Healthcare Nightmares

The Desperation Continues

Insurance companies are greedy and heartless

I’m still feeling desperate, but I fight on…

Okay… so, last time I explained that Aetna covered my Dulera, but required a high copay of $50 per fill. It was filled monthly as I use two puffs twice a day for all of 2023.

Then, it came time to head back to the ACA Marketplace for 2024 coverage. The plan we had for 2023 was no more. And, for all the tiers of coverage in our price range, Dulera was not covered at all. It wasn’t covered by any insurance company in the affordable tiers of premiums. This is how they get to eliminate care you’ve had with previous coverage. It was covered by the higher tiers.

To be clear, this isn’t just an Aetna problem. It was the case with all the insurance plans in the lower tiers within our range of affordability. None of the affordable tiers offered coverage for Dulera.

Healthy is for the wealthy.

Public domain meme — I’m feeling rolling waves of one through three and five through nine. As I am buffeted through the other numbers, I come around to eight before the next wave. I’m about ready to slap someone!

We went with Aetna again for 2024 because it was the one that covered both of my other high copay meds, Jardiance, and Trulicity (my doctor switched me from Victoza to Trulicity at the end of 2023). Other companies covered one or the other, or neither — but not both. Or, the lower tier…