Because I have pretty good medical insurance, I admit I paid little attention

[tavalon]

to the Affordable Care Act. I supported it and wished it was actually universal health care coverage, but I didn't get into the nitty gritty. The other night, my husband told me that he filled our kid's medication at the local pharmacy. I told him he should send it to the mail order pharmacy because it's far cheaper. He then said something confusing: "They didn't charge me anything." I gave him a look like he had just grown a horn out of his forehead because that medication isn't cheap. My son and I are both on it and if we fill it through the mail order pharmacy, we pay $1200 a year. It is a very necessary medicine for both of us and I've just seen it as the cost of doing business with blood sucking insurance agencies.

Guess what? It's now considered a preventative medication and under the ACA, it has a zero copay. Yeah, zero.

Now, I look at most of our meds as preventative, but they don't. This one they do. Thank you President Obama, you just put $1200 back into my pocket. I will do my best to donate that money to worthy charities. I don't know if that stimulates the economy but I've had my fill of being a consumer.

Well done, President Obama, well done.

[ananda]

1. Thank you for this story.

Well done indeed.

[SkyDaddy7]

77. Whatever the so-called secret deal with...

the drug companies was I have heard several stories like this and I have my own...I have to take a very expensive medication to help with neuropathic pain from a spinal cord injury. I had tried a few times between 2003 & 2008 to get accepted into Pfizer's "Connection to Care" program for people like myself who can't afford to pay the $269 a month for the medication. The program's qualifications were written so that hardly anyone qualifies...you had to make less than $10K a year & you could not be on Medicare, Medicaid or have private insurance which basically excludes everyone. I made only what Social Security Disability pays & that was just over $13K a year & I was on Medicare A,B & D so of course I did not qualify.

However, late in the year 2009 after the so-called "secret deal" Obama had made with the drug companies & during the heated ACA "debate", it was rally Republican delay tactics, Pfizer changed their qualifications. I have no idea why they did? Now the qualifications were if you made less than $1800 a month & it did not matter I was on Medicare.

That alone saved me from losing my house...Not to mention after the ACA became law the so-called "doughnut hole" in Medicare Part D is slowly going away!

Thank-You President Obama!!!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. My flu shot was free. Didn't used to be.

The copay wasn't a lot, but no copay is even better.

[truedelphi]

51. That may well be because there are fifty percent of

Us who aren't willing to get the shot. And in France, where the media doesn't control the debate on Thimerosal safety, as much as here, only 5 million people get the flu shots. In a nation of eighty million people.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

54. I'm a whole lot more concerned about flu than thimerosal.

And it's just plain stupid not to get a flu shot.

[AAO]

64. Didn't they remove the mercury? That's what people were worried about.

[tavalon]

69. Thimerosal is 51% mercury by weight, so that's what we have been worried about

It's not been removed everywhere but the more people demand it, the more it will be available. Always, always ask for thimerosal free and it will go away. BTW, there is no safe limit of mercury one should have in their bioload, especially one proven to pass the blood brain barrier where it destroys neurons. One shot isn't going to kill a lot of neurons, but really, it adds up.

[truedelphi]

83. I believe that flu vaccines still have the Thimerosal, however even worse -

Any mercury that has been avoided in a vaccine, now has been replaced with formaldehyde. I know from my years of research on the MTBE that decent organic chemists fear these elements:
radiation, mercury, benzene, MTBE, and then formaldehyde.

So you are basically just substituting one heavy duty poison for another.

Of course, the advantage of doing this substitution is that then the "researchers" can take the data from kids who had vaccines with the mercury, and the data from the kids who had vaccines with formaldehyde, and say: "Look, no difference! So the vaccines never were a problem!"

[tavalon]

68. Luckily, Washington state removed thimerosal in all childhood vaccines (yay!!!)

and all single dose vaccines, including the flu shot. Until this year, I thought that meant all flu shots but I was wrong. It wasn't hard to find a place that had thimerosal free though, and I think that's the marketplace driving it. I won't allow any further thimerosal in my body, but as a nurse to NICU babies, I feel a moral obligation to take the flu shot. But I feel no moral obligation to poison myself with a mercury laced preservative.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

3. I'm so happy for you, your son

and all the millions of people who will likewise benefit. Thanks for letting us know. And thanks for your generous spirit.

[LittleGirl]

4. Awesome!

Send that info to your local voice of the people newspaper!

[ReRe]

5. Thank you for this information...

...I hope everyone is noticing things like this.. I have Humana and if anything kicks in for me, it will probably be in 2014, because my insurance and co-pays just keep going up-up-up.
But I am thankful for what I do have.

[chillfactor]

6. I also have Humana...

My co-pays are $4 a month at Walgreens and some of my medications would be over $200/month without it

[ReRe]

7. I use express scrips...

It saves me about $2,000 a year on my meds!

[chillfactor]

8. Thank you for the heads up! nt

[ReRe]

12. You don't use Express Scrips?

Absolutely change over to that way of filling your prescriptions. It's a hassle to get it started, but it really does save you a lot of money. Now I don't know what plan you're on, but I think it's universal. I have the Optimum PPO. Also, you can use this thru your regular drugstore instead of thru the mail. Of course, ask your drugstore first to be sure they honor express scrips. Do you have one of the Express-Scrip forms to take to the Dr? Good Luck!

[eggplant]

9. Same here. We were shocked that nearly all of our medications are now completely free for us.

We still have to pay $25/month for my wife's Advair, but the other 14 or so scripts that my wife and kids and myself take? Free.

[DogPawsBiscuitsNGrav]

10. This is good to hear. I'm very happy for you and your family. I hope it works out as well for ours.

[Schema Thing]

11. I thought I was up on the ACA, but this is news to me.

And if your experience is common, this will have a real stimulative effect on the economy.



What sort of drugs are considered "preventative"?

[kestrel91316]

13. This is with an EXISTING policy??? I thought old policies could

continue to screw people and only new policies had the improvements. Learn something new every day.

As for me, I am still involuntarily medical insurance-free due to costs. But in 11 months I won't be. The subsidies will greatly benefit me because a typical policy for a woman my age, even though I don't smoke, runs about $800/mo if you want anything other than catastrophic coverage.

[tavalon]

70. Oh, mine has been finding unique and lucrative ways to screw us, that's why I was surprised by this

[SnowCritter]

14. Shingles vaccine co-pay was over $200 six months ago

Last Wednesday it had a $0 co-pay.

Yeah - I got it (I've had shingles before and it SUCKS!)

[zbdent]

15. No doubt, stories like this will NOT make much of a dent in the "liberally-biased media" ...

just all the stuff where some guy on the wrong side of the margin getting "slammed" ...

Of course, the "good" stories will be reported, just on page 47 ... like the RWers complained about the "liberal media" covering Nth day without another plane flying into a building under Dumbya ...

[Bibliovore]

16. Can someone clarify which provision of the ACA covers this?

I'm trying to find out what is and isn't included, as my partner still has a copay on his cholesterol meds.

[grahamhgreen]

48. +1

[Richard_uk]

17. I am glad to that you are getting some help over there

2 years ago I moved from Arizona to England.

Here I have no co-pays, no pre-existing conditions, no limit on treatment, no hospital bills and I pay no prescription charges. If i lost my job, I would still keep my healthcare, no charge.

I still cannot get used to walking out of my doctors surgery without being asked for money.

You still have a way to go in the USA - But welcome to your first taste of socialized medical care.

Take it from me, its great.

[riverbendviewgal]

49. it is the same in Canada

Imagine having a son and husband with Cancer the same time. There were no medical bills.

No co pays.

America get on the boat of universal health care.

My older son now lives in England and confirms your story.

[eggplant]

55. Yes, but you have to contend with the language barrier. ;-) n/t

[OwnedByCats]

73. When I lived in

England, I found the NHS to be great. My experience was very good.

Now I'm back home in the USA, I really do miss the NHS.

[nobodyspecial]

18. I am so hoping to get insurance next year

I have so many issues that I'm under treating right now.

What types of meds are considered preventive?

[BobbyBoring]

40. Where do you live?

You may want to check and see if your state has an insurance plan. In MD we have a state plan that is now administered by BC/BS. It saves me tons of money!

[nobodyspecial]

44. Nope, it doesn't

and right now, I will need and qualify for the subsidy.

[Jumping John]

19. I thought ACA was for those of us that did not

have insurance. I am glad that you can get your meds for no copay.

I have a pre-existing illness.

I guess my generic low cost meds are not worthy.

I remember when the Democrats were putting out the "48 million in the USA are not insured."

I thought it was because the uninsured were important to the DEMS.

I now see that It was all GAwD Damned Bull SHIT. And we people who have no insurance are not worthy or important.

But use us for whatever. Punk ass lying fucks.

Jury? Yea trample me some more.

[CreekDog]

20. your post is full of BS and lies about the Affordable Care Act

but other than that it's fine.

[Jumping John]

21. Yea? When 0ver 40 million people in this country were uninsured the DEMS never brought that

up to get the ACA passed. Right?

Don't call me a liar.

[CreekDog]

23. if you lie about the ACA, I have the right to say that you're lying about the ACA

and nevermind that most of the cost of the ACA will be to cover the uninsured.

i prefer Single Payer, but that doesn't make it okay to lie about the ACA.

[Jumping John]

24. What LIE is that?

[CreekDog]

25. pretty much your whole first post on the ACA, here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2300082

Jumping John (912 posts)
19. I thought ACA was for those of us that did not

have insurance. I am glad that you can get your meds for no copay.

I have a pre-existing illness.

the ACA will force insurers to cover pre existing conditions and charge those with them no more than those without.

I guess my generic low cost meds are not worthy.

I remember when the Democrats were putting out the "48 million in the USA are not insured."

I thought it was because the uninsured were important to the DEMS.

I now see that It was all GAwD Damned Bull SHIT. And we people who have no insurance are not worthy or important.

Actually, most of the cost, as well as the tax imposed for the Affordable Care Act was to subsidize the expansion of Medicaid for the uninsured as well as subsidize the cost of insurance for the uninsured. Again, I prefer single payer, but I don't think it's right to lie about the Affordable Care Act to make one's point.

But use us for whatever. Punk ass lying fucks.

"Punk ass lying fucks." Who? Those of us who supported the Affordable Care Act's passage like Bernie Sanders? Call us that if you want, it doesn't make it true, even if it makes you feel better.

Jury? Yea trample me some more.

And you wrote this thinking that a jury would hide you for telling the truth, but in fact, if you get hidden, it will be in part because you misrepresented the ACA.

[Jumping John]

26. So are you saying that I can get insurance as soon as Monday the 4th? Is that right? In the USA?

Really?

Tell me more Mr Know Everything.

Come on Mr.

[CreekDog]

28. so you're saying you told the truth about the ACA when in fact, you don't know anything about it?

so much for your insistence that you weren't lying about it.

[Jumping John]

31. Your opinion is not truth and if I was qualified for medicaid, I woul have it. You obviously

love the lies your government officials tell you.

If you know so much let us know how many people in the great USA do not presently have healthcare.

You don't want to answer that one do you?

[Jumping John]

35. Here you go - 46.3M People Without Health Insurance - With a link

46.3M People Without Health Insurance in the US, Survey Says

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2012/06/19/463m-people-without-health-insurance-in-us-survey-says/#ixzz2JlkA0LMH

[CreekDog]

38. now you really are doubling down on your lying. first you claimed not to know, now...

you're saying that you were promised that the law said that people would get offered coverage by now and not 2014.

and you're also lying when you make me out to be against healthcare for all, you are lying when you say that i don't acknowledge how many people are currently without insurance or covered medical care (i have consistently posted about this topic on DU).

again, if you want to lie about the law, you will not do it without me pointing it out.

complain the law? go ahead. absolutely, and i have my complaints too, and i've posted them here on DU.

BUT lie about it? no, not without challenge.

if you can't win your argument without lying, then you don't believe you can win your argument by telling the truth.

which means you know your argument is bankrupt.

[obama2terms]

76. The law isn't fully in place until 2014

There's still more to come, be patient!

[Schema Thing]

30. In Texas you could.

And several other states.


If you can afford it of course. The Texas program is relatively low-cost compared to open-market insurance.

[tritsofme]

37. No, you have to wait another year.

That is when the exchanges, where discrimination based on preexisting conditions is banned, begin to operate. Smart ass.

[tritsofme]

42. I support the ACA.

It implements major insurance reforms that cannot be done with the snap of a finger. In a year the point will be moot.

[CreekDog]

45. so why are you angry at DU for this?

almost all of us, and I did a poll back in 2010 showing that almost without exception DUers supported Single Payer for all.

why are you mad at us for this? we've been supporting single payer for all and all kinds of iterations of it for years and wanted it to take effect ages ago, not in 2014.

but that's not what we got.

nevertheless, it's not okay to lie about what was passed into law, it's not okay to blame DUers who mostly wanted something better.

what do you want from us? clearly you blame us for a law you won't even learn or be honest about.

[truedelphi]

52. It depends on how you frame the issue.

But when all is said and done - the American people knew that the health care system needed reform. Anyone in the past fifteen years who has had to fight insurers to get treatment, anyone who understood the fact that the Big Pharmaceutical companies are playing us, we all understood that the health care system needed reform.

So when a man who actually went around in 2004 during his Senatorial race, saying that "The best and most intelligent way to reform the health care system in America is to have Universal Single Payer health Care," began his run for the Presidency, most of us rejoiced.

But apparently long before his campaign for the Presidency was over, that Senator from Illinois abandoned that wisdom, and went with "America needs a uniquely American solution, one that allows the system that we already have in place to remain in place."

A person does have to wonder - how can you reform a problem if you need to keep the very players that are creating the problem as part of the solution???

So now, about 30 days back, we have headlines that are trumpeted in the SF Chronicle, stating how the Big Pharma people are deliberately "shorting" the supply of drugs that are crucial for cancer patients. If we had a ACA measure with some teeth, they wouldn't get away with this shit!

On edit: Citation for the above - Evidence Links Drug Shortage, Cancer Recurrence December 28, 2012 - http://www.cshp.org/post/evidence-links-drug-shortage-cancer-recurrence

A recent report published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that a certain drug used to substitute chemotherapy medication in short supply for lymphoma patients is linked to an early recurrence of the cancer.CSHP Past President Maria Serpa was quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle, saying a connection between drug shortages and patient harm is not news to pharmacists who regularly contend with shortages for certain medications, such as anesthesia and pain management drugs.

[tavalon]

78. One medication, an expensive one

I'm on seven meds and my kiddo on ten. He's very medically fragile. I was saying that I didn't expect it to help us and was just glad that it would help some of the uninsured and maybe open the door to universal care. Anything that reigns in these bloodsucking bastard insurance companies is a good thing.

[postulater]

22. My wife just got a $2500 a year raise.

Because of the increase in her health insurance premium and some tax increase, she will now bring home over $200 less per month than last year.

That is with no changes in anything like deductible, copay or anything else.

[JTFrog]

41. "and some tax increase"

You're probably talking about the payroll tax holiday that Republicans wouldn't extend.

[postulater]

50. Yes, I think that is what it is.

Even a $2500 raise can't keep up with costs. Sucks.

[Horse with no Name]

27. Is there a list of the medication that doesn't have copays anymore??

I have a friend who has not been able to afford their high blood pressure medication or their diabetic medication.

I am wondering if those will now be considered preventative?

[BobbyBoring]

43. I don't know of a list per se

But I pay $0.00 for ALL generics! I guess I'm one of those "Takers" the right talk about. OH WAIT! I pay hundreds a month in premiums.

[Horse with no Name]

47. LOL. Thanks! n/t

[tavalon]

79. I couldn't find one

Didn't have much time to look though.

[zellie]

29. Must be nice.

to actually have insurance .

Millions of us Americans aren't as lucky.

[graham4anything]

32. you will or can in 2014

the vast majority of President's Obama plan hasn't even started yet.

[Jumping John]

34. Didn't he wait about a year or more before he got serious about the ACA?

I wonder why?

[Walk away]

59. What are you talking about? Did you actually read anything about the ACA...

in the past four years??? I mean besides FoxNews Latino.

Consider asking some civil questions about the act and how it was created before you spout off. You might find out something that can help you.

[Horse with no Name]

33. I think we all would say that we are working for this and would like to see healthcare for all

However, to make people feel like shit because they have access is not very productive.

We spend over half of our monthly disposable income on premiums, deductibles and copays because we simply cannot afford to be without because of our health conditions, as well as continuing to cover our daughter who is under age 26.

Paying that money does create a significant hardship that we endure--although with full understanding that some don't have that choice. We do without a lot of things because we consider healthcare in our home just as necessary as food, water and shelter.

[Jumping John]

36. "However, to make people feel like shit because they have

access is not very productive."

This attitude is what I would think that the "haves" would have against the "have nots."

Crying in their champagne.

Whining because they are privileged and they are so sensitive because they don't want it to be shown. "Oh now you made me feel like shit. Damn you."

[Horse with no Name]

46. Seriously. You don't know me

Don't act like you do. Our income after taxes last year was $24,000.

We lived on $12k so that we could have healthcare last year.

That included food, gas, house, etc.

Needless to say, we don't live lavishly, so please spare me your disdain because we have the ONE luxury of having healthcare.

[tavalon]

80. It is nice. I feel lucky.

I didn't mean it as a diss to those who don't have insurance.

[Rozlee]

53. I remember reading an article about many patients who gave out medication that was prescribed

for them to friends or relatives who couldn't afford health insurance and desperately needed meds. Patients would fake depression and give the meds to loved ones who were depressed or they complained about asthma to pass down their inhalers to relatives with actual asthma. I guess they couldn't fake diabetes or other conditions, but they were desperate to help loved ones with no insurance or money to purchase or obtain medications for pain such as fibromyalgia, chest pain or other conditions that were clinical in nature and not detectable with labs, radiology or obvious physical symptoms. I'm glad many people will be able to afford meds now and that they won't have to risk punishment from this kind of practice and the danger of wrong dosages from meds not designed for use for others than the person they were given to. Sometimes, people can get desperate over the conditions of their loved ones without insurance or money to pay for their medications.

[Curmudgeoness]

56. I had a colonoscopy recently

and it was "preventative" also, so it was paid for 100% too. I think there is a lot in ACA that should be advertised more.

[Horse with no Name]

57. I got a letter from my Doctor

saying that I needed to schedule a colonoscopy and a mammogram and that there wouldn't be any charge to me.

[Curmudgeoness]

58. That is correct. It worked for me.

How great is that! Earlier detection, better survival results!

[southernyankeebelle]

60. Way to go. Congratulations are in order. I support ACA and wish it

could be universal health insurance for all. I am lucky also I just got on medicare and Tricare for Life. So far I haven't had to even pay for a dr's appointment. I use Express Script where some of the drugs I take I don't have to pay for and get 90 supplies. Not bad for government health care.

[cags]

61. Me too, One for me that was $75 a month and one for DD was $35 a month are now free. My physical was

also free, and so was my daughters flu shot.

Granted I have to use mail order to get them free, but it was really easy. I just told our doctors that we wanted to use Express Scripts and they just called it in to them. No forms or nothing.

Our premium did go up a bit this year but with all the other savings we still are saving money.

[liberal_at_heart]

67. our premium went up a lot and I was already paying more than I could afford

Right now I am paying $925/month for health insurance premiums. In April, my husband will start to receive Medicare, so our bill will go down by about $300. I rarely even look to see how much I would be paying in copays because after the premium I can't afford the copay. Almost all of them go to collections. I also can't afford for me, my daughter and my son to have prescription coverage on our plan because it would have made our premium even more expensive. My daughter got the flu. We went to the doctor. he gave my daughter a prescription for Tamiflu. It cost us $100 and of course it didn't even work. I am glad some are receiving some help from ACA. If it weren't for ACA my husband and son wouldn't even have insurance right now because they both have pre-existing conditions. But it is outrageous that the insurance companies are allowed to make the amount of profit off of us as they are and we still are not receiving all of the care we need. Single payer is the only way. We have to keep fighting.

[gateley]

62. Wow! I haven't paid much attention either

because I think I'll probably slip through the cracks, but I'm sure enjoying the stories like yours of people SEEING the benefits! Very cool!

I know we were grumpy because it wasn't what we really wanted, but I keeping hearing where there's a benefit here, a benefit there, where there wasn't any before. Good stuff.

[coalition_unwilling]

63. Not well done. Not well done at all. What was passed was health insurance reform, not

health care reform.

A poster who was banned asked how many Americans still have no access to health insurance. He had to answer his own question several replies later with a figure above 40 million and the link to support it.

Sorry, but that sucks by any measure.

[tavalon]

81. Compared to nothing, it's as good as it could be.

[coalition_unwilling]

82. Small comfort indeed to the 40 million+ without access to

the health care system because they have no health insurance and cannot afford to buy it.

[tavalon]

84. I'm not happy about that. Did anything I said lend that impression?

I am a stalwart defender of Universal Health Coverage. Not tied to one's job. I want what England and Canada have. I want that for the more than 40 million who don't have any insurance and I want that for myself and my son.

[Liberal_in_LA]

65. k&r

[liberal_at_heart]

66. what medicines are considered preventative?

[alfredo]

71. It saves my wife and i about a thousand a year.

Both of us have conditions that need periodic screenings.

[Slappy White]

72. It's great to hear all the positive stories about the ACA!

It's far from perfect, but it's reform..a step in the right direction, and the first real change in HC in my lifetime.

I can't wait until 2014 to see what my options are. The pre-existing/high-risk pool thingy would probably be for me, but I haven't applied for coverage, and/so I haven't been turned down. I fit the rest of the criteria. That leaves me with purchasing individual insurance through a private company. The options, while plentiful, aren't great. You either have a high monthly premium and a low'ish deductible -or- you have a lower monthly premium and a high deductible. Either way you're going to pay a lot per month and/or per visit, so it's really only viable as catastrophe insurance. I'd choose the lower monthly premium and the higher deductible and then not use it (provided I was fortunate enough to stay relatively healthy) - in which case I'd be throwing $$ down the tube.

As it is, I don't have insurance and treat my high blood pressure with meds. I get coverage off and on through the university where I take classes (students can purchase bc/bs through the university). I take classes and get coverage when I can afford it, which basically means I have coverage for a year or two and then I don't have coverage for a year or two (while I save up so I can have coverage again).

[dkf]

74. That just means premiums will be going up once they factor the extra costs

Its possible that everyone will be paying more so that some can have their medications fully paid for but it's coming out of someone's pocket.

The ACA doesn't make it a law that drug companies give away drugs or sell them cheaply. It does mean that wider usage is very likely and that will accelerate premium increases, especially in the first few years.

What's worse is our health system is geared to perpetuate eternal drug use. No one ever gets cured by using pharmaceuticals.

I shouldn't say no one, but very few.

[B Calm]

75. Would blood pressure meds be

considered as preventative medication?