Are you sure your old insurance plan covered emergency contraception?
Also, getting paid every 6 weeks? It sounds like the both of you have some things to iron out with your employer... For one, maybe you can opt out of your company's plan (or is it the state you work for?) and receive that money to put towards a plan of your choosing where the insurance company will cover everything you want it to? Best of luck with that... You may get EC, but maybe cancer treatment may be absent?
The lapse between plans that your friend had, when you think about it, opened her up to not being able to afford injuries from a slip and fall, or a malignant tumor, etc... things that could be harder to deal with financially speaking, than a mere $50.
I agree with you, it's bullshit. I don't know that EC should be covered or not if the insurance company is already providing one means of contraception in the plan, but I do know that none of this stuff should cost what it costs. Lawyers, politicians, and insurance companies drive up the price of EVERYTHING. Thank them all for working together to legislating their own power. It's long past due for a separation of corporation and state.
I'm pretty sure the old plan covered it, since many of our patients are also our employees & this problem has never come up.
Those of us who are salaried get paid on the last business day of the month. Since we get about 2 weeks off for the holidays, it's only once a year that our checks must last 6 weeks.
We work for the state university, so we're kind of state employees and kind of not. We're the 2nd-largest employer in the state (the federal government is 1st), so you'd think we'd have some bargaining power. I'm just astonished that our university didn't see fit to bargain for this. We're also the state's primary healthcare provider, so you'd think we'd be able to get the best coverage.
To be clear, there was no lapse in medical coverage. They just switched prescription plans (without asking us, of course), causing everyone to have to jump through a bunch of hoops to continue their prescriptions.
Regarding whether EC should be covered when other forms of birth control are already covered: Different people need different forms of birth control under different circumstances. I might could understand if they covered only one brand of birth control that can be used under these circumstances, but they excluded every single one.
I think everybody should have a grand or 2 for a rainy day fund. This is simple Math and if you really do work this should never be an issue. If you make X per month and you spend greater then or equal to X you are doing it wrong. Maybe you and your friend should look into not spending so much money. There are many things you can do to save money and this economy I can't believe somebody would not be trying to save every cent they could but I guess thats what irresponsible people do. I would be more sympathetic if this person had lost a their job and/or didn't have medical insurance but basically it sounds like she has been continually lazy and irresponsible.
I think everybody should have a grand or 2 for a rainy day fund. This is simple Math and if you really do work this should never be an issue. If you make X per month and you spend greater then or equal to X you are doing it wrong. Maybe you and your friend should look into not spending so much money. There are many things you can do to save money and this economy I can't believe somebody would not be trying to save every cent they could but I guess thats what irresponsible people do. I would be more sympathetic if this person had lost a their job and/or didn't have medical insurance but basically it sounds like she has been continually lazy and irresponsible.
:roll:
The point is that it should be COVERED. We pay plenty of money for our health insurance. We shouldn't have to pay $50 for meds - and certainly not for a single dose.
If the only argument is that Insurance companies should cover the pill then I agree because the price of the pill is less then the price of having a baby. Though there would still be a co-pay and because the medicine should not be free. Also you can always go to planned parenthood and they will help you out if you are in a finical crisis. I can say when my wife and I where dating we had to get the Pill on 3 occasions and at no point was it covered by medical insurance.
For one thing, there's a difference between failing to allow for something and DISallowing it. I didn't say the system DISallowed it; I said it doesn't allow for it.
I'm saying that the system, whose purpose is to provide a means for people to get healthcare, doen't work. Instead, it doesn't cover all pregnancy prevention medication, leaving it available only for women with an extra $50 to spare. It should be FACILITATING pregnancy prevention - that's what it's there for. (Plus, it's just stupid to not cover all contraception when, if a woman gets pregnant, the cost to the insurance company will be even greater for pregnancy.) Instead, it can create a barrier. (If my co-worker didn't pay hundereds of dollars per month for health insurance, she would have had the money to pay $50 for this pill.)
THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. That's my point.
so this person does not send the paperwork in to get an updated prescription...she runs out of money because she can't budget....figured a month laps in her coverage shouldn't matter...she can't afford $50 for a plan B pill...and the "system" is at fault...
ok... :roll:
I think you're completely missing my point (and I'm starting to realize why people are so out of touch with reality around here). My point is not to place blame or remove personal responsibility. My point is to explain the reality of reproductive healthcare.
Whether or not you think it's reasonable for a woman who's not sexually active to think a short lapse in birth control coverage will not be a big deal, and to prioritize other expenses over this one, the point is that this type of contraception is meant to prevent pregnancy in just this type of situation, and yet it's not affordable and accessible, even to someone who's totally knowledgable about how to get it.
I very seriously doubt, by the way, that any of you guys would have made more "responsible" choices than she did. She continued to take & pay for birth control even when she wasn't sexually active, which most people think isn't necessary. She made sure the guy used a condom, which most people feel is all the contraception that's needed. (Do you all refuse sex with a woman who's not on the pill, or do you think a condom is protection enough?) My most societal & medical accounts, she was responsible and made sure to practice safe sex and probably doesn't even need EC, so how she came to need EC is not the point.
The point is that, when a woman needs/wants it, it's not accessible to anyone without extra cash laying around (which isn't the same as failing to budget, by the way). This is reality. Of course all of you still want to do the same old thing you always do and just blame the woman, complain about the problem of unintended pregnancy, and act like there's nothing we can do to help aleviate it. :roll:
oh spare me...I understand your point...I happen to disagree...I understand not all insurance plans cover everything, she should have reviewed the information given...I know every year when my insurance changes I read through everything...
You say: The point is that, when a woman needs/wants it, it's not accessible to anyone without extra cash laying around...
well, it was accessible...she just couldn't afford it...I wonder, if where $25 bucks, would this be an issue...I find it interesting that this person is so paranoid about being prego when a condom and the ol' pull out method was used...
and I just re-read the original post...and this sticks out to me:
She goes this morning to the pharmacy for emergency contraception (AKA Plan B or the morning after pill). She knows it's available without a prescription. But the pharmacist says it's $50 without a prescription.
call me kooky, I never had insurance cover non-prescription medication...has anyone...?
the whole health insurance system is complete BULLSHIT.
My three year old son needs medication that he wears on a patch.
HE IS THREE.
The world is an imperfect place...especially when three year olds do things like pull patches off their little three year old bodies.
My health insurance company wont re-fill his 30 patch prescription til day 30. So god forbid a patch doesnt apply correctly, gets ripped, or taken off, or any number of other things that can happen...well it's TOO BAD THREE YEAR OLD!
When i asked the pharmacist what other people do to deal with this he told me... (rudely!)... "they only use thirty patches each month!!!:
This country and it's current health insurance scam of a system does not allow for any type of human error. Even that of a three year old.
And these patches cost $35 / month... and my portion of my health insurance... FOR MY SON... is $290 a month and my son has a $1000 annual deductible (not including prescriptions)
So it's not like i'm looking for any type of handouts here
Just a system that works with people and not against people would be a nice start!
I'm surprised nobody's mention a major hurdle for women seeking contraception - in many states pharmacists are allowed to deny sales of contraceptives based on personal religious beliefs.
So heaven help you women if you need a morning after pill and find yourself in the only drugstore within 100 miles, and having to deal with Fundamentalist Pharma.
"It's not hard to own something. Or everything. You just have to know that it's yours, and then be willing to let it go." - Neil Gaiman, "Stardust"
I'm surprised nobody's mention a major hurdle for women seeking contraception - in many states pharmacists are allowed to deny sales of contraceptives based on personal religious beliefs. .
I find it interesting that this person is so paranoid about being prego when a condom and the ol' pull out method was used...
It's called being extra responsible. Much as many of you bitch about personal responsibility and unintended pregnancy & abortion all the time, you should be singing her praises. I'm not surprised, though, how easily EVERY thread around here about the consequences of sex is turned against the women. :roll:
I'm surprised nobody's mention a major hurdle for women seeking contraception - in many states pharmacists are allowed to deny sales of contraceptives based on personal religious beliefs.
So heaven help you women if you need a morning after pill and find yourself in the only drugstore within 100 miles, and having to deal with Fundamentalist Pharma.
We've had threads addressing that kind of thing before. But the bottom line is that every single thread around here that addresses reproductive health is turned into a "she's just irresponsible & should've kept her legs closed" thread. Go ahead & try it. Start a thread about abortion or something & see what happens. The most absurd part of this disheartening phenomenon is that usually the people who say women should be more responsible are the same ones who are fine with all the barriers to them being responsible. They have no interest in the reality of reproductive health. And why should they? They're generally men & don't have to take any responsibility for it themselves. So they just sit up on their high horses condemning women who have sex, and yet still expecting women to fuck them when they want it. I have no doubt that if men could get pregnant all contraception would be covered.
I'm not surprised, though, how easily EVERY thread around here about the consequences of sex is turned against the women. :roll:
It's about a women in this thread because you brought up a story about a woman... If it was about a guy thinking that he may have gotten a chick pregnant, then this thread would be about a guy.
My whole life
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
I'm not surprised, though, how easily EVERY thread around here about the consequences of sex is turned against the women. :roll:
It's about a women in this thread because you brought up a story about a woman... If it was about a guy thinking that he may have gotten a chick pregnant, then this thread would be about a guy.
I guess. Of course, I've never seen a thread on here about a guy concerned about being sexually responsible. Not once. And the threads about unintended pregnancy in general are always about condemning women. Always.
I find it interesting that this person is so paranoid about being prego when a condom and the ol' pull out method was used...
It's called being extra responsible. Much as many of you bitch about personal responsibility and unintended pregnancy & abortion all the time, you should be singing her praises. I'm not surprised, though, how easily EVERY thread around here about the consequences of sex is turned against the women. :roll:
call me kooky, I never had insurance cover non-prescription medication...has anyone...?
Every insurance plan I've ever had has covered medication when you have a prescription, even if it's also available without one.
A) the victim stance you're displaying is old and tired...
you've had some pretty sweet insurance...good for you...sorry to hear that you don't anymore...
C) did she have a prescription in hand or not...?
D) the "system" allowed her to purchase this pill...meaning it was available to her...are you telling me she doesn't have a credit card or any sort of savings for emergencies..?
I find it interesting that this person is so paranoid about being prego when a condom and the ol' pull out method was used...
It's called being extra responsible. Much as many of you bitch about personal responsibility and unintended pregnancy & abortion all the time, you should be singing her praises. I'm not surprised, though, how easily EVERY thread around here about the consequences of sex is turned against the women. :roll:
call me kooky, I never had insurance cover non-prescription medication...has anyone...?
Every insurance plan I've ever had has covered medication when you have a prescription, even if it's also available without one.
You know, it's getting really old your "against the women" comments. It doesn't allow for any real discussion if you are going to go ahead and label people as sexist for disagreeing with you.
I'm not surprised, though, how easily EVERY thread around here about the consequences of sex is turned against the women. :roll:
It's about a women in this thread because you brought up a story about a woman... If it was about a guy thinking that he may have gotten a chick pregnant, then this thread would be about a guy.
I guess. Of course, I've never seen a thread on here about a guy concerned about being sexually responsible. Not once. And the threads about unintended pregnancy in general are always about condemning women. Always.
It's pretty obvious that the guy in this story was either a complete idiot or just an ass. The only question I have, since they were good friends and all, why didn't she ask him when he took the condom off? Did he tell her and she not believe him?
A) the victim stance you're displaying is old and tired...
you've had some pretty sweet insurance...good for you...sorry to hear that you don't anymore...
C) did she have a prescription in hand or not...?
D) the "system" allowed her to purchase this pill...meaning it was available to her...are you telling me she doesn't have a credit card or any sort of savings for emergencies..?
A) :roll:
Yes, I have. And I work hard for it, as do the rest of us. And I don't find it acceptable for them to decrease the quality of our insurance without at least consulting us first.
C) She did once I called it in for her, within 5 minutes of arriving at the pharmacy.
D) I didn't run a background check on her. She said she couldn't afford it and I took her at her word. I know that EVERYONE around here is on a tight budget for this paycheck.
When are people going to understand that just because healthcare is "available" doesn't mean it's accessible? And when they we going to learn to see the connection between inaccessibility of healthcare and so many of the issues they act like they're victims of (like welfare issues)?
I find it interesting that this person is so paranoid about being prego when a condom and the ol' pull out method was used...
It's called being extra responsible. Much as many of you bitch about personal responsibility and unintended pregnancy & abortion all the time, you should be singing her praises. I'm not surprised, though, how easily EVERY thread around here about the consequences of sex is turned against the women. :roll:
call me kooky, I never had insurance cover non-prescription medication...has anyone...?
Every insurance plan I've ever had has covered medication when you have a prescription, even if it's also available without one.
You know, it's getting really old your "against the women" comments. It doesn't allow for any real discussion if you are going to go ahead and label people as sexist for disagreeing with you.
It's also getting really old that, even when given an example of a woman who is responsible, people around here still feel the need to accuse her of being irresponsible and then use that as an excuse to wipe their hands of the issue. I could have given an example of a woman who is married and has her tubes tied and some people would have still accused her being irresponsible.
EDIT TO ADD: I haven't labeled anyone as sexist. And you know what else doesn't allow for any real discussion? People just dismissing the issue as the woman's fault.
It's pretty obvious that the guy in this story was either a complete idiot or just an ass. The only question I have, since they were good friends and all, why didn't she ask him when he took the condom off? Did he tell her and she not believe him?
I don't know, but that's not the point. He could have used the condom perfectly correctly (which most guys don't) and she could have every faith that he did. But nothing's 100% and, if people are so concerned about women being "responsible" and the prevention of uninted pregnancy, they should encourage a system that encourages women to go the extra mile to back up their birth control.
It's pretty obvious that the guy in this story was either a complete idiot or just an ass. The only question I have, since they were good friends and all, why didn't she ask him when he took the condom off? Did he tell her and she not believe him?
I don't know, but that's not the point. He could have used the condom perfectly correctly (which most guys don't) and she could have every faith that he did. But nothing's 100% and, if people are so concerned about women being "responsible" and the prevention of uninted pregnancy, they should encourage a system that encourages women to go the extra mile to back up their birth control.
Like I already said, it should we WAY easier for people to continue their prescriptions without all the redundant paperwork.
As for the EC, I'm torn. It certainly was available. Insurance companies do cover prescriptions of some over-the counter drugs (prilosec, etc.) but not all. $50 is quite a price tag but I do not know how much $ went into developing the drug, etc.
A) the victim stance you're displaying is old and tired...
you've had some pretty sweet insurance...good for you...sorry to hear that you don't anymore...
C) did she have a prescription in hand or not...?
D) the "system" allowed her to purchase this pill...meaning it was available to her...are you telling me she doesn't have a credit card or any sort of savings for emergencies..?
A) :roll:
Yes, I have. And I work hard for it, as do the rest of us. And I don't find it acceptable for them to decrease the quality of our insurance without at least consulting us first.
C) She did once I called it in for her, within 5 minutes of arriving at the pharmacy.
D) I didn't run a background check on her. She said she couldn't afford it and I took her at her word. I know that EVERYONE around here is on a tight budget for this paycheck.
When are people going to understand that just because healthcare is "available" doesn't mean it's accessible? And when they we going to learn to see the connection between inaccessibility of healthcare and so many of the issues they act like they're victims of (like welfare issues)?
and when you going to understand that people need to be responsible for there actions and choices...?
in point B, you say you want to be consulted...I wonder what sort of world you live in, because no insurance company is going to consult you...didn't you and your co-worker received information about your insurance plan changes...? I'd be willing to bet that you did...I'd also be willing to bet you or she did not read the information...
and were talking about $50...yes, I know, it can seem like a daunting huge sum of money, but come on...I wonder, what if her car broke down and she needed a $50 part...who would be blamed then...
you say the insurance company not paying for this pill is a barrier...I say this persons actions are also a barrier...
and when you going to understand that people need to be responsible for there actions and choices...?
in point B, you say you want to be consulted...I wonder what sort of world you live in, because no insurance company is going to consult you...didn't you and your co-worker received information about your insurance plan changes...? I'd be willing to bet that you did...I'd also be willing to bet you or she did not read the information...
and were talking about $50...yes, I know, it can seem like a daunting huge sum of money, but come on...I wonder, what if her car broke down and she needed a $50 part...who would be blamed then...
you say the insurance company not paying for this pill is a barrier...I say this persons actions are also a barrier...
I completely understand that people need to be responsible for their actions and choices. What I don't think you understand is that reality happens, or what it means to be responsible in this situation.
I haven't suggested that any insurance company consult me. But the university I work for who made the deal with the insurance company should have consulted me before changing the deal I had signed up for. Yes, we received information; we got a letter after the fact saying our plan had changed and what paperwork to complete to deal with it.
If you think $50 isn't a prohibitive amount of money for many (if not most) women in this country, then you're completely out of touch with reality. If her car broke down, she would take the bus. A more analogous question for this sitation, however, would be What if she was excluded from using all public transportation and had to pay for a driver instead?
Again, it's not about blame. I was just trying to provide an example of how these things play out in reality, even for women who are responsible about sex.
I'm surprised nobody's mention a major hurdle for women seeking contraception - in many states pharmacists are allowed to deny sales of contraceptives based on personal religious beliefs.
So heaven help you women if you need a morning after pill and find yourself in the only drugstore within 100 miles, and having to deal with Fundamentalist Pharma.
We've had threads addressing that kind of thing before. But the bottom line is that every single thread around here that addresses reproductive health is turned into a "she's just irresponsible & should've kept her legs closed" thread. Go ahead & try it. Start a thread about abortion or something & see what happens. The most absurd part of this disheartening phenomenon is that usually the people who say women should be more responsible are the same ones who are fine with all the barriers to them being responsible. They have no interest in the reality of reproductive health. And why should they? They're generally men & don't have to take any responsibility for it themselves. So they just sit up on their high horses condemning women who have sex, and yet still expecting women to fuck them when they want it. I have no doubt that if men could get pregnant all contraception would be covered.
"If men got pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament. " - Erica Jong.
I've been around the Net long enough to know that certain subjects bring out the absolute worst in people, and it's abetted by the ability of people to stay anonymous on the Net. Change your subject from "women" to "gays" or "blacks" or "illegal immigrants" and the issue would be exactly the same. We keep hearing these allegations of "personal responsibility" and "family values" but when brought out into the light, they crumble at the touch.
So yeah, been there, seen it.
"It's not hard to own something. Or everything. You just have to know that it's yours, and then be willing to let it go." - Neil Gaiman, "Stardust"
and when you going to understand that people need to be responsible for there actions and choices...?
in point B, you say you want to be consulted...I wonder what sort of world you live in, because no insurance company is going to consult you...didn't you and your co-worker received information about your insurance plan changes...? I'd be willing to bet that you did...I'd also be willing to bet you or she did not read the information...
and were talking about $50...yes, I know, it can seem like a daunting huge sum of money, but come on...I wonder, what if her car broke down and she needed a $50 part...who would be blamed then...
you say the insurance company not paying for this pill is a barrier...I say this persons actions are also a barrier...
I completely understand that people need to be responsible for their actions and choices. What I don't think you understand is that reality happens, or what it means to be responsible in this situation.
I haven't suggested that any insurance company consult me. But the university I work for who made the deal with the insurance company should have consulted me before changing the deal I had signed up for. Yes, we received information; we got a letter after the fact saying our plan had changed and what paperwork to complete to deal with it.
If you think $50 isn't a prohibitive amount of money for many (if not most) women in this country, then you're completely out of touch with reality. If her car broke down, she would take the bus. A more analogous question for this sitation, however, would be What if she was excluded from using all public transportation and had to pay for a driver instead?
Again, it's not about blame. I was just trying to provide an example of how these things play out in reality, even for women who are responsible about sex.
you act as if you have a monopoly in reality...
and my mistake, you feel your employer should have consulted you...my guess is you haven't been in the workforce very long...because reality is your employer tells you...they don't ask you...seriously, do you really think they are going to come in and say "hey, Scb where looking a changing insurance plans, can you look this over and tell us what you think?" "oh really, you don't like this plan, oh my, that's terrible, how can we make it better for you?"....reality, huh...?
reality is the current system sucks...reality is adults should know this and plan accordingly vs. sitting back a blaming the "system"...the "system" is what it is...
as for not having $50 bucks on hand...I'd be willing to bet many who claim they don't have $50 can find that money when they really want to...
as I see it and as I've stated...this young woman and her partner made some poor choices...she assumed she could waltz in to a pharmacy and have the Plan B pill given to her...sadly she learned that she may have to come up with a Plan C...
and my mistake, you feel your employer should have consulted you...my guess is you haven't been in the workforce very long...because reality is your employer tells you...they don't ask you...seriously, do you really think they are going to come in and say "hey, Scb where looking a changing insurance plans, can you look this over and tell us what you think?" "oh really, you don't like this plan, oh my, that's terrible, how can we make it better for you?"....reality, huh...?
reality is the current system sucks...reality is adults should know this and plan accordingly vs. sitting back a blaming the "system"...the "system" is what it is...
as for not having $50 bucks on hand...I'd be willing to bet many who claim they don't have $50 can find that money when they really want to...
as I see it and as I've stated...this young woman and her partner made some poor choices...she assumed she could waltz in to a pharmacy and have the Plan B pill given to her...sadly she learned that she may have to come up with a Plan C...
Well, because I'm a woman and because I run a reproductive health program, I do think I have a better view of the reality of women's reproductive lives than your general, random man. That's why I come on here and try to share that reality with people who might not have as much experience with it as I do. (For the record, I also come on here to learn from others who have a better view of the reality of things with which I have less experience.)
For instance, I frequently see people on this board (usually those who have never had to use birth control or who have been fortunate to have good access to it) going on and on about how easy birth control is to obtain, knowing nothing of the obstacles that women face. Well I spend much of my time helping women navigate those supposedly non-existant obstacles, so when people say they don't exist, I feel the need to vouch that they do. Like men who live in NYC and want to believe that all a woman has to do to get to to a doctor's appointment is jump in her car or on the subway or bus, but have absolutely no knowledge of the transportation issues faces by so many people in the rural areas of my state.
I've been in the workforce for 20 years, by the way. And I don't believe that they necessarily will consult us before changing our insurance plans; I believe that they SHOULD and the fact that they don't is part of our shitty system. And I do expect more of my employer, which tends to be held to a higher standard (which is why we work here to begin with).
Yes, reality is that the current system sucks. That's my point. And I think it's the people who sit around not trying to change it who are the irresponsible ones.
Yes, this woman made an assumption, based on the information she knew, that it would be easier to get Plan B. I don't think it was an unreasonable assumption, and I don't think she made poor choices. (I doubt that you or most anyone else would make better choices.)
For all of the guys out there who think you're so much more responsible than the women you condemn: Let me remind you that most of you REALLY don't know
a) What kind of effort has gone in to all your partners' attempts to get birth control, or
b) How many pregnancies you've caused.
There are PLENTY of men out there who have children they don't know about. And many, many women get abortions without ever telling their partners, whether the partners are one-night-stands or husbands. That's not to mention all the miscarriages that the men, and sometimes even the women, don't know about.
Also, women don't share all their trials and tribulations with birth control with every guy they sleep with. Frankly, we know most of you don't care to hear about it.
Maybe if more men concerned themselves more fully with the reproductive process - and this goes way beyond wearing a condom or asking a woman if she's on the pill - then they would have more of a clue and more room to act like they understand the situation.
But how many of you have participated in the acquisition of all kinds of birth control with every woman you've ever slept with? How many have gone to all of their paps, STD tests, ect.? You can't just be willing to buy tampons for the women you love and think that makes you Mr. Understanding. What about all those other women - the ones you didn't love? At least you (hopefully) wore a condom, but did you even use it correctly? Do you REALLY know how to use a condom correctly?
Here's a pop quiz for all the men out there who think they're experts on women's reproductive health:
1. What are all the kinds of contraception and how do they work?
2. What are their risks & benefits?
3. What are their efficacy rates?
4. How much do they cost?
5. What issues do women really face when trying to obtain them?
For all of the guys out there who think you're so much more responsible than the women you condemn
yawn...
talk about a persecution complex.
My whole life
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Comments
I'm pretty sure the old plan covered it, since many of our patients are also our employees & this problem has never come up.
Those of us who are salaried get paid on the last business day of the month. Since we get about 2 weeks off for the holidays, it's only once a year that our checks must last 6 weeks.
We work for the state university, so we're kind of state employees and kind of not. We're the 2nd-largest employer in the state (the federal government is 1st), so you'd think we'd have some bargaining power. I'm just astonished that our university didn't see fit to bargain for this. We're also the state's primary healthcare provider, so you'd think we'd be able to get the best coverage.
To be clear, there was no lapse in medical coverage. They just switched prescription plans (without asking us, of course), causing everyone to have to jump through a bunch of hoops to continue their prescriptions.
Regarding whether EC should be covered when other forms of birth control are already covered: Different people need different forms of birth control under different circumstances. I might could understand if they covered only one brand of birth control that can be used under these circumstances, but they excluded every single one.
:roll:
The point is that it should be COVERED. We pay plenty of money for our health insurance. We shouldn't have to pay $50 for meds - and certainly not for a single dose.
oh spare me...I understand your point...I happen to disagree...I understand not all insurance plans cover everything, she should have reviewed the information given...I know every year when my insurance changes I read through everything...
You say: The point is that, when a woman needs/wants it, it's not accessible to anyone without extra cash laying around...
well, it was accessible...she just couldn't afford it...I wonder, if where $25 bucks, would this be an issue...I find it interesting that this person is so paranoid about being prego when a condom and the ol' pull out method was used...
and I just re-read the original post...and this sticks out to me:
She goes this morning to the pharmacy for emergency contraception (AKA Plan B or the morning after pill). She knows it's available without a prescription. But the pharmacist says it's $50 without a prescription.
call me kooky, I never had insurance cover non-prescription medication...has anyone...?
My three year old son needs medication that he wears on a patch.
HE IS THREE.
The world is an imperfect place...especially when three year olds do things like pull patches off their little three year old bodies.
My health insurance company wont re-fill his 30 patch prescription til day 30. So god forbid a patch doesnt apply correctly, gets ripped, or taken off, or any number of other things that can happen...well it's TOO BAD THREE YEAR OLD!
When i asked the pharmacist what other people do to deal with this he told me... (rudely!)... "they only use thirty patches each month!!!:
This country and it's current health insurance scam of a system does not allow for any type of human error. Even that of a three year old.
It's a FUCKING TRAVESTY.
So it's not like i'm looking for any type of handouts here
Just a system that works with people and not against people would be a nice start!
So heaven help you women if you need a morning after pill and find yourself in the only drugstore within 100 miles, and having to deal with Fundamentalist Pharma.
:shock:
It's called being extra responsible. Much as many of you bitch about personal responsibility and unintended pregnancy & abortion all the time, you should be singing her praises. I'm not surprised, though, how easily EVERY thread around here about the consequences of sex is turned against the women. :roll:
Every insurance plan I've ever had has covered medication when you have a prescription, even if it's also available without one.
We've had threads addressing that kind of thing before. But the bottom line is that every single thread around here that addresses reproductive health is turned into a "she's just irresponsible & should've kept her legs closed" thread. Go ahead & try it. Start a thread about abortion or something & see what happens. The most absurd part of this disheartening phenomenon is that usually the people who say women should be more responsible are the same ones who are fine with all the barriers to them being responsible. They have no interest in the reality of reproductive health. And why should they? They're generally men & don't have to take any responsibility for it themselves. So they just sit up on their high horses condemning women who have sex, and yet still expecting women to fuck them when they want it. I have no doubt that if men could get pregnant all contraception would be covered.
It's about a women in this thread because you brought up a story about a woman... If it was about a guy thinking that he may have gotten a chick pregnant, then this thread would be about a guy.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
I guess. Of course, I've never seen a thread on here about a guy concerned about being sexually responsible. Not once. And the threads about unintended pregnancy in general are always about condemning women. Always.
A) the victim stance you're displaying is old and tired...
C) did she have a prescription in hand or not...?
D) the "system" allowed her to purchase this pill...meaning it was available to her...are you telling me she doesn't have a credit card or any sort of savings for emergencies..?
You know, it's getting really old your "against the women" comments. It doesn't allow for any real discussion if you are going to go ahead and label people as sexist for disagreeing with you.
It's pretty obvious that the guy in this story was either a complete idiot or just an ass. The only question I have, since they were good friends and all, why didn't she ask him when he took the condom off? Did he tell her and she not believe him?
A) :roll:
C) She did once I called it in for her, within 5 minutes of arriving at the pharmacy.
D) I didn't run a background check on her. She said she couldn't afford it and I took her at her word. I know that EVERYONE around here is on a tight budget for this paycheck.
When are people going to understand that just because healthcare is "available" doesn't mean it's accessible? And when they we going to learn to see the connection between inaccessibility of healthcare and so many of the issues they act like they're victims of (like welfare issues)?
It's also getting really old that, even when given an example of a woman who is responsible, people around here still feel the need to accuse her of being irresponsible and then use that as an excuse to wipe their hands of the issue. I could have given an example of a woman who is married and has her tubes tied and some people would have still accused her being irresponsible.
EDIT TO ADD: I haven't labeled anyone as sexist. And you know what else doesn't allow for any real discussion? People just dismissing the issue as the woman's fault.
I don't know, but that's not the point. He could have used the condom perfectly correctly (which most guys don't) and she could have every faith that he did. But nothing's 100% and, if people are so concerned about women being "responsible" and the prevention of uninted pregnancy, they should encourage a system that encourages women to go the extra mile to back up their birth control.
Like I already said, it should we WAY easier for people to continue their prescriptions without all the redundant paperwork.
As for the EC, I'm torn. It certainly was available. Insurance companies do cover prescriptions of some over-the counter drugs (prilosec, etc.) but not all. $50 is quite a price tag but I do not know how much $ went into developing the drug, etc.
and when you going to understand that people need to be responsible for there actions and choices...?
in point B, you say you want to be consulted...I wonder what sort of world you live in, because no insurance company is going to consult you...didn't you and your co-worker received information about your insurance plan changes...? I'd be willing to bet that you did...I'd also be willing to bet you or she did not read the information...
and were talking about $50...yes, I know, it can seem like a daunting huge sum of money, but come on...I wonder, what if her car broke down and she needed a $50 part...who would be blamed then...
you say the insurance company not paying for this pill is a barrier...I say this persons actions are also a barrier...
are you saying she bears absolutely no responsibility...?
I've said repeatedly that that's not what I'm saying. Are you saying this system is as good as it could/should be?
I completely understand that people need to be responsible for their actions and choices. What I don't think you understand is that reality happens, or what it means to be responsible in this situation.
I haven't suggested that any insurance company consult me. But the university I work for who made the deal with the insurance company should have consulted me before changing the deal I had signed up for. Yes, we received information; we got a letter after the fact saying our plan had changed and what paperwork to complete to deal with it.
If you think $50 isn't a prohibitive amount of money for many (if not most) women in this country, then you're completely out of touch with reality. If her car broke down, she would take the bus. A more analogous question for this sitation, however, would be What if she was excluded from using all public transportation and had to pay for a driver instead?
Again, it's not about blame. I was just trying to provide an example of how these things play out in reality, even for women who are responsible about sex.
"If men got pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament. " - Erica Jong.
I've been around the Net long enough to know that certain subjects bring out the absolute worst in people, and it's abetted by the ability of people to stay anonymous on the Net. Change your subject from "women" to "gays" or "blacks" or "illegal immigrants" and the issue would be exactly the same. We keep hearing these allegations of "personal responsibility" and "family values" but when brought out into the light, they crumble at the touch.
So yeah, been there, seen it.
you act as if you have a monopoly in reality...
and my mistake, you feel your employer should have consulted you...my guess is you haven't been in the workforce very long...because reality is your employer tells you...they don't ask you...seriously, do you really think they are going to come in and say "hey, Scb where looking a changing insurance plans, can you look this over and tell us what you think?" "oh really, you don't like this plan, oh my, that's terrible, how can we make it better for you?"....reality, huh...?
reality is the current system sucks...reality is adults should know this and plan accordingly vs. sitting back a blaming the "system"...the "system" is what it is...
as for not having $50 bucks on hand...I'd be willing to bet many who claim they don't have $50 can find that money when they really want to...
as I see it and as I've stated...this young woman and her partner made some poor choices...she assumed she could waltz in to a pharmacy and have the Plan B pill given to her...sadly she learned that she may have to come up with a Plan C...
Well, because I'm a woman and because I run a reproductive health program, I do think I have a better view of the reality of women's reproductive lives than your general, random man. That's why I come on here and try to share that reality with people who might not have as much experience with it as I do. (For the record, I also come on here to learn from others who have a better view of the reality of things with which I have less experience.)
For instance, I frequently see people on this board (usually those who have never had to use birth control or who have been fortunate to have good access to it) going on and on about how easy birth control is to obtain, knowing nothing of the obstacles that women face. Well I spend much of my time helping women navigate those supposedly non-existant obstacles, so when people say they don't exist, I feel the need to vouch that they do. Like men who live in NYC and want to believe that all a woman has to do to get to to a doctor's appointment is jump in her car or on the subway or bus, but have absolutely no knowledge of the transportation issues faces by so many people in the rural areas of my state.
I've been in the workforce for 20 years, by the way. And I don't believe that they necessarily will consult us before changing our insurance plans; I believe that they SHOULD and the fact that they don't is part of our shitty system. And I do expect more of my employer, which tends to be held to a higher standard (which is why we work here to begin with).
Yes, reality is that the current system sucks. That's my point. And I think it's the people who sit around not trying to change it who are the irresponsible ones.
Yes, this woman made an assumption, based on the information she knew, that it would be easier to get Plan B. I don't think it was an unreasonable assumption, and I don't think she made poor choices. (I doubt that you or most anyone else would make better choices.)
So did you answer my question?
For all of the guys out there who think you're so much more responsible than the women you condemn: Let me remind you that most of you REALLY don't know
a) What kind of effort has gone in to all your partners' attempts to get birth control, or
b) How many pregnancies you've caused.
There are PLENTY of men out there who have children they don't know about. And many, many women get abortions without ever telling their partners, whether the partners are one-night-stands or husbands. That's not to mention all the miscarriages that the men, and sometimes even the women, don't know about.
Also, women don't share all their trials and tribulations with birth control with every guy they sleep with. Frankly, we know most of you don't care to hear about it.
Maybe if more men concerned themselves more fully with the reproductive process - and this goes way beyond wearing a condom or asking a woman if she's on the pill - then they would have more of a clue and more room to act like they understand the situation.
But how many of you have participated in the acquisition of all kinds of birth control with every woman you've ever slept with? How many have gone to all of their paps, STD tests, ect.? You can't just be willing to buy tampons for the women you love and think that makes you Mr. Understanding. What about all those other women - the ones you didn't love? At least you (hopefully) wore a condom, but did you even use it correctly? Do you REALLY know how to use a condom correctly?
Here's a pop quiz for all the men out there who think they're experts on women's reproductive health:
1. What are all the kinds of contraception and how do they work?
2. What are their risks & benefits?
3. What are their efficacy rates?
4. How much do they cost?
5. What issues do women really face when trying to obtain them?
yawn...
talk about a persecution complex.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln