Health Update: Eye Problems and Why Having Health Insurance is Important

Yesterday I was feeling really under the weather. I noticed that after lunch my eye had started swelling. By the time I was in my last class I was struggling to keep the bad eye open. I would’ve left school earlier but my husband and I are down to one car due to a repair shop’s incompetence.

I had a hot compress on with epson salt last night to try and heal it, but by this morning it got worse. My eye was basically swollen shut. I also had a hard time sleeping because the pressure on my eye kept waking me up. I called my health insurance company to find a doctor and they gave me the number to a specialist in the area. I had to go to an opthamologist to get this problem diagnosed.

While I was shelling out money today, I realized that things would’ve been worse without health insurance.For example, my copay was $25 , without it, I estimate the consultation visit would’ve been over $100. The oral antibiotics without insurance would’ve cost $11.99, with insurance it was $3.66.The eye drops that helps with the inflammation would’ve cost $$73.99, with insurance it was $30.

Here’s a comparison of the costs for today’s visit:

• (With Health insurance): $58.66
• (Without Health Insurance): $185.98

It’s still a big hit on a college student’s budget, but I can live with it. I’m grateful that we have health insurance through my husband’s job. I urge anyone who can afford health insurance to get it. If you can’t afford it, please check with your state health department and social services to see what is available for you.

I’m not saying that health insurance is perfect. There are a lot of things that have to be addressed with how the health insurance industry is handled. Not having health insurance, though, can make a tough situation even more difficult. Buying health insurance if you can is definately something I recommend. Bills can add up quickly.

If you want to look more into the HMO portion of health care try viewing Michael Moore’s Sicko. Overall, I think he did a good job asking questions and he certainly gave my friends and I a lot of food for thought.

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