At the onset of the pandemic, the only thing on the mind of scientists and medical professionals was how to beat the disease. While most people who’ve had Covid beat the disease in about two weeks to a month, that is not the story for millions of Americans who talk about their encounter with it. No one would have imagined that months after contracting Covid and the initial symptoms had died down, there could be a chance there would be dire lingering effects. Medical care is already an expensive endeavor with many other diseases, what about managing long Covid?
The Cost Americans Have to Bear
Long Covid goes by various names such as post-acute Covid syndrome, post Covid, or long-haul Covid. Whichever way you call it, it doesn’t diminish the financial burden it places on the families and friends of the people who have to fight with the condition. A conservative estimate sees the illness costing the US economy over $3.7 trillion, with medical bills of $528 billion making up a large chunk of that amount.
It is tough to quantify the costs at a household or national scale. However, experts such as David Cutler at Howard University estimate the individual costs for long Covid sufferers to be about $9,000 a year. The typical costs can range from $3,500 to upwards of $15,000. This range is down to the severity of the illness a particular patient experiences.
Because long Covid can also affect someone’s ability to work, the particular patient may find it hard to depend on a steady paycheck. When in and out of work, employer insurance also takes a hit, making it an arduous task to cater to medical bills.
Missing The Target
The worst thing about long Covid is, there are no known cure or treatment options. Medical personnel simply have to manage the manifestations of the illness as best as they can. Also, with new treatment protocols coming out periodically, it can be quite a wait for new treatment regimens to become available. Even then, there is no guarantee it will work.
For any other infectious disease, medical professionals identify the organism causing the illness and attack it with medication. This isn’t the case with long Covid. Instead, doctors are treating the disease’s symptoms, rather than the disease itself.
For example, one symptom of long Covid is chronic fatigue. Doctors are not recommending physical therapy as a solution to the tiredness. In cases where pain is involved, you have to contend with pain medication. Even more shocking is prescribing psychiatric evaluation or counseling for patients presenting with depression, insomnia, or brain fog.
What does all this portend for patients? If you’re lucky enough to have health insurance, it can help cover some costs of diagnosis and treatment. All this, however, depends on the severity of your symptoms, and the treatments prescribed for them. It’s not uncommon to come across patients who’ve maxed out their annual out-of-pocket costs with a single treatment.
Are You In Need Of An Insurance Provider Who’ll Have Your Back?
That’s who we are at the Healthcare Solutions Team. We have a host of affordable health insurance plans that can fit your specific needs, and offer you so much more than you can imagine, starting with our personalized touch. Besides, we ensure every client gets to enjoy a personalized service experience. Healthcare Solution is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National General Insurance Group, so rest assured you’re getting quality service. For more information, contact us today, and our teams will be more than willing to help.