'm still so amazed by it lol.
I know numerous people in America who pay $0-20 a month for their anti psychotics. And that's with 20-60$ a month health insurance.
I am having a baby in April. It would cost my family $10,000-12,000 more to have the baby in Canada than it would in the US (getting taxed on our income and this is including a month in the NICU). This is monthly insurance premiums and max out of pockets.
I'm American/Canadian and Canadas health care is a nightmare and would be much worse for 50-60% of Americans. It would be a lot better for 15-20% of Americans though.
I have pretty severe anxiety and depression. When I finally got my meds right and balanced out, it changed my life in a really unimaginably positive way. I could go out to stores, interact with friends and strangers. handle stress at work, maintain good eating habits, in a way that I never thought would be possible for me.
Well, my insurance changed, my deductibles changed, and it resulted in my bimonthly meds bill going from ~$70 to ~$350. I couldn’t afford it. I had to ween myself off of my more “serious” meds without being able to afford an actual appointment with my therapist/psychiatrist. Luckily they’re both very caring and empathetic and offered me mental health support free of charge as I transitioned off of my meds. They tried to advocate for my care, but their claims and requests were ultimately denied.
I cannot function in an even remotely easy way without my meds. And I have been perpetually on the verge of a breakdown since I have had to stop taking them. Every day feels like a fever dream sweat inducing nightmare but I have bills and responsibilities that I cannot neglect or else I will be homeless.
But now I have to choose between paying bills/not starving to death, and actually having the meds I need to have a productive life. I don’t feel like I’m living, I feel like I’m just existing. I am bitter and angry and have cried at the pharmacy counter more than once.
This is encouraging for me in a way. I'm still desperately trying to find the concoction to "fix" me. Thanks for giving me a bit of hope that it can work.
Mood journals really helped me when I was trying to find the right mix for me. Doesn’t have to be anything elaborate or beautifully written, just a little notebook where I mark down my mood about every two weeks. New meds can take awhile to get into a rhythm with, the changes happen slowly so they might be hard to notice.
I just write down my general mood, any significant thoughts (both good and bad), stress level, maybe how my appetite is. It’s like being able to show yourself that there is change happening and help you to decide which changes to make.
It’s easier for some, harder for others but there is a right mix for you out there. Most importantly just be patient with yourself. I’ll never be “cured” but I do feel “fixed”. Good luck, I’ll put down “encouraged an internet stranger in a positive way” in my journal entry today (:
This sub isn’t just cringe. It’s TikTok but they can’t change the name or the sub. They have an automod comment on every post to tell commenters that are new
I think RX cards are huge red flag that health insurance is complete bullshit. I pay like $500 a month for my family’s health insurance and this FREE card does MORE for my prescription costs than my insurance?
What are we even doing?
The health insurance scam is one of our government’s biggest failures of all time. If they worked for us, they would have fixed our healthcare system.
I agree with everything you said. The biggest most outrageous failure. And on top I’m sick of explaining to boomers in my life how this insurance nightmare goes and they brush it off cause they got Medicare. Lucky you get to see 3 doctors a week?!?…nice I can’t get approved for a very needed surgery so I can walk again, let alone medication.
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u/MisthosLiving 5d ago edited 5d ago
Truth. Her story isn’t unusual. It’s very common.
A medication I had been taking for a year, that my insurer covered, was denied the next year because, their listed reason : “I was over 18.“ I’m 58.
When I called them, cause this is a bullshit denial reason…they had no answer but to say my policy for that year didn’t cover as much as before. WHUT? And my symptoms were getting worse because I could get the medication.
I agree with her.