4/12/10 Brittiny Peters never imagined she would log on to eBay to sell almost all of her family’s possessions. But that's exactly what 28-year-old, stay-at-home mom from Gainesville, Ga., ended up doing earlier this year when she found herself burdened by thousands of dollars of medical debt.
Her 7-year-old daughter, Ayla, has Still’s disease, also known as systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, characterized by painful joints, spiking fevers and skin rashes. To add to their difficulties, her 2-year old son, Noah, has severe autism.
Brittiny and her husband Gregg, a self-employed tennis instructor, had already hired a budget coach, traded their cars for older models and pared down their cable and phone bills. Gregg cut his hours so his income was low enough for the children to qualify for Medicaid, but the government program doesn't cover all bills, and they faced medical expenses of $2,000 a month.
Selling their home wasn't an option: Even after putting down $10,000 and paying monthly mortgage payments for nearly five years, the dwindling housing market had left them with $20,000 in negative equity.
“For weeks, we asked ourselves: “What do we want to hold on to? What do we want to let go of?” says Peters. “And then it hit us. What kind of parents are we? Do we really want Noah to have three days of therapy, rather than five, just so we can keep the flatscreen TV?”
And so Peters complied a list and then logged on to eBay: Almost everything – from the Whirlpool Heavy Duty washing machine and the king-sized mahogany bed to the kids’ cradles and rope and swing set – was offered for $20,000.
What started as a family joke – “We owe so much money we might as well sell all our stuff” – had become a reality. When Mary Lemanski, a nurse from Springfield, N.J., who has rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis and osteoarthritis (OA), became so disabled that she could no longer work, at age 53, the cost of her health insurance soared.
When her premiums topped $1,000 a month, she says she could no longer pay for coverage or for the expensive biologic drug that she calls “my miracle.”
“I am even considering selling my car so I could go back on Enbrel. It was so wonderful feeling that well,” Lemanski writes in a letter to Arthritis Today. “RA is a disease only for the wealthy.”
There’s no question that arthritis is an expensive disease. In fact, osteoarthritis and other non-traumatic joint diseases consistently rank among the top ten most expensive chronic diseases according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
But now, to add to the pain of high prices, costs are shifting. Individuals like Lemanski are being asked to pick up greater percentages of the cost of their health care – a trend that shows up in higher co-pays at the pharmacy and doctor’s office and higher monthly insurance premiums.
And studies show that out-of-pocket costs are rising faster for arthritis than they are for many other chronic diseases.
cause man the meds ARE expensive. I found the more you take the MORE you need.
I have a severe case of Fibromylgia, PTSD from being hit by an 18 wheeler 4 years ago, it took my right shoulder! I was diagnosised with Arthritis at 17 years old, possible That I have ostoporous, because from taken Nsaid , prednisone, morphine, was taken cataflam for possible ankolosing spondi
tisis, sent my BP through the ruff! I had a good job for 2 years,but no benefits! can't do much
i owe over 8,000 and no way to pay!
The insurance companies have raised their rates for premiums and are paying less and less for drugs. I am hoping Healthcare Reform will make our lives easier and not have to sell our belongings just to pay for medications that our doctors told us we have to have.
The last week of Dec. 2007 I was struck with all the above symptoms while trying to get out of bed. In re-trospect I had a few warnings of pain but nothing like the above pain. I called a rheumatologist and was told I had to wait 3 months for an appointment. I called my primary doctor and she was able to set up an appointment in Feb.
At the beginnning of the illness I was able to walk without pain for about 5 minutes. Today I can't walk unless I have a cane and my husband is assisting me. I also have a walker with wheels and I can maneuver it but I cannot walk straight. I have a wheel chair which I use to go to the YMCA for swimming but I have to use a chair lift. I was very fortunate that my insurance covered the yearly fee for the YMCA.
I have also done PT and it was gruesome. My husband and I took a 10 week course on pain management and that was very good. I do not have trouble meditating and this is very good to take away the pain. We are also doing some Yoga together but I have to use a chair.
I am on Prednisone, Percocet, Cymbalta for depression. I am in pain most of the day. If I'm lucky I might be pain free one day out of 30.
I had shots that didn't help (very expensive} and also was on morphine for 30 days with no change. I see no relief in my future.
We had a stair lift put in which Medicare doesn't cover. But I was fortunate that Medicare did cover 80% of a scooter that I love.
My husband will be 70 in Nov. and has returned to work part time, what with us losing 30% of our retirement fund, we don't have much income besides Social Security.
My husband has had 2 heart attacks, 2 by past surgeries and a heart stent in 2007. The heart doctors said that this was all they could offer him because of his heart condition and past surgeries. Luckily my husband is a Veteran and has gets drugs at a very low cost.
I am grateful that I have a very good Medicare ADVANTAGE plan which covers dental, vision and drugs. This is a HMO Plus.
"Every day in every way will be better, thanks be to God."
If you are having trouble paying for your Enbrel. Contact the company for help. They are fabulous. They have helped many with the cost. If you need help...ASK!
well deuring this time before we got maries my husband new this could happend that I loose my drivers licens and that medical expenses can get high, but still he wannet to marie my and did.
well after 6 years my arthrites got very bad now and I was in hospital this year for infiltration etc. but now when I had to buy new shoes because I started walking funny and got sevear pain in my feet, legs and hips because of this I had to buy new expensive shoes. and we had a huge fight because of it so much so that he's parents blame me now for the reason that we are in this posision.
even so that he's mom sends him now text mesages to he's phone saying "son are you sure that you want to pay medical expenses shit for the rest of your life" in the meantime I payed all my medication and other expenses with my salary I've never asked them to pay any of my medical expenses for me never asked them to take me to the doctor nothing, I was good enough for them to pay all of my husbands medical expenses deuring the 14 months he was unemplooyed and even earlier this month when he wannet money to go see a doctor just to find out he's got highblood preasure. Well He's dad also send me a very Rude mesage claiming that it's my fole and I'm selfish
are there any otherway that I can make my pain and stress less. do anyone know of a diet that I can follow, I work my but off and only have enough to pay my medical expenses. etc
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