Man can't afford antibiotics, dies from tooth infection

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I got a prescription for antibiotics today. Cost me $19.75 at CZS for the generic brand.

Last time I got pain killers, it cost much more.
 
Denny Crane said:
I got a prescription for antibiotics today. Cost me $19.75 at CZS for the generic brand.

Last time I got pain killers, it cost much more.
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As usual, the concept of "poor" escapes you.

Actually last month at Bi-Mart:

Tylenol3 = $10.12

Antibiotics = $18.40

Simple Extraction (not wisdom tooth) without insurance = $146.

So about $180 to prevent my death.

Were I unemployed and 24 with a child it would simply not have been possible to find the money for any of it. Do you think money grows on trees? The child can go without food for a couple weeks? Daddy and Mommy will raise the child and pay the dentist bills?

Like many posters here, you simply have no clue what it means to be poor. It's nice and comfy for you to never have had to make life and death choices based on how many pop cans you can find in the ditch, but it has left a black hole in your ability to understand your fellow man and casts doubt on your ability to survive should you ever find yourself in the same spot.

And anyone who thinks he chose to not get antibiotics and chose not to get his tooth pulled has obviously never had an abscessed tooth. Other than burning alive, I can't think of a more painful way to die.
 
This is tragic. I have never thought about such things until recently. Wondering how many of you get medical/ dental benefits from your work or have to pay for them on your own? The reason I ask is because we have recently lost all of our health coverage. I shouldn't use the term "lost"...... It was more like we couldn't afford them any more, so we chose to go without. I was paying close to $950 a month for my wife, 2 kids and myself. It has already started to affect us. Not looking to get any pity from anybody, just was wondering from what angle you are reading this story. If you get coverage from work, you probably have no idea what it's like to choose groceries over medicine. This is not the way a person in this country should die......


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk..... Cause I'm a balla'!
 
HCP said:
This is tragic. I have never thought about such things until recently. Wondering how many of you get medical/ dental benefits from your work or have to pay for them on your own? The reason I ask is because we have recently lost all of our health coverage. I shouldn't use the term "lost"...... It was more like we couldn't afford them any more, so we chose to go without. I was paying close to $950 a month for my wife, 2 kids and myself. It has already started to affect us. Not looking to get any pity from anybody, just was wondering from what angle you are reading this story. If you get coverage from work, you probably have no idea what it's like to choose groceries over medicine. This is not the way a person in this country should die......


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk..... Cause I'm a balla'!
Click to expand...

It's a fair question. There are clinics and doctors that either treat on a sliding scale or for free- our church runs a free medical/dental clinic and they treat 5,000 people per month. (Sadly, Maris & barfo, they do neither abortions or sex change operations- I know that's evil and all that, but ...) There are RX assistance programs to get RX for free. There's the VA, Medicare, OHP... I'm not saying it's easy, because it's not. But sometimes people also have to make difficult decisions in difficult times. Sell the second car, step away from the house, dip into the 401k or otherwise. I've had to make those decisions in my lifetime.

I suppose, on a grander scale, is the question of whether or not the feds are obligated to provide healthcare to every citizen.
 
HCP said:
This is tragic. I have never thought about such things until recently. Wondering how many of you get medical/ dental benefits from your work or have to pay for them on your own? The reason I ask is because we have recently lost all of our health coverage. I shouldn't use the term "lost"...... It was more like we couldn't afford them any more, so we chose to go without. I was paying close to $950 a month for my wife, 2 kids and myself. It has already started to affect us. Not looking to get any pity from anybody, just was wondering from what angle you are reading this story. If you get coverage from work, you probably have no idea what it's like to choose groceries over medicine. This is not the way a person in this country should die......


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk..... Cause I'm a balla'!
Click to expand...

or choose an $600 iphone over medicine.

:MARIS61:
 
I spent $199 a year and a half ago and this phone is my lifeline for my business. I know what you're saying though. It's tough, They say I make to much money for any help. Just wished there was a better system. I'm kinda' in no-man's land. Anybody else here in the same situation? I'd like to think we're not the only ones.
 
SlyPokerDog said:
Nah, we should force him to go to some red neck place like Montana.
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Vancouver is a red neck place like Montana. But not as nice.

barfo
 
HCP said:
I spent $199 a year and a half ago and this phone is my lifeline for my business. I know what you're saying though. It's tough, They say I make to much money for any help. Just wished there was a better system. I'm kinda' in no-man's land. Anybody else here in the same situation? I'd like to think we're not the only ones.
Click to expand...

dude, you have a sick Audi, nice house in an upscale neighborhood and 2 kids (do they have cell phones BTW)?

come on, health insurance is important, find a way to get it back.
 
Kids don't have phones. It's a one income situation. My wife and I decided she would stay home with the kids once our 6 year old was born. That's about to change. With the NBA lockout and the lack of college football coverage here in Oregon this season, It has hit us hard. Once my wife gets steady work, preferably with benefits (holler if you know anybody hiring) we will be OK. Just a rough patch. We went without me having any for awhile, then it just became too much. The people who do get benefits, 401K included from work don't realize how lucky you are.
 
yeah, i try not to think about it. I have to pay for my own dental, don't know how much it is, they just dock it out of my paycheck.

shop around for different coverage, even minimal coverage. what happens if your wife gets pregnant or someone gets really sick. its like russian roulette because hospitalizations can easily be over $100k+. Then the 950 a month doesn't look so bad.
 
BLAZER PROPHET said:
I'm not saying it's easy, because it's not. But sometimes people also have to make difficult decisions in difficult times. Sell the second car, step away from the house, dip into the 401k or otherwise. I've had to make those decisions in my lifetime.
Click to expand...

Again, the concept of poor just isn't getting through here. You people need to get out and walk through some seedy neighborhoods, some homeless camps out by the dump, and have a chat with some people who are actually poor. You would all be much wiser for it and some of you would be glad you did it.

Second car? House? 401k? Good grief!

That's the upper middle class. And yeah, they're having a tough time for sure. But they're not poor by any stretch of the imagination. As you point out, they have choices and options and they'll be okay if they tighten their belt.

Poor Americans fight every day just to survive. Most are homeless, penniless, sick or crippled, and hungry every day. The weaker ones are beaten and raped, and madness comes to many after a time.

If they ever had anything at all, it's probably long gone now. The dreams, the loved ones, the career...if they ever had them in their grasp...irretrievably gone. The strong ones find ways to hold onto their pride even as they lose all else. They don't take charity. They don't seek out government assistance. They fend for themselves. They find their food in dumpsters, their shelter in the bushes by the freeway. They pick up the pop cans wealthier people throw in the street.

You'd think this was Biafra or Somalia, but it's America.

The wealthiest nation in the world.
 
I made the dumb decision in college to not get health insurance and tore my acl. Took me 15 years to pay that off. (Knew I was taking a risk but I was dirt poor)

I completely feel for this kid who was clueless. At that age, $80-$200 meant a lot to me as I was always behind in bills. He choose to kill the pain over curing the infection (wonder if her really understood the situation).

Totlally sucks for HCP (look into the Oregon health plan). Not even fair to compare the cost of phone and even car payment to a 950.00 bill a month when your income is lowered (probably wasn't an easy bill at 100% income). Damn, 950.00 a month for really something you are unlikely to use much.

I learned the hard way that it is a necessary cost of livin , but ironic the time I needed insurance the most I didn't have it and after that I really haven't used the insurance much at all . . . I really lost out on that one finacially all the way around.

I swear I give more money to insurance companies than anything else.
 
Just curious, but why in the world would anyone have to pay $900/month for health insurance?

There are family plans at various HMO's that are much more affordable than that. Sure, you might have $25 co-pays, but it beats the alternative.
 
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