I was on a very good medical plan for about five years. All of my durable medical supplies were 100% covered. (Durable medical: supplies that help maintain your condition or administer the medicine required to take to keep you alive. So test stripes, pump supplies, etc.) My medicines were generally inexpensive in the grand scheme of things.

When I switched jobs, I knew my new medical was going to be a challenge. But I was kind of sick of my old hospital’s care, so I figured now would be a good time to switch.

My new insurance has an $1800 deductible. So that means I need to pay full price for all supplies and doctor appointments until I meet the $1800 minimum. And then after that, everything is 100% covered. I was told it was going to suck blowing through that much money to get the full coverage. Especially since I’d spend that much on a three month supply of all of my prescriptions.

Only now am I realizing the grandness of this problem. My glucagon kit, which I unwillingly filled this weekend, cost me $145. It’s a one dose medication that expires in ONE year. I most likely won’t use it. <knocks wood> But – it’s just to put my doctor and my hubby at ease in case I have a problem. Boom – $145 gone.

My test strips is another sad example. A box of 100 test strips for my machine retails for $118 at my local Target. And since I’m now testing about 6-8 times a day, that’s about $118 every 13 days or so. Yikes!

I don’t really want to think about what my pump supplies and insulin cost. Or my multiple upcoming doctor visits.

But again – after three months, I won’t have to. It just sucks right now.

On a happier note, it’s beginning to feel a bit more like winter out here, even though it’s still November. We’ve got the fire turned on most nights and it’s quite cozy. The kitties certainly have been enjoying it. I even started Christmas shopping today.

Cozy comfort