The “Economics” of H1N1

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  • By 14th MED Group
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  The following is an article from: http://www.filife.com in partnership with the Wall Street Journal

August 2009 was the month of H1N1 in the Ramirez household. Father, Maurice A. Ramirez, M.D. was the first to come down with the virus. He wasn't entirely surprised. With his work as a pandemic preparedness consultant, Dr. Ramirez had come in close contact with contagious patients as part of his assignments with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security. For nearly a week, Dr. Ramirez spent his days and nights in bed trying to get over his illness. At times, his temperature reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

He was the first person in his household to get sick. Soon after he recovered, his high school aged son picked up a strain at school. And then the pattern repeated. After a week of illness his son returned to school, then another member of the family, Dr. Ramirez's daughter was sent home from college because she tested H1N1 positive. While each of the Ramirez's illnesses came from different sources, the result was the same: high fevers accompanied by aches and pains, a prescription for anti-viral medication, and a week unable to work or attend school. In the end, the month of lost work hours, prescription co-pays and doctor visits carried a hefty price tag--in the ballpark of $14,000.

While much of the focus lately has been on the health risks associated with H1N1, another story is emerging as families grapple with the economic costs of taking time off from work or staying home to care for sick children. Svetlana Kogan, an internal medicine doctor in New York City contracted H1N1 from her 8-year-old daughter in May. The single mom had never missed a day of work because of illness in nine years. Enter the swine flu. Dr. Kogan missed 5 days of work in total. "I'm self-employed so being out for so long really hit hard as far as the business is concerned," explains Dr. Kogan. "There's still overhead costs and bills to pay whether I'm able to work or not." Along with missed work hours and wages, Dr. Kogan's daughter was unable to return to school for 30 days. Dr. Kogan had to hire a full-time babysitter to watch her daughter when she went back to the office.

If you're wondering what the potential dollar costs might be if your family were to contract the H1N1, take a look at the biggest money drains (this assumes that you don't have a serious case).
· Lost work income. Dr. Ramirez estimates his tab in lost wages at about $12,000 for his three-week H1N1 ordeal. That amount doesn't factor in the potential business he lost while sick.
· Medical co-pays. If you see a doctor, tack on another $20 or more for a co-pay if your insurance covers office visits. Or perhaps you have a high deductible health plan so you might be covering the full cost out of your own pocket. If, on the other hand, you choose to go to the emergency room with your symptoms, triple or quadruple that $20 amount.
· Prescription co-pays. Add another $25 to $35 (depending on your health insurance prescription drug plan) to your H1N1 bill if your doctor prescribes an antiviral medication. Tamiflu comes in 10-pill dosages, according to Dr. Ramirez. That means for every 10-pill dose you'll be paying a co-pay. If, for instance, you don't respond to your first dose, plan on paying a co-pay for another. For those paying out of pocket, the price tag increases to $75 to $85 per dose.

For a family of four, even with a mild case of H1N1, the costs can add up to hundreds--or thousands--of dollars. While your health always trumps dollar signs, you might be surprised that once you've survived your feverish days of influenza, you still have to endure pain of an inflated credit card bill.

The Immunizations Clinic at the 14th Medical Group has plenty of vaccine on hand for both children (aged 6 months and older) and adults. The Immunizations Clinic is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Thursday 7:30 a.m. to noon. Please contact the Public Health office at (662) 434-2143 for any questions regarding the vaccine. For reliable information on seasonal flu, please visit the CDC website at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ and the Mississippi State Health Department at: http://www.msdh.state.ms.us/