Costs of health

[eimarra]

Today, I’m grateful for health insurance.

I took my son to the doctor to pick up a couple more vaccines before the school year starts. Cost out of pocket? $0.

Last week, I went to the doctor to see about this lingering cough and trouble breathing. Diagnosis: acute bronchitis. Variety of prescriptions. Cost saved by having insurance? Almost $300.

Got a check in the mail today from the mail order prescription place our insurance has us use. Refund check, because the estimated cost they quoted was more than $100 higher than the actual cost.

Yes, we pay premiums every month, and if we set aside the money for the premiums instead of paying it out, that money would easily have covered these costs. But these are points of small joy — and the large joy is knowing that if something more dire occurred, it would be covered as well. (And I wot well that such things do occur.)

So today, I’m grateful for our health insurance.

What are you grateful for this Monday?

Originally published at Erin M. Hartshorn. You can comment here or there.