Why is Healthcare So Unaffordable?

Why is Healthcare so unaffordable? This week I was notified that my copay for an already expensive medication was raised. I was supposed to receive the treatment and was not adequately notified of the change, so my much-needed appointment was postponed for 2 weeks. So, I spent the day on the phone with my specialty pharmacy. I was sobbing as I gave her my credit card information. 

The woman on the phone’s voice started shaking too. Because she felt so bad, I required medication at an outrageous cost. The price of ONE medication is more than I make in a YEAR! I work 3 full-time jobs. I’m a full-time mom, a teacher, and a blogger/freelance writer. These take long strenuous hours, and I get paid very little for the time and passion I put behind them.

My last conversation with my neurologist was her saying, “If you don’t take more medication, you aren’t going to get better.” I wanted to tell her, “If I took all the medication you want me on, my Migraine might go away. But the side effects would make me a different person, and I’d need to sell my house to afford the 5 other meds I require.”

Why is Healthcare So Unaffordable?

The costs of medications are insane, and the question remains for not only me but everyone: WHY IS IT NOT AFFORDABLE TO EVERYONE?

Missing my appointment caused me to cry all day! The crying spiraled into a migraine cycle I now exist in and quite possibly can suffer with for the next 2 weeks. With a neurological disease, everyone is so different. Medication should be affordable to all, with treatment options that work for each individual. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve spent on meds I’ve filled and ended up throwing away.

When there is no cure, how are we supposed to figure out how to feel better if we can’t afford it? We can’t work enough hours to pay for it, and the lack of proper medication makes us miss work or be unable to work. The result of missing my appointment has and will continue to make me miss days. If not weeks, of my life suffering A LOT. I’m talking about a level of pain that I hope many people will never understand. This requires me to take more medication (which, in reality, doesn’t fix it), which also costs a lot. I am struggling with side effects and other issues.

HOW CAN WE GET BETTER IF WE CAN’T OBTAIN OR AFFORD PROPER TREATMENT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON?

Yet again, I spent all my free time this week on the phone! Health Insurance for Migraine: Why is it so Complicated?

*Note: I typically don’t speak about the specific medication I am on because I don’t want it to be confused by advice.  Everyone’s results, side effects, and costs are all different.  We all need to do what we think is right for our journey.