Author Topic: Big shout out and all my thoughts to those who are not in uk (Read 9541 times)

NLEWLAD · « **on:** April 11, 2008, 05:17:29 pm »

was shocked to read about you having to pay for meds in the US

is there no campaigning for the us government to issue free meds

in the uk all our hiv treatment docks tests meds is free

in this day and age i carnt belive a country like america can not issue free meds to hiv infected people

ill be the first to sign a petition for free meds for you guyz

allopathicholistic · « **Reply #1 on:** April 11, 2008, 05:21:36 pm »

Thank you for your thoughts. I'm against the American insurance companies so I want to see the gravy train end for them. I have better feelings toward the drug-makers but they're not exactly angels either. Sigh $:-\$

AndyArrow · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2008, 06:15:31 pm »

thanks for the kind word of support.

I think in some ways this goes to your other thread about guys (hiv+ people in general) keeping fit.
I know I can't afford a gym membership. I'm in debt to doctors & hospitals as it is. Plus, I'm one of those people the doctors are always encouraging to eat so I'm in a different situation.

NLEWLAD · « **Reply #3 on:** April 11, 2008, 06:19:26 pm »

again in the uk our local councils have good gyms for about £15 a month thirty dollers

is there anything like that in us

aliveinla · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2008, 09:06:13 pm »

Let's hope things will change for better after we have either Obama or Clinton become president.

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2008, 09:11:56 pm »

My HIV meds are free. I don't know what you people are talking about.

Winiroo · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2008, 09:20:14 pm »

I get my meds free with Ryan White funding and or the Texas Department of Health. But I use a county hospital clinic. Not near as nice as using a private doctor but again it is free to me if I jump thru all the hoops correctly.

shadowfluid · « **Reply #7 on:** April 11, 2008, 09:25:51 pm »

Mine are free cuz I'm poor! Thanks Cali ADAP.

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #8 on:** April 11, 2008, 09:25:53 pm »

Yeah, I go to a free HIV clinic too. Sure isn't as swank as my last doctor in NYC -- he was in a doorman building on Central Park South. White gloves and everything.

aztecan · « **Reply #9 on:** April 11, 2008, 09:41:08 pm »

I'm just a working stiff who doesn't qualify for most services. (income too high, besides, I would have to provide them to myself.)

I pay $150 a month in copays for my meds, which isn't too bad considering what they would cost without the insurance.

It could be worse.

HUGS,

Mark

BreakerOneNine · « **Reply #10 on:** April 11, 2008, 09:57:35 pm »

Yeah...here in the US if you cant afford your meds there are programs to help you...I dont pay for my meds or doc visits or labs.

AndyArrow · « **Reply #11 on:** April 11, 2008, 10:23:36 pm »

I have Indiana Medicaid which requires I have a monthly spend-down of $942.00 a month that I must pay out of pocket and they will cover the rest of my medical expenses.

AA

Longislander · « **Reply #12 on:** April 11, 2008, 10:41:24 pm »

Quote

I have Indiana Medicaid which requires I have a monthly spend-down of $942.00 a month that I must pay out of pocket and they will cover the rest of my medical expenses.

YIKES! Does that mean you have to pay the first $942 of medical expenses in every month before they start to pay??? How can anyone afford to do that~

I have health insurance through work, which runs about $45 per month. I pay a $12 co-payment to visit the doc, $30 co-pay for the blood draws. My Atripla co-pay is $15 for the month. I've got it pretty good as I'm a civil servant ( work for the government)

My gym membership is $37/mo (someday I'll visit the place again~

)

Ann · « **Reply #13 on:** April 11, 2008, 10:50:50 pm »

erm...

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=20211.0

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=20090.0

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=19200.0

Tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Just sayin...

Ann
(who thanks her lucky stars she married that heroin addicted idiot man and ended up living in the UK before she met another idiot man who could not keep his dick in his pants and therefore ended up hiv positive)

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #14 on:** April 11, 2008, 10:57:04 pm »

Fine Ann. Now let's discuss the horrible state of dentistry in the UK. It's well known everyone there has dreadful teeth. I've seen it myself. tee hee

Ann · « **Reply #15 on:** April 11, 2008, 10:59:33 pm »

Quote from: philly267 on April 11, 2008, 10:57:04 pm

Fine Ann. Now let's discuss the horrible state of dentistry in the UK. It's well known everyone there has dreadful teeth. I've seen it myself. tee hee

Untreated hiv will kill a person faster than bad teeth.

tee hee

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #16 on:** April 11, 2008, 11:03:08 pm »

Well, you got me there.

AndyArrow · « **Reply #17 on:** April 11, 2008, 11:09:37 pm »

Quote from: Longislander on April 11, 2008, 10:41:24 pm

YIKES! Does that mean you have to pay the first $942 of medical expenses in every month before they start to pay??? How can anyone afford to do that~

Simple answers are Yes, I do and I can't afford it.

gaz41 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 12, 2008, 02:29:35 am »

In Germany its not totally free either . charge to visit the doctor quarterly € 10 , co_pays for HIV meds € 10 per med , co_pays payable up to a maximum of 1% of gross income then you can have an excemption certificate. Tests are covered by the insurance

€ 260 is taken from my salary every month for health insurance

BrooklynGuy · « **Reply #19 on:** April 12, 2008, 08:09:11 am »

fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it i make way too much money to qualify for any assistance. the copays for my hiv meds is only $40/month. my doctor copays are only $20 every 4 months. while there are opportunities in the US for folks not in my situation (free or heavily subsidized prgrams) i'm fortunate enough to have a great insurance plan. my partner on the other hand is considered "under employed" and he qualifies for all sorts of assistance programs and even though he works, he has no copays for anything. there are plenty of programs and opportunities to plug into if you need help, you just have to know where to look.

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #20 on:** April 12, 2008, 11:11:59 am »

Quote from: BrooklynGuy on April 12, 2008, 08:09:11 am

there are plenty of programs and opportunities to plug into if you need help, you just have to know where to look.

Oh yeah, definitely in New York. It's got to have the best HIV programs, but then again it has the highest number of infected individuals in the US. Unfortunately, this system is not replicated in most other states.

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #21 on:** April 12, 2008, 11:18:00 am »

Quote from: gaz41 on April 12, 2008, 02:29:35 am

In Germany its not totally free either . charge to visit the doctor quarterly € 10 , co_pays for HIV meds € 10 per med , co_pays payable up to a maximum of 1% of gross income then you can have an excemption certificate. Tests are covered by the insurance

€ 260 is taken from my salary every month for health insurance

Hmmm... that sounds the same as in the US, at least for the employed people. In fact, when I was working my health insurance premium was 100% paid by my office (other employees had to pay 50% -- I negotiated when I was hired something better). I think the actual cost at the time, about 7 years ago, was ~$300/month for an individual health premium. Co-pays for doctor's visits were $20, and the med co-pays were similar, though generic stuff is always less (not that you get anything generic for HIV).

I was really lucky for the first 8 years of my HIV treatment. My doctor was this lovely, kindly fat Jewish man that wore Tweety Bird socks and liked to feel me up. He wrote off all of my yearly deductibles and all copays, and I never paid him a cent. He also shared his office with a dentist, and because I had no dental coverage he's just charge for an extra medical visit and I'd go to see the dentist for free. The dentist was a big queen too -- played Streisand all of the time. The place was total Gay Mafia. Ovahness.

Roie · « **Reply #22 on:** April 13, 2008, 05:40:33 am »

I live in Israel and I am insured by the Maccabi health care system. It costs me 60 shekels a month ($16 US).
I get all my meds, and blood works and consultations and innoculations and Xrays etc etc for free. (Sometimes there is a nominal charge. But everything is free.

AlanBama · « **Reply #23 on:** April 13, 2008, 02:40:04 pm »

I get mine "free" also....like Wini I have to jump through quite a few hoops, which are constantly getting smaller and higher!

We should have an AIDSmeds hoop-jumping contest.

Right now, I'm trying to figure out how to jump through the correct hoops to get big pharma companies to pay for some of my non-hiv meds (even though I have Medicare Part D I am in the endless donut hole, and can't get out of it) through patient assistance. I have one friend in a similar situation, and the drug company is providing one of his meds.

positively_me · « **Reply #24 on:** April 18, 2008, 12:16:43 am »

Like aztecan, I'm a working stiff so I don't qualify for ADAP. I pay about $180 a month out of my paycheck for my company's health insurance. My co-pays at the doctor's office are $25. Blood work and x-rays are free. Even though I have to pay for my meds, my co-pay is only $7 for a 90 day supply of Atripla. I am so thankful for this small co-pay because the invoice on my meds states that it would be $4200 for a 90 day supply if I didn't have insurance. That amount just boggles my mind.

dixieman · « **Reply #25 on:** April 18, 2008, 05:54:34 pm »

Nothings Free anywhere in the world.. someone has to pay for it... and in the UK... TAXES from ones paycheck pay for the services your recieveing... I do believe in social Medicine but, the United States takes care of other countries before taking care of their own... I have no problem with this but, its time for the United States to take care of its own first and foremost and if theres money left ... lets help out others... I am fortunate to have excellent insurance and I am from a family of Means but, the tide can turn within one secound especially with the economy... here locally and world wide...

positively_me · « **Reply #26 on:** April 18, 2008, 06:45:22 pm »

Quote from: dixieman on April 18, 2008, 05:54:34 pm

Nothings Free anywhere in the world.. someone has to pay for it... and in the UK... TAXES from ones paycheck pay for the services your receiving... I do believe in social Medicine but, the United States takes care of other countries before taking care of their own... I have no problem with this but, its time for the United States to take care of its own first and foremost and if theres money left ... lets help out others... I am fortunate to have excellent insurance and I am from a family of Means but, the tide can turn within one second especially with the economy... here locally and world wide...

I agree whole heartedly with you dixieman! I love that the celebrity community is up in arms and ready to do all kinds of stuff to help people in Africa. How come I never hear about them doing things to raise money for people here in the US that have hiv/aids and need help? I know the majority of us in the US have much better living, economic and social situations than those in Africa, but what about those of us who don't? Like dixieman, I am very blessed to have a good paying job with great insurance, but what happens to if I get sick or lose my job? I don't think the answer is to not help other countries, but we should be helping our own first. We shouldn't have to read on this forum about people struggling to pay for meds or rent because they're on permanent disability but don't make enough to survive. Or about people's benefits being cut because they live with a family member and are just trying to make ends meet.

Bono makes me sick with his Inspi(red) campaign. What has he done to help Ireland, the UK or the US, that made him massively rich? If I'm wrong and he's helping other countries besides Africa, someone please enlighten me.

BT65 · « **Reply #27 on:** April 18, 2008, 07:16:22 pm »

I'm not sure if Bono's thing helps any other countries. Of course, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are helping to rebuild New Orleans. I do agree though that more should be done here to help people with HIV. And maybe there is that we're just not hearing about.

positively_me · « **Reply #28 on:** April 18, 2008, 07:30:32 pm »

I'm going to have to do some research because now I am really curious if there's anything being done by celebrities for people in the US.

God bless Angelina & Brad! New Orleans was badly hit, they definitely need the help!

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #29 on:** April 18, 2008, 07:31:57 pm »

Frankly, celebs did shit loads for this topic for an entire decade. I guess at some point even celebs feel the need to move on and allow others to pick up things -- like, uh, politicians.

The US still gives a lower % of its GDP out in foreign aid than all other industrialized countries, save Greece.

http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Debt/USAid.asp

LatinAlexander · « **Reply #30 on:** April 21, 2008, 11:15:08 am »

USA health system is sad.

Even when we do not have all of the HIV meds available here (ie Atripla), I pays 3 USD a month to get my meds. And like 4 per each doctor visit/test.

We are not rich, but I have meds

Alex

allopathicholistic · « **Reply #31 on:** April 27, 2008, 01:59:18 am »

Quote from: AndyArrow on April 11, 2008, 10:23:36 pm

I have Indiana Medicaid which requires I have a monthly spend-down of $942.00 a month that I must pay out of pocket and they will cover the rest of my medical expenses.

AA

Hey Andy Arrow You can request from ADAP an expenditure record for the month and then apply that with toward your Medicaid Spenddown.

BT65 · « **Reply #32 on:** April 27, 2008, 09:13:15 am »

Quote from: allopathicholistic on April 27, 2008, 01:59:18 am

Hey Andy Arrow You can request from ADAP an expenditure record for the month and then apply that with toward your Medicaid Spenddown.

Since I live in Indiana and have already checked this route out, if one qualifies for Medicaid (in Indiana), one does not qualify for ADAP.

allopathicholistic · « **Reply #33 on:** April 28, 2008, 11:43:33 pm »

Quote from: Bettytacy on April 27, 2008, 09:13:15 am

Since I live in Indiana and have already checked this route out, if one qualifies for Medicaid (in Indiana), one does not qualify for ADAP.

Thanks for that clarification Betty. Boo hiss to whomever made those rules for Indiana, it's out of touch with reality.

BT65 · « **Reply #34 on:** April 29, 2008, 08:11:19 am »

Quote from: allopathicholistic on April 28, 2008, 11:43:33 pm

Thanks for that clarification Betty. Boo hiss to whomever made those rules for Indiana, it's out of touch with reality.

Yes, it's really ludicrous, since we have a spend-down we have to meet every month before Medicaid will pay anything. How are we supposed to pay that spend-down? Since our governor (Mitch Daniels) sold all the state-welfare agencies to private companies, it's been a nightmare.

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Author Topic: Big shout out and all my thoughts to those who are not in uk (Read 9541 times)