Insurance Coverage Before Or After Getting Sick?



Posted: Sunday, November 01, 2009

by Julie Newman

We are dealing with a huge influx of swine flu cases right now in the US. The press is saying that there will probably be half of our population that gets it before it is all over. You would think that in this country we are very prepared to handle this but there are a bunch of Americans that will get sick and not visit the doctor. We have this unbelievably good system in place for health care yet we still have people without care.

One answer might be in the lack of insurance for some sectors of the population here. Going to the doctors, even for the flu can be very expensive. If you come down with the swine flu and go see the doctor it will cost you between 80 and a hundred dollars and that is without any lab tests. There are currently so many cases that they are not even sending swabs in for testing any more. After you see the doctor, if you got there within 48 hours of your symptoms you can take Tamiflu. It is supposed to lessen the severity of the flu if started in time. This medicine will set you back anywhere from 80 to $120 dollars. If the doctor is worried enough to prescribe you some antibiotics for possible throat and sinus infections then you will have another $30 dollars in the fund.

A lot of people think that they will be fine without going to the doctor. They don't want the $200 plus cost added to the lost wages they suffer when they miss work. It can be expensive and a lot to deal with if there is no insurance. A lot of people make out OK without seeing the doctor, there have been other stories though that don't turn out so well.

To avoid the swine flu you can try to come by the vaccine. It is available to kids and older people, but the shortages come and go. If you haven't heard the symptoms yet you can tell it by a few different things. It starts with a really bad head ache and then that develops into all over body aches. You then get the fever. It usually is accompanied by a cough and sore throat.

Recommendations are to find access to medical care before it knocks you down. Don't wait until you are already sick to address the issue. Look into health coverage and really see if there is a plan that is within your budget. You can also look into clinics and doctors that work on a sliding scale. Don't forget to check into Medicaid, you just might qualify.

To get great pricing you need health insurance quotes from a few companies. Having quality medical insurance will make fighting infection much easier.

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