Thursday, January 19, 2017

Wow! Birth Control is Expensive (and testing for Breast Cancer too!)

Slate has an article that basically explains how much some procedures will cost that are mandated as "covered" under the ObamaCare / Affordable Care Act.

Some legislators tried to ensure these would continue to be covered under any new scheme (by voted to require it - but that was voted down by the Republicans because of their great "replace plan" which no one has heard hide nor hair about. I think the plan is repeal the ACA and replace it with God's Will.

In any case, I had no idea how much some birth control cost. The cost of the IUD is staggering to me. For us, before all the test were done we just used condoms because we only had to worry about STDs, not getting pregnant. And condoms are helluva cheap compared to the IUD.



In the case of Mammograms - the more I understand them, the less appealing they seem.  First there is the painful squish factor, which some of my friends have explained in great detail, particularly post doctor visit. If you are a guy and don't know about these, talk to your female friends - it is like squishing your testicles between two steel plates to Xray them and the more spread out they are the better. AND it turns out not all insurance covers it, so some women are paying for this torture.


Now, screening should help avoid cancer. Cancer will cost a hell of a lot more, so I don't know why it isn't covered. And, if it turns out to be good news (i.e. no cancer) - your reward is you have to come in again and again to get them squished all over again.  And pay for it!

Zoiks.