Combined deductibles

Be on the lookout for this in your insurance plans. Just found out my health insurance changed to a "combined deductible" this year. I went to fill my wife's monthly prescription this morning. $700!!!!! Now they don't pay anything towards prescriptions until I meet my deductible ($3000). So no meds, can't afford it. 4 years ago I had a $500 deductible plan for 1/3 the cost of this high deductible POS I'm stuck with now. Hope no one else gets caught off guard by this like I was. My apologies if this is the wrong forum, please move if so.

This is such bull#. I'm sorry to hear this. They'll continue to do things like this to us as long as we continue to allow it to happen. Health insurance is in the business of money, not people's health. Their industry is an oxymoron.

a reply to: XTexan

And it's only going to get worse.

Sorry to hear you can't afford your wife's meds. I can't afford one of the POS policies in the first place. Hell, I can't afford the fine/tax.

a reply to: XTexan


I was shocked to discover that our plan has individual deductibles as well as a plan deducible.......on top of the 10,000$ a year we pay for the plan.

originally posted by: XTexan
Be on the lookout for this in your insurance plans. Just found out my health insurance changed to a "combined deductible" this year. I went to fill my wife's monthly prescription this morning. $700!!!!! Now they don't pay anything towards prescriptions until I meet my deductible ($3000). So no meds, can't afford it. 4 years ago I had a $500 deductible plan for 1/3 the cost of this high deductible POS I'm stuck with now. Hope no one else gets caught off guard by this like I was. My apologies if this is the wrong forum, please move if so.

I'm so sorry you have to deal with this.... and so many other people. Thank you for sharing and giving others a heads up.

Some pharmaceutical companies have programs to help people get the medicines they need at discounted prices. You might check on their website. You might also check the price at Costco, which I've heard is almost always the lowest price (sometimes amazingly so), and you do not need a membership to have prescriptions filled. Or maybe you can find some natural remedies to help your wife. The research into natural and alternative remedies is growing daily, as is the availability of quality supplements. Some people actually find more relief from natural supplements than from pharmaceuticals, if only due to fewer/no side effects.

Good luck

a reply to: XTexan

Deleted response by poster- MS

I'm in a similar situation here. It's unfortunate that failing to take my unaffordable medication causes me to...well, die. Gonna be an interesting year.

a reply to: XTexan

My insurance too has the combined deductible so we have to come up with twice as much to get any coverage even if it is just one of us who is ill. MY combined deductible is $5000

This is going to be an interesting year.

My deductible is $5300....I feel your pain.

Sometimes doctors have samples.....ask.
Although the drug companies have gotten stingier in the last couple of years.....say, ohhhhhhhh, since unACA went into effect.....but it's worth asking anyway.

And, please check your private messages.