Baby update & HPV

[southerngirl]

I had a checkup with my OB Yesterday.

 

27 days to go till I have my daughter! He did another ultrasound yesterday, and everything looks great! He said she is 5 lbs 1 oz or so already, and since in the last month she should gain about a half pound a week she should be every bit of 7 lbs when she is born.

 

Also I asked him about the HPV vaccine because I have been hearing so much about it on the tv lately. I asked him have I been tested for it? He said thats not something that is routine, and that when I come back for a annual physical after the baby is born he can test me if I want, and we can discuss the vaccine further. But, something I found out that blows my mind is that the insurance companies will not cover the vaccine for women above the age of 26. Since I am 29, that wouldnt cover me.

 

But how is that fair? I mean..... At my age Im not dead yet, and many women my age still have sex (obviously my baby wasnt immaculate conception) and still more woman have multiple partners. The vaccine would make sense. I do think I would want it, just to have it. If it does in fact prevent 70 percent of cervical cancers then I want to lower my chances. There is a problem though. The vaccine is in three shots, and cost $110 per shot! Thats expensive and insurance will not cover it.

[rose2summer]

Hey southergrl,

 

You may be able to get the vaccine through some planned parenthoods for very low cost.

 

I am not sure but you may want to look into it.

 

I highly recommend considering it as having contracted it myself, it's a huge headache and heartache altogether.

[rose2summer]

The vaccine is in three shots, and cost $110 per shot!

 

Well, consider it a small dent in your pocket, and a good one.

 

My testing alone for HPV, pap smears, and dr. visits, without having receiving treatment yet (which will be another financial burden) has been well over $1000, so if I could have had the $330, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.

[southerngirl]

Yeah, I wonder if theres a lower cost way to get it too. Its definitely something I want. Thats if the tests come back okay. He said that he can do that next time I go there for a routine checkup post-baby.

 

Its sad that the insurance companies are fighting it. I think its all about money. They are saying 'no way we dont want to cover that'.... Or, are they implying that because im 'old' I must already have it.

[melrich]

The vaccine is in three shots, and cost $110 per shot! Thats expensive and insurance will not cover it.

 

The problem is, if insurance companies covered the vaccine beyond the scope of their current coverage, you would just be paying higher premiums which in the long run would cost more than the $330 for the vaccine.

 

Funding expenses via insurance is a totally ineffective way to finance something and is really nothing more than dollar swapping.

[rose2summer]

Yes, it is sad about the insurance companies.

 

I think they don't feel any need to cover it because most people have it.

 

The problem, however, is that it would prevent high-risk HPV and reduce the incidence of cervical cancer, so you would assume it would be to their benefit, but you need to get the shot again every several years, so maybe they don't consider it cost efficient to give every women the shot every several years.

 

For that reason alone, planned parenthood may be the way to go.

[southerngirl]

Thanks, I didnt realise this would be something drawn out over time like that. Rose, with your story it makes me think I could have it too. Its very scary. I mean, I have no reason to think I would have it, but.... if its true that so many people do, why wouldnt I have it too?

 

If we are in fact facing a virus of epidemic proportions, maybe all woman of sexual age (up to 60) should get this if they pass the 'test' .... it should be like the flu shots they push on us during flu season.

 

melrich,

Yeah, I can see the point. If they covered it, it would only make premiums go even higher than they are already. It could be far more expensive though in the long run if I dont have insurance. Should I get hurt or ill and need their coverage it is there. My husband gets insurance through his work but we must still pay a premium for it out of each of his paychecks, as he makes too much money for us to qualify for government sponsored insurance. Health care in america is expensive, and many people have no insurance at all.

[melrich]

The problem, however, is that it would prevent high-risk HPV and reduce the incidence of cervical cancer, so you would assume it would be to their benefit, but you need to get the shot again every several years, so maybe they don't consider it cost efficient to give every women the shot every several years.

 

It is a simple cost equation. If you use your line of argument above then you could ask why insurance comapnies don't buy their car insurance policy customers new tyres every 3 years because it would result in less accidents.

 

There are two ways you can fund this sort of stuff. You can load it onto premiums in which case you add the cost of the $110 injection + 10% compliance costs +13% administartive costs +5% claim processing costs +say 4% profit margin.

 

So your $110 turns into about $145. Or the individual can just pay the $110 direct to the doctor. Funding discretionary spending or even necessary spending (vaccine and tyres) via insurance premiums is costly and inefficient.

[rose2summer]

Thanks, I didnt realise this would be something drawn out over time like that. Rose, with your story it makes me think I could have it too. Its very scary. I mean, I have no reason to think I would have it, but.... if its true that so many people do, why wouldnt I have it too?

Yes, hopefully you don't have it, it sure has flipped my life upside down out of fear of the unknown in my future.

 

With the vaccine, they really don't know how long it protects women. They did find that it protected up to 5yrs as of now and are conducting more studies. Potentially you will only need booster shots and not the full series, but since it's so relatively new, it's not particularly well researched in longevity.

[rose2summer]

I found this:

Some states also provide free or low-cost vaccines at public health department clinics to people without health insurance coverage for vaccines.

link removed

 

You might want to look into public health departments in your area.

[CarnelianButterfly]

I personally would prefer the $330 instead of getting cervical cancer down the line. I also hate pap smears, but I know they are the best way to detect abnormal cells.

[RayKay]

I imagine it may be as they are already expecting you would of been exposed by that time, at least most women would so they want to limit "wasted vaccines".

 

If you can get it though, I recommend it. I too went through rounds of treatment (not sure if due to HPV, they did not test for that back then!) - fortunately in Canada I am covered - but I know if I was not it would of been VERY expensive.

[BeStrongBeHappy]

the reason they use 26 as the cutoff age is that if you are 26 or older, the odds are very high that you have already been infected, so it is too late for the vaccine to be effective. HPV is so prevalent, that the majority of the population is infected with it, usually within a couple years of becoming sexually active, but hopefully this vaccine will help reduce that number in women who get it before they become infected the first time.

 

i think the rule should be that you get tested, and if you come back negative, then you should get the vaccine, whatever your age. if you come back positive, then just be sure to get a PAP smear every year because you can get treated if cervical cancer is detected, a very curable cancer in early stages...

 

but yes, cost of treatment does affect what insurance companies will pay for. there are many good treatments/medications for all kinds of conditions that they won't pay for either. not fair, but the reality. lets hope the cost of the vaccine comes down eventually over time, then i think it will be available to more people.

 

btw, having HPV is not an automatic guarantee you will get cervical cancer, but it does improve your odds... so everyone should get PAP smears, as unpleasant as they are, and just recognize that this is one risk that science has fortunately discovered, so they they can watch for it and detect it early enough to save lives. i think if someone smokes cigarettes, they are at more risk for cancer than someone who has HPV, so that is something to think about. one has to consider all risks in life and not live in fear of what may or may not happen, but live wisely and act accordingly when one knows the risks.