The Economics of Invisible Illness

Having an invisible illness can be very costly.  If you are lucky enough to have private insurance, some of these costs can be mitigated, but even then, co-pays and non-covered services can add up very quickly.

In my own case, the cost for my medications each month is more than $2000.  I happen to qualify for state medical assistance, so I only have to pay a small amount each month myself.  But if I were covered with a typical private insurance plan, I would likely pay nearly $500 every month.   Then there are my doctor visits.  I see a rheumatologist monthly, and a mental health therapist bi-weekly.  Again, because I qualify for state assistance, I only pay a small amount for these visits.  But if I had private insurance, I would probably pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $175 every month.  That’s a total of $675, every month, for medical care.  I’m willing to bet that most healthy people don’t spend anywhere near that much on health care. 

It is very easy to assume that health insurance will cover everything, but even with the best plans, the out-of-pocket costs add up very quickly.  In my own family, because I also have two children with invisible illnesses, we find ourselves treading the fine line between enough money and not too much.  Because of our illnesses, unless my husband is able to find work that pays considerably more than most jobs in our area, we simply cannot afford to NOT have state medical assistance.

I used to think that people on state assistance were just lazy.  I was wrong.  I’m sure there are lazy people on assistance, but there are lazy people everywhere.  And honestly, the paperwork involved with maintaining state assistance is quite daunting.  It is hard work being poor!  If you work a little harder, or get a little luckier, and find yourself with more money one month, you will lose your benefits.  And until you make enough money to not only feed, clothe, and shelter yourself, but also cover your medical care, you are simply out of luck.  You’re caught in a vicious cycle, with no real hope of escape.

I don’t have an answer.  All I know is I wish we didn’t have to utilize state assistance, but I’m grateful that we have that option.