Is it Really Better in America?

Or in the UK?

I know India is as bad as we are. I’m referring to the finance side of Ankylosing spondylitis. The email I (we) got from the chairman of the Axial Spondyloarthritis association of my country (lower Africa) stated that our patients thrive when they go to the States.

From what I’ve seen, our public hospitals don’t pay for treatment for AS at all. And you have to be on the most expensive medical aid (health insurance) plan to have the medication covered. The medication I’m referring to being pain medication and usually biologics to slow the disease progression down and reduce pain. And with the med aid company I’m paying (though on a not as expensive plan) their most expensive plan apparently expects you to do a 20% co-payment each time for the meds to slow the disease down. if you joined after 2020 or if you have to move onto a new treatment. (They either fail, or stop being helpful. Kinda like when they are treating cancer.) That’s around R1500 to R2000 per shot! They don’t pay for pain medication at all. And this is on top of the monthly payments being made to medical aid! And on top of the medication I have to buy monthly for my children! It’s too much!

The Association is trying to get the disease put on the Prescribed Minimum Benefit list, which is a list of pre approved diseases that all medical aid plans (except for hospital only plans) have to cover. Like diabetes or asthma. This would save a lot of people the heartache of not being able to afford treatment. Or having to get loans -which is what my husband’s plan was-to pay for treatment.

So, is it better overseas? Does the public healthcare system pay for it? Think NHS in Britain. Do all health insurance companies in the States cover it, no matter how little or much you are paying them each month?

Do I really want the answer given I will never live overseas anyway?