Cost in the US
Mon, August 01, 2016 10:23 AM
Hi, I have UC. I'm an American but I currently live in France and was diagnosed in France. In about a year I need to make the decision of either moving back to the US or staying in France so I'm trying to see if I can actually -afford- to have ulcerative colitis while living in the US. Can anyone give me an idea of monthly or annual costs of having UC?
I take 2g of pentasa granules daily and spasfon for pain as needed. I'm also newly diagnosed (less than 2 years) so I go to the gastro doctor every 3 months, get bloodwork done every 3 months, and the current plan is a lower gi endoscopy every year until I have 5 years of no major flare ups. All of this is 100% covered in France so I'm preparing myself for a rude awakening if I chose to go back to the US where I imagine I'll have the lowest amount of coverage my husband's company provides.
So in your experiences, how much does your UC cost you per month? How much have the things listed above cost you in the past, if you don't do them now? What about a colonoscopy?
Also, a quick google of spasfon tells me that it is unavailable in the US, what do you use for pain management?
Thanks so much for your time!
skershJoined Aug 1, 2016
Wed, August 31, 2016 12:03 PM
Reply posted for skersh.
Hello - I am also American who was in France this summer and have access to French healthcare. I found the French specialist to be 100% more caring and sensitive to the disease and full of ideas and plans (and hope) for overcoming. I was shocked at the end when I asked to pay and he said "I would never accept payment for such a service"!
Back to the US - I spend $70 a month on Asacol, $5 on Prednisone, $40 copay for Doctors visits every 5 weeks, and my insurance (after $1000 deductible) pays for 85% of blood work and testing - which comes out to several hundred a year. I've not had a colonoscopy. My doctor wants to move me to Humira and said "it will cost millions over your lifetime" (I'm 46). Oh great! Millions of dollars I'll never have to control a disease I'll never cure!
If you really have a choice about staying in France or coming here - I'd say stay in France. The food is so much better anyway! :)
Joined Aug 29, 2016
Wed, August 31, 2016 10:49 AM
Reply posted for skersh.
It depends on your insurance. For the past 3 years I've met my out of pocket maximum which was between $6250-6500 (it goes up every year). That does not include the premiums my Dad pays for insurance or non-traditional therapies (like acupuncture) not covered by insurance. I'm on Entyvio which is about $30,000 every 2 months but fortunately insurance and the copay assistance program pick up big portions of it.
If I were you, I'd look at the insurance plan options you have. With monthly meds and an upper GI every year you'll likely hit your out of pocket maximum. Based on those numbers you can understand what you'll be able to afford.
akr008Joined Sep 2, 2014
Tue, August 02, 2016 7:08 PM
Reply posted for skersh.
I am not familiar with pentasa granules or spasfon so I cannot tell you anything about the cost of those but I am on bentyl, an antispasmodic, and it cost about $0.75 a month. For pain I take acetametaphin since it's over the counter and it's, I think, between $3 and $5 depending on how big a bottle you get. I am on my dad's insurance that he has through work but I'm not sure how much he pays, I know it's a lot less than most people pay for insurance. My copay for my gastroenterolagist in $30 per office visit. I think my copay on my colonoscopy was $450 but that was 3 years ago so I'm not sure what it would cost now but it does depend on insurance. Our coinsurance in an 80/20 plan, our insurance pays 80% of their allowable ammount and we pay the other 20%. That covers medications and procedures like blood work. Right now I am on humira and I get it free through abbvie because I am a broke college student who is not married and lives with mom and dad and makes very little working part time in billing and collections at a chiropractor's office and abbvie goes off of my income rather than our household income. If I got the humira through my insurance at a pharmacy rather than a patient assistance program it would cost me about $1,500.00 a month just for my medicine. We obviously can't afford that so I called abbvie to see if they could help me to afford the medicine.
cyndll1Joined Jul 8, 2016
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