Re: How much would you pay

[Guest guest]

At 4 months in I would've been hesitant of paying $5k or more for the

Xolair, but in thinking, that covers all medical expenses, correct? My

pre-Xolair daily meds were $1400-1500/mo. plus at least one doctor

visit every month. At 6-8 months in when I could tell significant

difference and even till this day, if my insurance stop covering Xolair

or got cancelled, I would find a way (even if it meant selling my

house) to pay the $2210/month for the Xolair (what BC pays Acreedo)

plus the $220/month for going to the doctor's office to receive the

injections ($110/visit what they charge BC). I didn't realize how much

the Xolair was helping until I had to go two months without it. Now,

there's no way I'd stop taking it regardless of cost.

>

> My company is changing to a high-deductible HSA policy starting Jan

> 1st. I will go from having 100% paid to a $5,000 deductable for

xolair

> (I don't qualify for co-pay or any other assistance).

>

> I've been on it for 4 months and unsure how much its helping, I do

feel

> better but $5K when unsure seems like a big gamble.

>

[Guest guest]

I would advise you to do it. I lapsed in my Xolair at the beginning of

this year due to a switch in insurance. I went 10 weeks beetween shots

and sure enough around week 9 of that lapse I found myself in the

emergency room for severe asthma. Don't gamble with your health!

A couple points about HDHPs and HSAs you need to know (since I'm

covered by one):

1) Usually your employer (if self insured) or your insurance company

(if fully insured) will deposit some portion of the deductible into

your HSA on your behalf. In my case, my deductible (for family

coverage) is $4,000 but $2,000 of premium is passed through to my HSA

account making my deductible effectively only $2,000.

2) You can contribute more to the HSA up to $5,800 this year free of

federal and state taxes. In my case, that saves me 31% of the amount I

contribute.

3) Preventative care including routine physical exams, tests, and

procedures is usually covered at the normal reimbursement rates

(sometimes 100%) BEFORE you meet your deductible

4) The catostrophic coverage is MUCH better for HDHPs. In most

conventional insurance they exclude things like the deductible,

prescription drug co-pays, and a host of other charges making it

unlikely you'll ever get 100% coverage when you hit the catostrophic

cap. Under HDHPs, usually everything INCLUDING the deductible,

prescription drug co-pays, etc.. counts toward the cap. In my case,

the cap is $6,000 and pay NOTHING after that including for presription

drugs. Believe it or not, me being covered by a HDHP worked out better

than conventional insurance because I'm on Xolair and my wife had

several expensive health treatments.

Before you panic, look into the details of your plan and consider the

tax advantages. Finally, the makers of Xolair have an assistance

program that can help you with the insurance transition. They may be

able to help you. I didn't ask and found out they would have helped me

avoid the missed dose I had if I had asked.

Dharm

>

> My company is changing to a high-deductible HSA policy starting Jan

> 1st. I will go from having 100% paid to a $5,000 deductable for

xolair

> (I don't qualify for co-pay or any other assistance).

>

> I've been on it for 4 months and unsure how much its helping, I do

feel

> better but $5K when unsure seems like a big gamble.

>

[Guest guest]

Dharm,

Thanks for the info and advice, I probably will go ahead and pay to

continue xolair. You're right, my employer is covering some of the

deductible, $1500, so my portion is $3,500. We'll learn more about

the plan in the coming weeks and I'll inquire about the transition

program also.

Keli

> >

> > My company is changing to a high-deductible HSA policy starting

Jan

> > 1st. I will go from having 100% paid to a $5,000 deductable for

> xolair

> > (I don't qualify for co-pay or any other assistance).

> >

> > I've been on it for 4 months and unsure how much its helping, I

do

> feel

> > better but $5K when unsure seems like a big gamble.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

, thanks for the advice. Was laughing too much last night

(election joke) and that started asthma attack. It was mild but made

me think again about how much I need this med. So decided I'll be

paying the big bucks in 2009. Keli

> >

> > My company is changing to a high-deductible HSA policy starting

Jan

> > 1st. I will go from having 100% paid to a $5,000 deductable for

> xolair

> > (I don't qualify for co-pay or any other assistance).

> >

> > I've been on it for 4 months and unsure how much its helping, I

do

> feel

> > better but $5K when unsure seems like a big gamble.

> >

>