It's been a difficult summer here in our household - we've struggled, no doubt as many of you had, with summer illnesses that have wracked our family with doctors visits and prescription antibiotics. Even a bout with pink eye after a particular raucous birthday party, and a trip and fall that resulted in a lump the size of Texas and an ER visit because it was followed by vomiting and dizziness. Most of my friends have battled similar issues - upset stomach, coughing and feverish malaise. And with the healthcare debate raging in our country, I had a few thoughts about how to decrease your healthcare costs...just in case this works for you...
For those of you with healthcare through your work...well, la di da and good for you! You are the lucky ones, and we are thrilled for you. For those of us who have had our benefits slashed due to the economy, or who function as independent contractors have had to search out our own healthcare, and with families, the system isn't always kind on your wallet.
After tedious weeks of research, my husband and I discovered that because most insurance companies put a premium on family plans, you may be paying more for a family plan than with individual insurance for each member of your family. We noted that with Amerihealth, for instance, it was cheaper to buy each of us an individual policy over the family policy, which seems to make more sense once you have more than two children (as the family policy is the same price no matter how many kids you have). At the same time, because my husband and I were NOT planning on having another child this year, we reduced my maternity care for the year, which saved us a couple of buck - we can always reinstate during the next renewal period if we decide that we want to try for another baby.
Interestingly enough, I have had some difficulty getting our family physicians to not over-prescribe for us. We don't have the best prescription drug coverage, and I have found myself insisting to our doctors to write us prescriptions that have generic versions in situations where feasible. So for instance, when I needed a simple amoxicillin based antibiotic, I had to struggle pretty hard to get my doctor to write for a generic amoxicillin, rather than the name brand, which costs $65 as opposed to the $4 at the Target pharmacy! But persistence pays off and you have to advocate for yourself in these cases.
What else is to be done other than to take advantage of the family buy-one-get-one-free eyeglass deals...and of course, there are free clinics all over NJ for both medical and dental needs - check them out at
http://freemedicalcamps.com/vcity.php?stateid=NJ. Most of these places are primarily for low income residents of the community, and may ask for a donation or charge a small fee. I know when I was a student, I utilized these services in NYC myself all the time, so I know the value of a free community health clinic.
Back to the routine of summer life, just as it is ending, right? Great, only two days left on my antibiotics...let's hope that is the last of the summer bugs to go around...
