Why is Healthcare so Expensive: Part Two

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I recently watched a video by a popular YouTuber named Lauren who runs the channel Living well with Schizophrenia. On her channel, she talks about her experience living with Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder. In on particular video, Lauren talks about the cost of health care. She lives in Canada where the government is heavily involved in helping with healthcare, so she doesn’t pay a heavy amount for her medical care. However, she shared what she would be paying without help. I liked the idea, and thought I’d also give a little idea of how much my healthcare would cost me without help. You can see this video below:

As I’ve mentioned many times on my blog, I have medical condition called Turner Syndrome. I take several medications for the condition. I did a little digging, and without help, I could be spending a total of $83.00 a month for my medication. 

Turner syndrome causes a lot of complications. The condition is when a woman is born with only one fully functioning X chromosome instead of the usual two. Due to this fact, the woman’s body can not create estrogen on its own. Estrogen helps to strengthen a woman’s bones. This is why some older women with low estrogen suffer from osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a common problem in Turner syndrome patients. Other complications include heart, kidney, and thyroid problems, among others. Because of all of the complications, many procedures are regularly done in order to ensure the Turner Syndrome patient remains in good health. These priced urges can include an MRI, sonogram, blood tests, and a bone density scan, among others. All together, my procedures can cost around $1,500 every time they’re done.

I have also been pretty open on my blog about my struggles with mental illness. It is no secret that mental health services can be expensive. In my case, therapy sessions without help would cost me around $2,800 each week. That’s around 14,000 a month for therapy sessions! The medication I take for my mental illness can cost around $233.00 a month.

As you can see, healthcare is pretty expensive. I didn’t even include all of my doctor visits, including the my primary care provider and specialist visits. I also did not include transportation cost. I would definitely not be able to afford the medical care I get with the good insurance I have. 

Why is healthcare so expensive?

This post was inspired by Scott over at Speaking Bipolar. His blog really gives a lot insight into what it’s like to live with Bipolar disorder. You can checkout his blog and the post that inspired my blog post by clicking here

Scott’s post was about his struggle with getting proper care for for his mental illness. It made me really think about my own experience with getting medical care. I live in the United States where health insurance can be very expensive, and some people can’t afford to go to a doctor. With healthcare being so expensive, getting help for mental illnesses can be difficult. Mental health is not really considered a priority, so even with assistance with health insurance, there is no guarantee a person seeking help with a mental illness will be able to get the help they need. 

As someone who is not only dealing with mental illness but a genetic disorder as well, I happen to be very fortunate. I was born with a condition called Turner Syndrome, and it can lead to a lot of complications. In fact, one of those complications led to surgery early last year. I also get blood tests done very frequently, along with other procedures, in order for my doctors to make sure I’m not developing any complications because of my genetic disorder. Moreover, I have been taking several medications since I was 13 years old. Now I am also on medication for my mental illnesses s well, and I go to therapy several times a week. All of my medications, tests, procedures, and therapy sessions cost a lot of money. Fortunately, I am fully covered by my insurance. I honestly don’t know where I would be today without the help I’m getting to pay for all of my medical expenses.

 There honestly needs to be a better way for people to receive medical that would be fair for the healthcare providers and the patients that would allow every person to receive the care they need. What is healthcare like where you live, and what has your experience with medical care been like? Feel free to share in the comments, and I’ll see you in the next post! 

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