14 cents

okay, let me put this out on the table: i don't understand health insurance.  i have it, i'm happy to have it, it pays for things, i don't ask any questions.  but i DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.  for example - and let me preface these examples by saying that these are prescriptions that i had filled for minor things and my doctor gave me a "clean bill of health" (her words) at my yearly physical this week (hooray!) and all is well.  even my iron level was normal - a 13.5 - normal is between 11 and 17 (according to the nurse).  because i'm a vegetarian i always worry that i'm not getting enough iron, but apparently i am.  whoo hoo!  i am amazing!

back to my example.  this is a prescription i had filled a couple months ago:

um, how glad am i that i have insurance?  some questions, though: (a) how is it possible that 30 pills cost $438.28 - and i know many prescriptions cost more than this, and (b) what the hell do people without insurance DO?  i understand that some of the cost of prescriptions comes because a great deal of time and energy goes into creating different drugs, and companies need to be compensated for that.  but seriously.  whoa.

yesterday i got this prescription filled:

why thank you, insurance.  i'm glad you picked up that 14 cents.  seriously - if it's going to pay that little, why does it pay anything at all?  i may have laughed out loud in the pharmacy.

i don't understandddddd...