What happens if you have no ins or no job or a very low income? What you paid in medical bills is more than I earn in a year
When our NHS works it's the best in the world, unfortunately like all big organisations things don't always go to plan.
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It suddenly dawned on me...
- Thread starter zoze_j
- Start Date
When our NHS works it's the best in the world, unfortunately like all big organisations things don't always go to plan.
catapillar
Well-Known Member
Without wishing to get into a debate (because I have no idea in reality about anything other than the nhs) and because you were gracious enough to be very explicit that you are expressing your opinion, in the interests of balance, while you might be lucky enough to have access to the highest quality healthcare, I'm not sure the same can be said of the system in the us. Certainly the World Health Organisation ranking of health systems puts the UK at 18 while the USA is at 37.
Also, I admit that part of what I am grateful for in the nhs is the socialist aspect - I see Americans on FB groups posting insulin to others who can't afford to pay for their insulin. I'm really grateful that no one has to do that here.
TorqPenderloin
Well-Known Member
Great question! Prescriptions aren’t any cheaper or more expensive depending on what they treat. The cost is based on whether or not the drug is covered, and whether or not there is a generic offered.
Generic drugs cost me $5/month no matter if it’s for diabetes, a chest infection, antibiotics, etc.
Premium drugs cost me $25/month and again do not matter what they’re for. This would be something like my Levemir insulin pens or my Pro-Air asthma inhaler. Think name-brand drugs.
Hospital bills can get pretty expensive. Last year, my trip to the emergency room yielded a $4000 bill. My insurance covered 80%.
However, at the end of all of this, I have a “Safety net” known as my annual out-of-pocket maximum ($2000). That means that when I’ve paid $2000 worth of medical bills, my insurance begins to cover all of these costs 100%. My Levemir becomes $0/month, my test strips $0, hospital bills $0, etc.
Also a great question! Very low income people don’t have a problem here in the US as Medicaid assists them, and Medicare assists the elderly. The problem in the US is when you make just enough money to not qualify for government assistance, but your employer doesn’t offer a healthcare insurance plan. Those are the people who suffer the most in my country.
Absolutely a matter of opinion and I respect yours as much as you respect mine.
Obviously, I’m a huge fan of capitalism which is why our views of each country’s healthcare system are completely different.
I had the same problem with my GP when I was first diagnosed. They couldn't understand that I had to test at least 4 times a day and didn't seem to understand that I had to test before each meal and before bed at night. That's the minimum. So I wrote to my GP explaining why I needed more test strips and they then increased my prescription to 150 per month, which is OK but doesn't allow me to test after every meal but I don't feel I need to as I know what best to eat to control my BG.
I also emphasised the need to test before driving if longer then 2 hours since last testing and then every 2 hours if you are on a journey - this is a legal requirement which the GP can't argue with.
A written letter sometimes has more effect and address it your GP not the DSN.
This is the letter that was sent from the Dept of Health to all gp surgery's /clinics back in February 2013:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa.../Safe-care-of-people-with-type-1-diabetes.pdf
PseudoBob77
Well-Known Member
Now what you want to do is grab a spare box on ebay, some brilliant deals on there if you can get them.via auction, or if desperate at the pharmacy just buy 10 strips for £7 to last you a couple days or so.So I ran out of test strips on Saturday - I stupidly ordered my repeat prescription too late & so got to weekend & was like, "oh".
Anyway, rather than waste an emergency doctor's appointment, which someone would genuinely have needed, I decided to pootle off to Asda pharmacy & just buy a box of strips. I was not, however, prepared for how much they would cost - £30 for 50 strips!
I swear I literally stopped breathing momentarily! I couldn't believe it.
After I paid for them & left, it suddenly hit me how fortunate we are to have a health care system/government who don't make us pay for our prescriptions where a serious medical condition is involved - in other countries they pay a fortune in medical insurance to cover the cost of the items we take for granted.
At £30 for a box of test strips, I dread to think how much my insulin, or pump supplies would cost me. Especially when you consider, as a diabetic, how quickly you go through your supplies!
So it was definitely one of those moments where, despite so many memebers of the public (most of whom do not have a serious health condition) ***** & moan about the NHS, I realised just how much of a gift it really is!
Oh yes, now you mention about costs of all your other medication, that's what you pay national insurance contributions for.
It's an interesting one though. Yes, you don't have to pay a huge amount, but your employer is paying vast sums for your medical insurance, making the cost of doing business higher, and in the event that your job goes, so does your medical cover. Then you are on your own, and all of those necessities suddenly look a lot more expensive. That's where the system seems totally the wrong way around.
It also encourages a pricing model for drugs that can only be described as nuts! The cost of buying the majority of insulins in the US is significantly higher than in most other countries - just take a look Novolog, where a pack of five penfills costs around £50 in the UK and $350 in the US. That's a five fold mark up!
I'm not saying that the NHS is perfect, but as a health insurance policy that provides 100% coverage for anyone in the UK, regardless of employment, I think it's a far better option.
Prem51
Expert
@zoze_j I agree with you on how fortunate we are to have the NHS. I don't suppose you will forget to re-order in time again, but if you do you might consider buying an Accu Chek Mobile meter at ASDA instead. They were costing £17 at ASDA a few weeks ago. I bought two. They contain a test strip cartridge which will do 50 tests.
TorqPenderloin
Well-Known Member
It is interesting to say the least. Losing my job is definitely something I've always planned ahead for, but I wouldn't necessarily be without health insurance. We have something called COBRA that allows me to continue my previous employer's health insurance coverage for up to 18 months if I leave or am terminated. The only kicker is that I have to pay up to 100% of the monthly premiums which currently are between $600-700/month. Another option would be to find a cheaper public plan with less coverage if I expected to find a new job very quickly. The third option (in my case) would be to join my girlfriend's health insurance through her employer.
Obviously, this is something I've thought about and I began setting aside additional savings as soon as I was diagnosed at the end of last year. In my line of work (financial planning) it's one of the most significant costs I help people plan for.
Perhaps the best way to compare the two healthcare systems is to say that the US offers an extremely wide range of levels of care while the NHS seems to offer a consistent level of care to everyone. I do agree that it's unfortunate that the system fails some people in the US, but I've also seen the other side and how receiving the top level of care can save lives that may not have been possible in other countries.
Side note: I do agree that it's sad how inflated the retail drug costs in the US are, but I understand that it's the high price of the business and what leads to new technology, treatments, and cures. I know others may feel differently, but I'd rather it cost money and save lives than the other way around.
A couple retail prices from memory:
Levemir 5-pack disposable pens: ~$1100/765£
Accu-Chek Aviva 100-pack test strips: $175/121£
Dexcom G5 Transmitter (3-month life): $823/572£
Just wow! Those Levemir packs cost £60 in the UK and the retail cost of the Aviva strips is £40 including postage. I just don't buy the line that it's the high price of business and what leads to new technologies. Both the Aviva test strips and Levemir are >10 years old. And neither cost that much around the rest of the world. And if you look a the R&D spend of the associated companies, they also don't justify that level of cost! That is most certainly a sharp practice being undertaken.
The difficulty being that this level of care is only really available to those with the top level of health insurance... In the NHS model, the highest level of care within the NHS is available to anyone. It might not be the highest possible level of care on a global basis, but it means that a very high level of care is available to all, rather than just those who can afford the right level of insurance.
Chas C
Well-Known Member
I nearly had to buy supplies after getting stuck in Delhi after the icelandic volcano issue stopping flights. I was surprised how cheap the insulin and test strips were, about 30% of the UK cost at the time.
Also remember breaking an insulin pen needle years ago and needing to get myself a disposable syringe from a UK chemist when out on a day trip away from home. The chemist was great and just gave me a pack of 5 syringes at no cost.
Also remember breaking an insulin pen needle years ago and needing to get myself a disposable syringe from a UK chemist when out on a day trip away from home. The chemist was great and just gave me a pack of 5 syringes at no cost.
zoze_j
Well-Known Member
I didn't think to look on Ebay!
Yes, but I do feel for the rest of the public who pay NI and prescription fees
zoze_j
Well-Known Member
Yes, I think I'm definitely going to invest in one, my "in case of emergency break glass" meter so to speak!!
CapnGrumpy
Well-Known Member
As a T1, Accu Chek will just give you a meter.
https://www.accu-chek.co.uk/data/uk/free-mobile-offer.html?execution=e1s1
https://www.accu-chek.co.uk/data/uk/free-mobile-offer.html?execution=e1s1
zoze_j
Well-Known Member
That reaffirms my belief that there are still a few good people out there!
zoze_j
Well-Known Member
That's insane! £500 a month on medical insurance is just ludicrous to me. Obviously we have NI payments, but they're nowhere near that!
I disagree when you say the NHS offers the same care to everyone, we have some amazing specialists in various illnesses here in the UK, and unlike the US, we don't have to pay for the priviledge.
From a UK perspective, it seems from what I've seen of your Medicaid programme, that it is even worse than your individual view of our NHS. And it also seems that the more you pay, the better your treatment. I don't agree with that one bit
Also, you said you still have to foot 20% of your medical bills, which, depending on your level of care, I imagine can prove quite expensive?
I'm extremely proud of our NHS, there's nothing else like it in the world. And being a history boff, I love the origin story of it too!
The contour next test strips are on amazon for just under £15 if you ever need more. I tend to put the repeat request in for more strips when one complete box left, this save ever running out. My GP is fab and allows me to order as and when I require test strips and can have 200 at a time.I didn't think to look on Ebay!
Yes, but I do feel for the rest of the public who pay NI and prescription fees
zoze_j
Well-Known Member
Ooh thanks for that! Usually I am very good and do what you do - order when I open my last pack - but I dropped the ball this time.
I'm going to take @noblehead 's letter into the doctors with my in a bid to get my repeat prescription allowance upped. Well, I say repeat - it's actually on acute. Apparently they won't put it on repeat because they're "monitoring" my usage...!
If they started that lark with me I would do as I did many years ago with another GP. Made an apt to see the GP and explained I needed an urgent meds review, ask that they removed the insulin as wouldn't be requiring it any more as test strips were restricted I could not safely inject insulin any more. I then got up and walked out didn't give him a chance to comment. I never had a problem after that.
zoze_j
Well-Known Member
That is actually genius!!!
I understand their wanting to reduce the amount of wastage with regards to meds, and I'm all to aware of how expensive drugs are....but at the same time, if they give us free reign by allowing us to test as much as we like (which in my opinion is not a bad thing anyway!) then we're less likely to have the hypos which may require an ambulance and/or a glucagon shot!?
