Affording healthcare?
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Affording healthcare?
| Fri, 07-25-2008 - 12:25pm |
Our budgets have always been tight, and these days it’s been very hard to take on new costs. But a lot of medical expenses can’t be avoided, and when it comes to family, we still need to find a way to afford insurance and regular doctor’s visits. There are some programs that can help, but how are you facing the problem of affording healthcare? Is your insurance covering enough, or do you have any tips to share to help us save money?

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My company paid HMO covers most stuff for the family(lab work is 100% covered, office visits are $15 co-pay, mail-order pharmacy for prescriptions runs about $120 for 3 month supply of test strips, metformin, and synthroid). Preventives (one physical per year including gyn exam) are just the co-pay. Mammogram is 100% covered. The cost to us is going up to about $250 per month plus $50 to get family dental coverage as well. The alternative HSA would actually cost us more even though the premiums are lower because we're in the middle - we use too much medical to benefit from using the HSA as a savings account and we use too little medical to really benefit from hitting the deductible early in the year and having 100% covered after that. We'd hit the deductible limit somewhere between Halloween and Thanksgiving most years. Not worth it.
--Deb
The HMO and POS here at work jumped really drastically (as of this coming Sept 1) so we switched to the HSA which has a lower premium. Downside is that there's a BIG deductible; positive side is that the company is kicking in 50% of the deductible into the HSA account for us (because they save a lot of money if people use the HSA instead of the other two plans). The company pays 80% of the premium and we pay 20% (used to be 10%). I can pay the premium plus $80 per month into the account and end up paying in the same amount per month that it would cost for the premium alone on the HMO (so either way we'd be paying that money). We figured out that it is about a break even for us at this point cost wise but should we run into anything big (or more prescriptions or anything), we'll end up saving money over the current plan.
--Deb
Hi and welcome to the board.
Actually I think Target and Walmart also have a 3 month supply for $10 which is even better.
I would probably caution though the first time you try generics I would get a one month supply to make sure it does work as well. When I had contact dermatitis on my feet(they got huge blisters all over the sides and top of week. I had to wear thongs
Trish
That's why I cannot take the generic of my Synthroid - "same thing" but it doesn't work precisely the same even when the dosage says the same thing. Caused all sorts of problems getting bounced from generic to generic until finally my dr. specified No substitutions on the Synthroid Rx. Ever since then, those issues have smoothed out like a sheet of glass.
--Deb
Deb and Nancy,
Without getting into a too technical discussion, here is what happens with generic drugs. The active ingredient is supposed to be the same and in the same amount as the original drug. It is supposedly tested to prove that this is the case. What is different is the filler or binding agent. Also makers of generic drugs don't have to do the research to prove that their formulation works like the original drug maker does.
There is a commonly told story about Lanoxin when it became generic. The generic didn't work like the original drug because patients weren't able to absorb the drug the same
Kroger has gone to the $4.00 for month's supply of generic, and $10.00 for a 3 month supply.
twosweet02
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