this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2025
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Insurance at my last company was so low, I'm not certain what it cost. $50mo. I think? When I started it was $35.

Let's do math. $20 every 3-months for a copay to get the doctor to re-up my prescription, $10 for the pills, $30 total. Add in whatever my employer paid for my part over 3-months, add in the doctor's cash-price difference. You get the idea.

And I probably could have found a way to cut the prescription price in half, or less. Ideas? That company Mark Cuban started? (Looks like it's $8.23/90-days there, haven't dug in on total price.)

Just learned about direct primary care, may jump on that if my new job doesn't cover insurance, or it isn't worth it. Thoughts on that?

Obviously I'm an American. You don't know how sad that made me to type. It's humiliating.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You're doing the wrong math. In a year with no car accidents you get $0 back in benefits for your car insurance costs. In a year with decent health it's the same thing, you may pay more with insurance than without insurance, but you don't have to worry about being wiped out if something really bad happens.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago (2 children)

People have occasionally found that a medication costs more using their insurance than with none. The entire system is ridiculous.

[–] WamGams 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I once was prescribed the generic version of Flonase. They tried attempting to charge me $80 as my copay.

Brand name Flonase was $11.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

That's insane, I get prescription generic Flonase for something around $3 a month shipped to my door through my insurance. One of the few cases it's worth the hassle to keep reupping my prescription every year with my doctor.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

I am amazed how people unwilling to obtain these medications via grey internet markets.

Imagine being busted for "Illegally" importing that cheap Canada insulin for personal use...

jury trial please...

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Major surgery these days can cost hundreds of thousands and sometimes approaches a million dollars. Insurance isn't going to save you money in a typical year, it's going to save you from bankruptcy and homelessness when something really bad happens.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago
[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

insurance is largely a 'get in the door' scam.. so, if you have no insurance they will largely only treat immediate threats only, and make you pay for shit almost immediately. if you have insurance, even crappy insurance, it postpones the 'who is going to pay for this' even though its usually you... allowing you to get treated.. its a very expensive 'foot in the door' to treatment.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago

I'm sorry to inform you that that "foot in the door" is a pre-existing condition so we won't be covering anything else ever again.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Your insurance is covering more than a single prescription. It also covers that doctors visit but more importantly it covers the unexpected cost.

Also, the math is wrong because your employer is also paying a percentage of the insurance premium. Your actual cost of coverage is much higher.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Unless you're taken to "out of network" hospital while unconscious with multiple broken bones, then pay up https://youtu.be/WO5UlAyBWx0

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

The Affordable Care Act / Obamacare has protections -- your video is about after the immediate emergency had occurred and how the medical industry complex takes advantage of patient's inexperience around dealing with the industry.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I use mark Cuban's site even with insurance. It's awesome.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't know what that is, but I assume it gives you some kind of discount.

IMO, that itself is a problem: even when there are options like that and even if they do actually save you money, the fact that you have to actively seek them out and figure out how they work creates a confusopoly.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

Yeah for sure, totally get it. It shouldn't have to be a special service. Unfortunately it's what we have though.

Anywho if you check the website, the pricing is stupid straightforward. You pay drug cost plus like 5% markup, and then shipping/handling (which handles paying the pharmacists and whatnot). I am on a drug that after insurance, was costing like $30/mo. But after I switched costplusdrugs, it's like $7 for 90 days.

They also now take insurance (they didn't used to). I haven't tried it yet, but might bring costs down even more.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago

I was told by a pharmacy when filling an incidental prescription that using my insurance would cost me about $50 more out of pocket instead of just buying the medication outright. Insurance, medication, and basically all medical treatment in the US is a complete scam designed to buy CEO and investors yachts, bottom to top.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Had a stroke in November, 3 days stay in ICU, clot busting drug, CT, MRI, EKG, Ultrasound of heart, and several other tests and drugs later and I'm pretty much fine. Total? $240,000 without insurance. Gotta love the American health care system. Or lack there of.

[–] corsicanguppy 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Dad had a clot in his neck causing vascular dementia. Stent, 4 days obs, battery of tests before and after.

Expenses: parking and machine-snacks. #canada

Fucking Robbins (brand) parking fascists. They control all the hospital parking lots.

Anyway, that was it. We don't even pay a monthly premium/membership anymore. It's all out of taxes, and my bro who has to pay in both countries finds his US taxes are still higher despite the healthcare added into his Canuck taxes.

Dad's mostly good. He could see 90.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I had a hemorrhaging stroke a decade ago. Wasn't expected to make it through the night. Spent a few days in the icu, a couple weeks total in the hospital. 3 weeks as an in-patient at another facility for physical, occupational, and speech therapy. 10 years later and I'm still hobbling with a cane, partially blind, cognitive struggles. When I switched from in to out patient, I was only able to go for a couple months before there was insurance woes. My father had us on a plan with public safety, and yearly costs were $36k afaik. Which is absolutely, completely and without question, fucking horse shit. But the upside? The hospital bill alone - not counting any therapy - was over a million. From my understanding, we paid essentially nothing.

Fucking insurance, what the shit.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Yes obviously you are American...