Category: Patients

How much does mental health care cost? Telemental Health, Part 5 in our series

Filed Under: Costs, Health plans, Mental Health

How much does mental health care cost? Telemental Health, Part 5 in our series

Cost and convenience have prevented millions of Americans from seeking access to mental health care. Yet new technologies can make services more accessible, whether consumers choose online therapy, seek to connect and share information with fellow patients through online support groups, or use a number of apps on the market that help patients fight anxiety […]

American Psychological Association American Well Amwell Betterhelp Breakthrough

How much does mental health care cost? Part 4: Finding affordable psychiatric medications

Filed Under: Costs, Mental Health, Patients

How much does mental health care cost? Part 4: Finding affordable psychiatric medications

We are an increasingly medicated nation. Between 1996 and 2010, prescription mental health medication fills rose from 150.3 million to 396.7 million. More than half of these prescriptions (207.9 million) were for antidepressants. In fact, between 2008 and 2010, prescriptions for antidepressants rose by more than 20 million. For those who require drugs to treat depression, anxiety, […]

Abilify Ativan Buspar Celexa Concerta

How much does mental health care cost? Part 1 of our series

Filed Under: Costs, Health plans, Health reform

How much does mental health care cost? Part 1 of our series

(Updated, 2019) One in five adults in the U.S. experience a mental health problem in any given year, yet limited or no mental health insurance prevents more than half of them from receiving treatment. The Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity Law sought to bridge the divide between physical and behavioral health coverage […]

Affordable Care Act Ann Becker-Schutte Christine Montross John Grohol mental health

How much does mental health care cost? Part 3: Five Reasons for paying out of pocket

Filed Under: Costs, Mental Health, Patients

How much does mental health care cost? Part 3: Five Reasons for paying out of pocket

(Updated, 2019) About a third of psychologists in the U.S. do not participate in private insurance plans, according to the American Psychological Association. And many therapists who do take insurance accept a limited number of plans, to avoid the aggravation of haggling with insurance companies. The majority of their patients pay out of pocket and, […]

Ann Becker-Schutte cost of mental health care John Grohol mental health

How much do ostomy supplies cost? $192 or $45? $63.58 or $14? And where can you buy them?

Filed Under: Costs, Health plans, Patients

How much do ostomy supplies cost? $192 or $45? $63.58 or $14? And where can you buy them?

A friend asked me to tell her where to buy ostomy supplies, preferably the Cymed brand — because she had a friend coming to visit, and as a good hostess, knowing her friend, felt that having ostomy supplies was important for comfort. So I did some research. As always, Reddit is an interesting source of […]

Canadian pharmacy Canadian website Cymed Osto Group ostomy

Cost of mammograms — when breast exams leave women with unexpected bills: CBS News

Filed Under: Costs, Health reform, Patients

Cost of mammograms — when breast exams leave women with unexpected bills: CBS News

“More than 30 million women get mammograms a year. And while many thought they were free and preventative, they ended up with big bills,” Anna Werner, our partner, writes over at CBS News. “The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides for free mammograms every one to two years for women aged 40 and over. But many […]

Anna Werner mammogram Medical Price Roulette ultrasound

How much does an air ambulance cost?

Filed Under: Costs, Health plans, Patients

How much does an air ambulance cost?

The median charge for an air ambulance ride in a helicopter was more than $36,000 in 2017. (Image by Ed Uthman licensed under Creative Commons.) The headline from News 5, the Cleveland ABC affiliate, says it all: It can happen to anyone of us, an air ambulance ride costing $53,000 It happened to Julie and […]

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Our unhealthy addiction to health insurance: A direct primary care doctor’s opinion

Filed Under: Costs, Health plans, Patients

Our unhealthy addiction to health insurance: A direct primary care doctor’s opinion

By JEFFREY GOLD, M.D. Whenever I give a talk about healthcare, I ask the audience, “What is the worst addiction problem we have in the United States?” The answers are typically the same and all are good guesses – alcohol, tobacco, opiates, and sugar are most frequently cited. I agree these are all terrible addictions […]

Direct Primary Care DPC DPC Alliance Gold Direct Care Jeffrey Gold

How much do Sovaldi, Mavyret and Harvoni cost? $84 per patient, $25,757 per patient or $94,500 per patient?

Filed Under: Costs, Health plans, Patients

How much do Sovaldi, Mavyret and Harvoni cost? $84 per patient, $25,757 per patient or $94,500 per patient?

“Several states have made alliances with pharma companies to eradicate hepatitis C infections,” Mark Terry writes over at BioSpace. “One of the more recent was between AbbVie and the state of Washington. Another is with Louisiana and Gilead Sciences’ subsidiary Asegua Therapeutics. However, partly because the bidding for these contracts remain confidential, critics are questioning […]

AbbVie Gilead Harvoni hepatitis c Mavyret

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