Probably not - it’s not recommended for people over 45, and from about 26-45 , it a “discuss with your doctor “ situation, not routine. It’s not very beneficial to those who have already been exposed -and most of those over 26 or so have been.
I don’t know Canadian prices, between my benefits coverage and my wife’s, drugs cost us zero here in Canada.
From what I understand, provincially financed hospitals and other institutions,plus prescription coverage for elderly and welfare, are the largest buyers of medication in Canada, hence have buying power leverage to bring down prices. Big pharma went thorugh a dispute with the Canadian government over prices a few decades ago which resulted in longer patent protection in return for lower prices.
Canada also has a large generic drug industry, so has the capacity to produce generic drugs easily. (Also, Google “Barry and Honey Sherman” if you like conspiracy theories). My benefits plans mandate that the pharmacist substitute genric versions unless the doctor explicitly requires the brand name. (Haven’t seen that happen).
Definitely I have seen stories of Americans coming here or mail ordering drugs for much cheaper. It’s up to American border cops to stop them - not sure what the rules are. I believe you are allowed so many months’ supply for personal use when returning to the USA? As in the USA, a prescription is required for most drugs and must be issued by a locally licensed physician. Mail order- you pays your money and takes your chance. The Americans at one point lured a wealthy (non-doctor) owner of a mail-order drug company in Canada down to the USA with a fake sales pitch for counterfeit India-manufactured drugs, then arrested him for violating pharma laws. The Canadian medical industry has been trying to limit pharma-tourism because ti makes drugs harder for Canadians to access, and they worry about provoking the pharma companies.
Yes, I don’t get the insulin prices. The same solution for diabetes has existed since invented, in Canada in the 1920’s, so what could possibly make it suddenly so much more expensive? (Hint - greed).
That’s correct. According to my doc, studies are starting to show that it’s beneficial in preventing cancers even in older men and also I’m single and sleeping around. He had no issues prescribing it for me. So why not?
Oh, I’m not saying you shouldn’t get it , just that it’s unlikely that you’ll get it free at the health department. (and your fancy corporate insurance might not have covered it either - I had to be 60 for my very good insurance to cover RSV vaccine )
Totally agree. I don’t think any insurance would cover it.
I had to wait until 60 to get RSV too. It wouldn’t even let me schedule it until I was 60. I tried to schedule it a couple of days before my 60th for a few days after my 60th. The system wouldn’t let me.
I recently had two ganglion cysts around the base of my little finger. They were going to be removed, but during the delay of scheduling the surgery, they began to shrink.
The hospital wanted $900.00 up front. They offered me a credit card application.
I’ve had more problems with my hand, Dupuytren’s contaracture and will yet require surgery. I have the money, but I am considering accepting the credit card offer to find out what the interest rate is, and whether a bank or a medical group finances it.
Well, that’s insane.
Questions:
Is it considered plastic surgery? Or elective?
Is it a private hospital?
Are they out of your policy’s network?
Are they allowed to ask for money upfront?
And have you watched a video on contracture surgery?
I go in lots of hospital stays. Surgical, outpatient, emergency.
If they say as much as “Your co-pay will be XX$$”, I say “bill me”.
Never been turned away yet.
That they’re offering you a credit card to pay for a medical procedure is yet another sign that healthcare in America is fucked up. Are they a hospital or Billy Bob’s Discount Furniture?
I just looked there is a medical credit card called Care Credit
Don’t know it’s details. Didn’t read that far.
I had Care Credit a few years ago. I don’t recall many ( or any ) doctors or hospitals that accepted it - it was mostly dentists and vets. I had it because they had those “no interest if you pay it off within 6 months” deals.
Ortho Arkansas.
Well, that beats the hell out of monthly interest.
Hurts to type, I’m going to bed.
Is it the Asheville Protocol? Some of my colleagues at the big hospital took training to become Certified Diabetes Educators, and did this, which also led to zero copays for the patients.
Some health departments only cover vaccines that are mandatory (I know of no place where the HPV vax is, and I personally don’t think it should be, except for legal sex workers).
I’ll never forget the first time I rung up insulin. I was a 16-year-old Target cashier in 1980, years away from deciding I wanted to be a pharmacist but I did know what it was, and I called the pharmacy to confirm the price because I couldn’t believe anything that important could possibly cost $6.28. Six dollars, twenty-eight cents. Granted, it would have been the animal-sourced insulin (Humulin entered the market in 1983) so it wouldn’t have been patented any more, I don’t think.
An inflation calculator says that is approximate $23.90 in 2024 dollars. We charged about that much for the OTC insulins, $1 over cost, when I worked at the grocery store ca. 2000.
A lot of us females wish hpv vax had been mandatory.
I’m not sure of their training. But my Endo signed me up to this place. They’ve been very helpful with getting my care streamlined and co-managed. Getting devices and insulin. The nurse line is easy to navigate.
The best thing has been the nutritionist and getting my dialysis fixed closer to where I live. All of the care givers are good. As far as I’ve seen.
No complaints.
Average cost of Humulin is about $115.
There are many ways to get it cheaper, of course.
Well, it isnt insurance then ?
imagine you insure your house from fire, and then when it burns down, they say, “oh, more than 50% burnt, we don’t cover that, its too expensive to cover that.Its our policy… yeah our unwritten policy.”
Maybe the insurer is able to avoid covering it , as you should get it through their Jannsen program ? I dont get why this exists, seems to be a way to keep list price high, while negotiatiing secretely with most of the volume buyers.
see https://www.simponi.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/cost-support
I had the Jannsen program, but they dropped me when the insurance company did.
The hospital where I had my wrist surgery and both cataract surgeries had me pay my copays up front, each time (and one time, it was way too much, as it was based on an estimate that assumed I had more deductible to meet). Ditto when I had my gallbladder out.
So yeah, it’s pretty common. Luckily in our case, we had sufficient money in our HSA that we could cover it, but with the wrist surgery I then had to deal with returning the money to the HSA.
These programs “help” people with insurance in that they help cover the out of pocket portion, so you don’t see how much is really being spent. The insurer often still pays their full freight (or at least their negotiated rate). That was a big thing when the EpiPen business was bought up by profiteers - who offered purchasers big discount cards, reducing their out of pocket, while still sticking it to the insurance companies.
It nearly was, in my state - right as my daughter was aging into the group that would have been required to get it. I’d have opted her out of it, for a bit - not that I’m anti-vax by any means, but it was SO new, and the law was a result of heavy lobbying on the part of the drug manufacturer, which really did not give me a great deal of confidence. I had her get the vaccine a couple years later, when there was more history.