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Amy Stockwell Mercer

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Amy Stockwell Mercer

Tag Archives: health insurance

The Cost of Diabetes (making sense of it all)

08 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by alsmercer in cost, diabetes, Uncategorized

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Chronic Illness, cost, diabetes, health insurance, living well with illness, type 1 diabetes

The pile of medical bills next to my computer is out of control, and it’s that time of year again, to re-sign for our health insurance. My husband has heard through the rumor mill that his employers are raising the cost of our insurance, which for a family of five, could cost us more than $600 a month. Yikes. Between the pediatrician, the eye doctor, the dermatologist, the endocrinologist and the dentist, I am constantly struggling to keep up with what we owe and to who. So….I’m hoping that Simplee is going to make my life easier. I’ll keep you updated….

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“Black Market” Test Strips!?!

01 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by alsmercer in diabetes

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Chronic Illness, cost of diabetes, diabetes, health insurance, test strips

Talk about alarmist. Black Market is a dangerous (and attention getting) term to use when it comes to buying test strips. This Fox News report in Baltimore talks about the cost of test strips and how people, tired of paying for something that gets marked up by about 90%, search for cheaper alternatives online. Instigating fear in their viewers, this report suggests that expired strips are a hazard of buying on ebay. I have a hard time believing that test strips can expire, and am going to do some research of my own. Something is fishy here….

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Going, going, gone…..(My Omnipods)

05 Wednesday Oct 2011

Posted by alsmercer in cost, diabetes

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advocacy, Chronic Illness, cost, health insurance, living well with illness, type 1 diabetes, worries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve got 2 pods left and then they are gone. I haven’t reordered another box yet because the mortgage, comcast and verizon bills are due and as a freelancer, I’m waiting on checks, as usual. I think I’ve been in a bit of denial too, ignoring the fact that I would soon run out of my box of 10 pods, and that as a result, need to go back on syringes. My other choice is to pull out the credit card and charge what we don’t have the actual money to pay for.

I am not a victim about this whole thing and  am not feeling sorry for myself. I am simply stating the ugly truth. Diabetes is an expensive disease. In my 26 years of living with diabetes, (my parents and) I have spent over $30,000 on medical supplies, doctor visits and hospital bills. And that’s WITH insurance. How is that fair? (I know, life isn’t fair, but still.) I have three kids and in order for me to be in the best health, I need the best and unfortunately most expensive tools. Something needs to change.

Dear Omnipod, it’s time to lower your costs. Period.

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Many skip medications because of high costs

28 Wednesday Sep 2011

Posted by alsmercer in cost

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Chronic Illness, health insurance, living well with illness, omnipod

This story supports my plea to Omnipod to make their pods more affordable. People who have to make the choice between medications and basic needs will suffer in the long term.

Some 48 percent of people taking a prescription — 9 percent more than last year — have put off a doctor’s visit, declined tests or taken some other step to manage their health care costs, such as buying cheaper foreign drugs, not filling a prescription, taking an expired medication or skipping a dose, according to the group.

Read more: The Sun News

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