Category Archive

If you are a nitpicker, you would notice that no health care costs are included in my budget. I have $70 pretax taken out of each check for my Health Savings Account (HSA) and my employer contributes about $30. I’d be shocked if I spend it all, and I pay for all health care costs with that money, which I sort of ignore in my budget. But today, I want to address my most expensive health care cost: preventing my body from spontaneously creating a new life.

I’ve never liked the idea of taking a pill, particularly a finicky one that insists I take it at the same time every day if I want it to really work. I know I can be spacey about that kind of thing whenever my routine is adjusted, and the NuvaRing sounded so nice an convenient at once a month. I signed up and have used it off and on for years. I don’t remember the original cost, but I got them for a reasonable price through the student pharmacy at my college, in the $20 range. Last year, I was paying around $42/mo (pre-tax money) for the NuvaRing. This past week, i noticed it had increased to $52. Really, I’ve had enough! I looked online to try to score a better deal, but no dice, even ordering from Canada (which may or may not be legit).

Part of this is my own choice of health plans, but let’s just leave that aside for now. I really don’t understand why birth control isn’t covered as a preventative drug. It prevents pregnancy, an arguably expensive condition (that results in an even more expensive child)! Probably because it would cost the insurance companies too much money to cover something that many women are almost required to take on a daily basis (or risk children they are not ready for).

What about condoms? They are cheap, right? Well, not cheap, but I’ll just admit that we have never spent $50/mo on condoms! Condoms are less effective, and T is hyper concerned about pregnancy. Using condoms as our sole form of protection really doesn’t appeal to me either. I have a nephew that resulted from that method!

The NuvaRing is becoming an unjustifiable expense in my budget and condoms do not provide enough protection (at least to ease my mind). What about the obvious answer, the Pill? Despite the annoyance of having to take it every day and be really diligent, I may end up switching to this less desirable (to me) method because of cost. But what is the cost? I don’t know yet. I estimate I can get at least some brand for $25/mo or so. Even with my income, planned parenthood will give them to me for about that. Walmart has a few brands for $4 or $9 (!) but that deal is not applicable for residents of some states, including mine. Besides, the walmarts around here are extra sketchy (so I’ve heard).

What about those student discounts? In the fall I will be getting a student ID (legitimately, as a part-time grad student), so can’t I get those discounts again? Nope! Turns out that trend is over. I can imagine this is impacting many young females on college campuses around the country.

One final option I’m going to discuss with my doctor is an IUD. It is non-hormonal and you put it in once and you are good for 10 years. You can take it out if you change your mind. There are some undesirable side effects and reasons they don’t recommend them for childless people, but this is not a women’s health blog, so you can find those elsewhere. I once heard the cost of insertion is $300, but I suspect it will be higher. (On a separate issue, I’ve found it really difficult to begin to select a doctor. I can get a list of doctors, but how do I know if I’ll like them? And do I need an OB-GYN or just a regular MD?) I know for sure that I don’t plan on having kids until T is done with grad school (at the earliest!) so that means at least 3 more years. It is something to consider, and I like the non-hormonal part. I was surprised that just 1.3% of women in the U.S. use it, while it is the most popular method in the world. I really like this idea, but I have a feeling that my doctor will talk me out of it, or the up front cost will be high.

To sum it up, here are the options I’ve come up with so far, all in pre-tax dollars:

• Condoms: Maybe $150/yr, but not enough protection
• NuvaRing: $600/yr
• The Pill: Estimated $300/yr
• IUD: ??? One time (per 10 yrs) cost of $300+
• Abstinence: $0, but perhaps my happiness and/or my boyfriend

Gosh we women get ripped off. . . (Although any male paying $50/mo for condoms has my sympathy too.) Also, why aren’t feminine hygiene products eligible for my HSA spending but band-aids are? The sort of do the same thing. Ok, not at all, but still! I consider them a necessary health product but I guess they aren’t.

I missing any options regarding birth control expenses? What do you pay per a month?

I asked for advice on purchasing glasses, but I didn’t follow much of it.  I didn’t purchase direct from my optometrist (the selection was not very good), but did go to Lens Crafters.  I didn’t shop around beyond that.  I didn’t go to Costco (not a member) or Walmart (quite far from my apartment).  I was too chicken to purchase online, and wasn’t encouraged by this negative post at My Two Dollars about $39 glasses.

The advice I received was totally sensible and applies to almost everything–shop around for a good deal.  I only shopped at two places.

What kind of deal did I get?  My frames were about $220 and the lenses were a whopping $310 because they recommended polycarbonate lightweight lenses and a scratch resistant coating.  I did not get the thinnest lenses and I did not get anti-glare.  For being an AAA member (thanks mom and dad!) I got a 30% discount to bring it down to $370.  My insurance will cover $100 towards lenses and $70 towards frames.  So that leaves me to cover $200 out of my health savings account (pre tax dollars).

Did I get ripped off?  My last pair of glasses were from Walmart and I had them a whopping 8 years.  I never loved them, even when I first got them.  These ones, I love.  I better love them, right?

I think the trouble is, I need to start better tracking my Health Savings account money.  Since it comes out of my paycheck before I ever see it, it doesn’t feel like a big hit to spend $200 of it.  However, once it gets to a certain balance, i can cut back on the contributions significantly.  It is, quite obviously, real money, but I haven’t been treating it as such.  Hmmm….

I finally made an appointment with an eye doctor in town. I was going to get both a contact lens fitting and an eyeglasses exam, but balked at the price of the contact lens fitting–about $150 even after insurance! I think it is lame that my insurance doesn’t provide better coverage for contacts (as they are “elective”).  On the other hand, I don’t really need the fitting now,  as I had one through my insurance at my old job just before I left in December.  (You could make an argument about how this choice is an example of how high deductible plans with health savings accounts make the consumer make better financial choices when it comes to their health rather than choosing whatever because it costs the same to them.)

I never wear my glasses, except sometimes at night and when my contacts bother me (rarely). Because of that, I always opt to use my insurance money towards contact lenses rather than glasses.   This time, I’m getting glasses, and I hope an updated style will make me more inclined to wear them  I get $100 towards the lenses and $70 towards the frames, which I know isn’t enough, but I have money in my health savings account to cover the rest.
I’m looking for advice on how to pick out frames for a good price that are a little more in style than the ones I currently have (from my junior year in high school!).  Do you usually just buy them wherever you get your eyes checked, or is there somewhere in particular I should be shopping at?  How much can I expect to pay for frames and lenses (roughly)?  Any other tips??

My company came out with a new policy this year. We are required to either take a online personal health assessment and fill in data from our “biometrics” (cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.), or pay an extra $125 (per person) in health care premiums. They offered several sessions at work where they would take them for free, and the numbers were self reported.

Being young and relatively healthy, I wasn’t opposed to the idea. Some of my middle aged co-workers were much more wary. Wasn’t this a little bit too “Big Brother” for the USA? One could speculate where they are going with this approach. Next year, they might require those who have high cholesterol to reduce it, or else pay $125. Get your BMI within the healthy range, or else pay $125. Commit to exercise three times a week, or else pay $125.

If they do charge more for people who refuse to make an active commitment to improving bad health, is it fair? No one seems to dispute smokers surcharges anymore. The difference is that some of this is genetics, and can’t be helped. I have naturally high cholesterol, and while I can improve it with diet and exercise, 2/3 of the number is made up by genetics. I would hate to be charged extra for something I have little control over.

The premise of the approach makes me a bit uneasy. However,it also seems like, done the right way, it might be something that will help alleviate health care costs for the country as a whole. You can’t force people to chose healthy lifestyles, but one way to persuade people is to hit them where they will notice–their pocketbooks. If you could lower your premiums by improving your health, or having a legitimate reason why you can not improve, would you? Doesn’t it seem fair that taking care of yourself would lower your premiums?

One immediate benefit of the program was that some people were made aware of their health status. This was particularly helpful for us young people who hadn’t had our blood work done yet, but also for those who are a little afraid of the doctor. Sometimes seeing the numbers is enough to make a small difference.

I’m leaving my company shortly, so I won’t know how this all will play out long term. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this trend continue in my future employer.