If you won the "health lottery" consider yourself lucky

[Anonymous]

OP.

Not sure where you are located, but I highly recommend the GI Department at Hopkins. You can visit the doctor there and get infusions closer to home. Dr. Selaru, in particular, is great.

In Virginia, UVA Gastro is also very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear you. I worked at a hospital and the insurance was very expensive and covered so little. I often felt jealous of the patients I treated, because they could get access to treatment I could not afford. The system has become so broken. When I entered the workforce my insurance was free and covered almost everything.
To lower costs, why not require insurance like with cars or homes? Then more healthy people would sign on, lowering the overall costs.

Ummm, that's what was attempted when the ACA first came out. Then people complained so much about having to pay for insurance they "didn't need", or pay a penalty, that Republicans got rid of that.

MAGA doesn’t like to be told to do anything. Now the Republicans want to abolish Aca altogether. No. I remember what it was like to have a pre-existing and be refused for insurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you won the "health lottery" consider yourself lucky. I have been stuck at the same job in the public sector for years because I have an excellent health insurance. With my academic credentials and skills I would have made probably 3 times what I am currently making if I were in the private sector. Sadly I suffer from ulcerative colitis and depends on extremely expensive drugs to function. I got offer jobs in the private sector twice over the past few years but each time once I found out about their insurance plan it was a bad deal.

It seems that people make a lot in the private sector, but then they don't have good health insurance. People should probably highlight their health insurance plans when they say they make $300k/year because for someone like me that $300k/year will come down a lot given my medical needs.

Do you have a high paying job and also a premier health insurance at the same time? If so, what kind of company/sector do you work in? My illness is hereditary so I want to make sure my Kids go towards that industry/sector God forbid they end up with Ulcerative colitis like me.

Have both, and pay nothing for health insurance every month.

I work in healthcare and have a CareFirst PPO. I paid about $120 total to have a baby. I don't know what the coverage of your particular drug would be. If you work in healthcare for a large organization, it gives you access to both a good healthcare plan plus broad network of "in network" providers.

No, pp wrote about working as a provider at hospital and had only catastrophic insurance. Not every health system takes care of their employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree, OP. My teen daughter has lupus. No one knows how it will progress, but she will have some difficult choices to make if it gets really bad.

Me too! We had to drop down to Medicaid to afford treatments and medications and screenings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I am missing something about how the medical insurance works but they do have a maximum out of pocket which is 5-10k per year. Wouldn’t you be completely covered after that?

You’re missing the fact that not all treatment is covered by insurance and that there can be exceptions to the max OOP.

OP, that sounds like a really tough road. I know many people who can relate, me included. I need my good government t benefits for my special needs child. He’s got two more years on my insurance and then I’m free after two and a half decades of having to consider both insurance and work flexibility when making job choices.

[Anonymous]

I work for a nonprofit that pays me 650K per year with excellent health benefits. Prior to this job, I was a GS-15 step 6 with the government for around 195K per year, also with good benefits. Even with zero healthcare benefits at a salary of 650K per year, I could spend 300K per year on purchasing health insurance, and I am still 150K ahead vs. working for the government.

What OP said just does not make sense.

[Anonymous]

I rather not be perpetually broke
I choose money
I can die comfortably

[Anonymous]

And now republicans want to restrict abortions in trade to extend enhanced ACA subsidies.
Choose between our choices or our healthcare??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I am missing something about how the medical insurance works but they do have a maximum out of pocket which is 5-10k per year. Wouldn’t you be completely covered after that?

A drug (or medical service/procedure) has to be covered in order to count towards the OOP max.

[Anonymous]

I need to know what OP is paying out of pocket and out of network. If it’s less than 15k per year OP, I can tell you that your annual bonus in industry would more than cover it even at a mid manager level. I’m not sure you realize the math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you won the "health lottery" consider yourself lucky. I have been stuck at the same job in the public sector for years because I have an excellent health insurance. With my academic credentials and skills I would have made probably 3 times what I am currently making if I were in the private sector. Sadly I suffer from ulcerative colitis and depends on extremely expensive drugs to function. I got offer jobs in the private sector twice over the past few years but each time once I found out about their insurance plan it was a bad deal.

It seems that people make a lot in the private sector, but then they don't have good health insurance. People should probably highlight their health insurance plans when they say they make $300k/year because for someone like me that $300k/year will come down a lot given my medical needs.

Do you have a high paying job and also a premier health insurance at the same time? If so, what kind of company/sector do you work in? My illness is hereditary so I want to make sure my Kids go towards that industry/sector God forbid they end up with Ulcerative colitis like me.

Have both, and pay nothing for health insurance every month.

I work in healthcare and have a CareFirst PPO. I paid about $120 total to have a baby. I don't know what the coverage of your particular drug would be. If you work in healthcare for a large organization, it gives you access to both a good healthcare plan plus broad network of "in network" providers.

No, pp wrote about working as a provider at hospital and had only catastrophic insurance. Not every health system takes care of their employees.

I would say the large ones do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you won the "health lottery" consider yourself lucky. I have been stuck at the same job in the public sector for years because I have an excellent health insurance. With my academic credentials and skills I would have made probably 3 times what I am currently making if I were in the private sector. Sadly I suffer from ulcerative colitis and depends on extremely expensive drugs to function. I got offer jobs in the private sector twice over the past few years but each time once I found out about their insurance plan it was a bad deal.

It seems that people make a lot in the private sector, but then they don't have good health insurance. People should probably highlight their health insurance plans when they say they make $300k/year because for someone like me that $300k/year will come down a lot given my medical needs.

Do you have a high paying job and also a premier health insurance at the same time? If so, what kind of company/sector do you work in? My illness is hereditary so I want to make sure my Kids go towards that industry/sector God forbid they end up with Ulcerative colitis like me.

Have both, and pay nothing for health insurance every month.

I work in healthcare and have a CareFirst PPO. I paid about $120 total to have a baby. I don't know what the coverage of your particular drug would be. If you work in healthcare for a large organization, it gives you access to both a good healthcare plan plus broad network of "in network" providers.

No, pp wrote about working as a provider at hospital and had only catastrophic insurance. Not every health system takes care of their employees.

I would say the large ones do.

They can provide insurance but it doesn’t mean it’s great. INOVA’s is terrible.

[Anonymous]

You could have taken the higher paying job and self paid the difference. You aren't very bright are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you could really be making 3x as much, you could pay for your biologics out of pocket and still come out far ahead. Don’t blame your disease for your career failures.

Without insurance a single treatment with IBS is $4,000 -$7,000 for the drug. This does not include other associated costs with receiving a treatment via infusion. (Labs, facility fees, supplies). Plus this is one expense. Does not include your doctor or any other medical care. You are paying this every 4-8 weeks depending on your treatment plan.

Do you have $10,000 extra a month for a single medication? That is not an insignificant amount.

Also, you cannot miss infusions or it reduces the drug effectiveness.

PP here and I have IBS and I’ve managed not to take such a drug and live a comfortable life with a successful private sector job. Plus, many private sector jobs would pay for this. Mine pays for my very expensive migraine CPRGs monthly.

OP would have had insurance if she moved to the private sector anyway, so the uninsured dollar figure is irrelevant. And most if not all have discount plans for uninsured that drastically reduce the costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work for a nonprofit that pays me 650K per year with excellent health benefits. Prior to this job, I was a GS-15 step 6 with the government for around 195K per year, also with good benefits. Even with zero healthcare benefits at a salary of 650K per year, I could spend 300K per year on purchasing health insurance, and I am still 150K ahead vs. working for the government.

What OP said just does not make sense.

This should be illegal. It makes me sick.