Very blessed to have them, but hate being in them.

[buffo]

$1K+ prescriptions are not as uncommon as you might think these days...

Groan... Tell me about it dude.

Between my wife and I, we spent nearly $12,000 on prescriptions last year. A large portion of that was her new insulin pump and the consumables for it, but even if you throw out all the electronics and just count pills and injectables, we still spent over $5000. And that's with really decent medical insurance.

What they don't tell you when you sign up for insurance is that with most plans, your "max cash out of pocket" does not include drugs. So even if you hit your cash cap, you STILL have to pay for your drugs. And if you are on expensive, Tier 1 drugs that have a high co-pay associated with them, you're pretty much screwed.

The medical system in our country is totally hosed. If you don't have insurance through your employer, a single medical incident can essentially bankrupt you for life. I never used to be a fan of socialized medicine, but now that I'm older, I'm starting to understand why every other western nation in the world has it. Why can't we get with the program already?

Adam

[absolom7691]

I don't exactly think it is the healthcare system that is too hosed (don't get me wrong, it needs work) but the problem lies with the pharmaceutical companies. Someone needs to get a lasso on them and right quick. The cost of medication is running rampant and since they are the only ones we can get drugs from, they have a monopoly and they certainly exploit that fact. I understand R&D costs money but let's be real here, they make a shitload of money. When you don't have a choice or any alternatives, you pay.

[TechJunkie]

It's the politics the F up the system more than anything else.

I live in Mass. We have the best medical system in the country, if not in the world, and it has been that way for decades now. Everyone has affordable insurance, and if you cant afford it they will give it to. Full coverage. The new government health care system is based on our health care system. Any one who is telling you this will not work for the country is outright lying to you. Those people have financial motivations behind them. I really hate this 2 party, line in the sand political system because its really keeping the country in the dark ages. We dont need socialized medicine, we need for both parties to get together and work with each other to make the new system happen so no one has to pay thousands of dollars of out of pocket expenses. You should not have to risk going bankrupt because you have an accident. or have to pay out 5K before benefits kick in. You might as well die, it would be cheaper. Its like this all over the country.

I wish for once people would not vote their party, and vote on their family, and country. We'd be a much more prosperous society. The health care system has been heavily flawed forever. We have a chance to change it, and better our country. The only people who dont want this to happen is the people making the most money from it. It doesnt take a genius to figure that out.