https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 12 Nov 2026 12:57:55 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1750931 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 19:05:30 +0000 dagret 1750931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just got the bill for L's 12 mo appointment bc DH's hr lady is crap and for some reason our insurance company didn't think he was on our insurance (fun!) prevnar is itemized at $185 on the bill. That's the "rack" rate, though, not what the insurer would pay for it. </p> <p>If your insurance won't pay for it, I would see if the dr would take, like, $400 in cash. It's more than he would get from the insurance company. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1750509 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:23:13 +0000 looch 1750509@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: @oliviaoblivia: thanks for the info, i find it better to discuss there things using direct comparisons. Do I wish it were less in the US, yes. But the infrastructure is totally different. It isn't fair to compare the UK to the US.</p> <p>My son was born abroad, in a country where the government mandates everyone carry insurance. The providing companies are able to offer coverage levels for all incomes. I am fine with that model, but universal healthcare a la NHS? No thank you. It takes all kinds to make the world go around, right? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1749358 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:40:20 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1749358@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: In Canada the total cost of all childhood vaccinations is $856.03. The four month vaccinations are $215. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1749339 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:36:58 +0000 Ree723 1749339@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I just looked it up yesterday actually. Prevenar 13 is around £46, which is about $79, but the NHS is actually using a different vaccine for two years, Pneumax or something like that, to test its effectiveness - it's produced by a French company I think, and it costs £8 per dose. Pfizer says it's not as effective, but who knows? I do agree though, there are absolutely positives and negatives to every health system out there - none of them are perfect.</p> <p>ETA: Ahh, that wasn't meant to be directed towards anyone else, or imply that anyone who chose otherwise was a big dummy. That is my personal preference and what is important to DH and I. Everyone has different priorities and for us, universal healthcare was a top priority. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1749304 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:28:58 +0000 looch 1749304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: I thought I read something along the lines of you not wanting to ever live in a place that didn't have socialized medicine. Maybe I misread, if I did, I apologize.</p> <p>eta: found it, in one of your replies:</p> <p>@loveisstrange: Yes. I cannot wait to get over to the UK. Healthcare was the single biggest issue that pushed us to living in the UK over the US. I would never willingly choose to live in a country without universal healthcare again. I loved the universal healthcare system in the UK and Australia- beats the US system any day.<br /> ---------------------</p> <p>To compare apples to apples, do you know how much those vaccines cost in the UK or Australia? I am not talking about your out of pocket, but I can not imagine that they are that much less. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1749288 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:23:53 +0000 MamaG 1749288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: And this makes exactly my point. So many people (myself included) are blissfully unaware of the costs because we either pay nothing or small copays without knowledge of the real money flowing between the insurance companies, doctors, facilities, pharma companies, employers, government, etc. </p> <p>Again, generally speaking I think most people are not highly knowledgeable about the components and related costs. It's when you are put in the position of having to pay the high costs with no insurance or a high deductible healthplan that you become more aware. </p> <p>Most of us wouldn't buy a car right off the lot without negotiating or researching, but yet we walk into a doctor office frequently unarmed with information regarding cost. Healthcare consumers are often not "smart" consumers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1749272 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:18:15 +0000 pui 1749272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That price actually doesn't seem that astronomically high to me at all. </p> <p>I live in Canada and I had to pay over $900 out of pocket for a medication I needed at the beginning of my pregnancy, not covered by OHIP.</p> <p>Keep in mind that those vaccines still cost that much, and we all still pay for them "out of pocket", we just pay for it in smaller instalments over our entire lifetime. Medical care is never actually free. Infact, we waste so much money in our system for care that often is sub-par. That's the trouble when the government runs things, everything is redundant and overly expensive. I don't think Canada's system is exactly perfect either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1749262 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:11:53 +0000 Ree723 1749262@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Oh wow, that was certainly not my intent at all to suggest that anyone living in a country without universal healthcare was a moron. I most certainly understand that it's not that easy for people to move countries and fully appreciate that I am in a fortunate position where I am able to do so. I haven't edited my original post but I am truly sorry if my message came across that way. As for taxes, no I'm not paying taxes in the US (although I have in the past) but I also didn't expect it to be free. I was happy to pay for the services, I'm just outraged over the cost of the actual vaccines. Those prices are absolutely ludicrous. But like I said, I don't object to paying in general because of course I wouldn't expect it to be free. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1749180 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 08:39:15 +0000 looch 1749180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: I think you edited your original post, because it did come across as though you had written that anyone that would live in a place without socialized medicine was a complete moron. I don't think it's that easy for a lot of people to move around the world, a lot of places have pretty strict visa requirements. </p> <p>Fact of the matter is, though, that every system has its imperfections and nothing is free, anywhere. Just because you aren't personally paying a bill doesn't mean it is free. I also feel as though the doctor was correct to bill you as they did. You don't have insurance beyond travel insurance, I am guessing since you are here temporarily you aren't paying taxes, so what should have been the correct protocol for the doctor to follow? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1749114 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 08:10:10 +0000 Ree723 1749114@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SleepyMonkey: Interesting article, thanks for sharing!! It's so hard to find data that clearly lays it out,but this one did a pretty good job. I know in England and Australia, the tax rates are proportional to your income. Right now in the UK, your salary up to £32,000 (which is a pretty decent salary) is taxed at 20%. Everything you make beyond that is taxed at 40%, so there is definitely a tipping point where your taxes start to become pretty high, but that tends to come once you're getting into more serious money. Most people, with comfortable salaries, in good jobs, with a good standard of living, aren't going to come anywhere near paying 40% income tax. And if they do, they're making bucket loads of money and need to stop whinging :happy: Thanks for the info, I find this fascinating! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1748999 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 06:14:19 +0000 SleepyMonkey 1748999@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: this is interesting! i talk to people in the UK pretty frequently for work and they always complain about how high the taxes are so much higher there than the US (60% v. 35% for similar tax brackets). however, i could have a biased sample set because the people i talk to are mostly quite wealthy. </p> <p>@lamariniere: ouch! this is the impression that i had for most of developed Europe.</p> <p>i swear i didn't pull this tax info out of thin air! i am guessing it varies from person to person. </p> <p><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/01/how-low-are-us-taxes-compared-to-other-countries/267148/" rel="nofollow">http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/01/how-low-are-us-taxes-compared-to-other-countries/267148/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1748985 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 03:29:47 +0000 lamariniere 1748985@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SleepyMonkey: just for perspective, I live in Austria, which has a mixed system. I'm self employed and 30% of my income goes to the social healthcare and 20ish% to income taxes. So yeah, I pay A TON more in taxes than I ever did in the US. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1748914 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 22:50:09 +0000 Mrs. Pinata 1748914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know. It's absolutely horrible!! We had that kind of bill once, and after that we went to the public health clinic. This was when we had absolutely awful health insurance. And OF COURSE they tell you they don't know how much it will cost, which is so entirely corrupt and gross to me. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1748864 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 21:47:53 +0000 BSB 1748864@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: Thank you. Glad I explained it well. Yeah, I'm hoping all the research won't be lost, either. </p> <p>@sunny: Thank you. Exactly. </p> <p>@SleepyMonkey: Thank you for those numbers! That's new to me, and it definitely makes sense. The assays that I run can run into the $5-10K for each test. Anything research related can be so expensive. Also, interesting that 1-2% drugs make it to market. I knew the number was low but 1-2% is tiny. Wow! Having a number like that is so eye opening. Haha! That's coming from me. Welcome to reality. Haha. I know this is part of my job and being in science, studies sometimes don't work as you had hoped or planned. We just have to keep reminding ourselves what our goal is and that find a cure or treatment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1748849 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 21:37:38 +0000 Ree723 1748849@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for all the responses everyone! It's great to hear some different perspectives on this, which is also helping to temper some of my anger :-)</p> <p>I can't respond to everyone individually now as it's gone onto the second page but just a couple of points. @sleepymonkey: Actually, our tax rates are similar, or slightly lower than those in the US when you factor in the insurance costs (based on my experience). DH's take home pay in the UK now is 71% of his salary, and he makes a pretty nice wage; in Australia, he was making a salary that put us in the highest tax bracket, and including the 9% of his pay check that was taken out for student loans, he was still bringing home nearly 60% of his salary (so a tax rate of 31-32%). Our sales tax is significantly higher (I think around 17.5%) but since it's already been included in the price on the price tag, you don't really notice it. </p> <p>@espion: I recently read an article in Time talking about the disparity in hospital costs and the inflation of costs without apparent justification for the increase - things like a single Motrin tablet were being charged at a rate of $70 per pill. That is insanity. And I know that money doesn't go into the pocket of providers, which is what makes it even more ridiculous.</p> <p>@sunny: Yes, the bill was itemised and the cost of the administration of the vaccines was a separate charge, so the prices I listed were just for the actual vaccine. I'm actually ok with the charges for the nurse's work because she did the most work that day, but sadly, I know she's probably bringing home the smallest pay check.</p> <p>@PurplePumps: Ooh, I wish I had known that about the payment plan! I have a call in to the doctor, who will apparently be calling back tomorrow, to see if we can't knock down some of the office charges. He's usually been really good about that, but now that he's in with this network, I'm not sure how much flexibility he has with that anymore.</p> <p>Thanks to all those who commiserated - I was absolutely fuming earlier and a bit of sympathy, and perspective, helped calm me down a bit :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much/page/2#post-1748785 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 20:44:48 +0000 PurplePumps 1748785@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: wow, I'm sorry. I would definitely try to negotiate with the doctors office. It's ridiculous how much they charge individuals. They can't even get away with charging the insurance company that much, their negotiated rate is SO much lower! I would try to find out what a "reasonable" negotiated rate is and see if they can charge you that. (This isn't for baby vaccs, but for example, for an office procedure, my doctor would charge $300 on the bill, but then with insurance, they discount it $180! So the doc only ends up getting $120 for it!) If that doesn't work, another trick I read is to set up a payment plan (should be 0%), then after your first bill comes, call them up and ask if they will offer a discount if you pay in full right then. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748729 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 20:16:41 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 1748729@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: oh, girl, I am so sorry!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748706 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 20:01:09 +0000 SleepyMonkey 1748706@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@oliviaoblivia: i can't argue with you there, since i've only lived in the US and only paid taxes here! i am just recalling what i've read in articles in the past. i guess it depends on what calculation they are using. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748677 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 19:38:59 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1748677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SleepyMonkey: my income taxes in Canada are very close to what I paid in the states. The only higher tax I pay is sales tax. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748646 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 19:06:02 +0000 SleepyMonkey 1748646@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>just to put some numbers on @bluestriped bee 's explanation, it costs pharma companies, on average, $1.3 billion to get a drug to market and the success rate of getting a drug to market is only 1-2%. so pharma companies burn through tons and tons of cash thru R&amp;D on many drugs, most of which fail, just to get one successfully to the public. the fda approval process in our country is extremely onerous and costly! but not without reason. i only know this because i wrote a healthcare related report for work recently and was astounded by the numbers.</p> <p>i also think that tax rates in the U.S. are low in comparison to most developed countries in the world, particularly those with universal healthcare like the UK, Canada and the Scandis. Universal healthcare in this country would be hugely beneficial, but taxes will absolutely have to increase quite a bit in this country and i guess i don't see that happening anytime soon.</p> <p>all that being said, it still is shocking to see those numbers on a bill, so i'm sorry! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748635 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 18:58:21 +0000 MamaG 1748635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Globally, I think most people are fairly unaware of the cost of most things "medical". So many people are used to socialized medicine or healthcare plans that include things like co-pays. Until people really are responsible for paying all those bills or analyzing what is submitted to their insurance that they don't actually pay most of us live blissfully unaware. </p> <p>I've been involved in some of the medical plan negotiations over the past year at my company and it's mind boggling.</p> <p>And before we get too carried away in the blame game, healthcare insurance companies in the US now have their profits limited courtesy of ACA. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748552 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 17:51:27 +0000 sunny 1748552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know if its broken out in your bill, but there is also the cost of the vaccine administration (e.g. the act of poking your kid with the needle). The medical tech who does it gets paid peanuts but on our bills, we are charged a lot for that service, not just the actual vaccine medicine itself.</p> <p>@bluestriped bee: Great explanations. I think most people don't think about the research &amp; development costs when we think about how much medicines "should" cost. We think, how much can it cost to *manufacture* this little vial, rather than all of the process (research, development, trials, marketing) that went into getting them into the hands of the consumer in the first place. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748543 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 17:43:25 +0000 Espion 1748543@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: If you really want to put something in your pipe and smoke it, think about basic procedures that are performed in hospitals. When I was in training, the hospital decided to charge $10,000 for a MRI that specifically looks at the kidneys. A standard abdominal/pelvic MRI? They charged nearer to $5,000. Why the difference? Because that is the price the hospital set. The radiologist doesn't get paid any more for the more expensive MRI.<br /> Similarly, one hospital here charges nearly $1,000 more for the exact same procedure than another hospital. Because that's what they decided to charge. Do I get paid any differently? Or the anesthesiologists? Or nurses? Nope.</p> <p>It is obscene. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748542 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 17:41:53 +0000 BananaPancakes 1748542@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: Holy crap! I had no idea they were that much! Well now I feel lucky that our insurance covers 100% of well checks. We basically pay another mortgage a month in insurance, but $800 for one round of shots is insane! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748502 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 17:20:32 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1748502@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: I have found your responses in this thread highly informative and interesting. Thank you for offering a counter perspective that most people don't think about. Research is costly, and like you said - so much of it never goes to market, so that money invested is lost. Just think about how long manufacturers have been trying to develop vaccines and drugs for AIDS/HIV, which is a highly mutating virus. I cannot imagine the billions of dollars lost on that research. Hopefully one day it won't be "lost" because it will have lead to a cure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748493 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 17:14:18 +0000 jedeve 1748493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel your pain. Our pediatrician we thought was in network, but there was an error. So now we are trying to argue a $700 bill for a few visits plus a round of vaccines. </p> <p>A single payer system would be so much better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748308 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 15:44:44 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1748308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alphagam84: I think a lot of people blame part of the excess cost of healthcare on insurance companies because they add an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy. A universal health care system has no use for insurance companies, and the money insurance companies would make instead goes into patient care. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748300 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 15:42:22 +0000 BSB 1748300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: I completely agree with you. Healthcare costs (in general, with everything it touches) sucks. I just don't think I can point fingers at a certain industry, though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748292 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 15:40:09 +0000 BSB 1748292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: So you think big pharma is something that is limited to just the US? Big pharma is everywhere (China, UK, etc.) and I think it's medical insurance and government that makes it so costly. </p> <p>I'm not in business development and revenues side of things, but the $4 billion that Pfizer made will be used to pay for developing other drugs. Are they not suppose to make any profit whatsoever? If they aren't making money on the drugs they create, how will they fund the research that is currently going on? Also, drugs that we develop have patents and we can only have patents for 5-6 years. Once that patent expires, generic companies can swoop in and manufacturer that drug and make a profit.<br /> I take generic drugs, too, but the tests that the original pharmaceutical performs is nowhere near the tests done on companies making generic. You think generic companies tests the compound in long term studies? I'm not faulting companies that make generic either. Most of the generics out there are very similar to the real thing. It's a big messy process where some FDA regulations are more strict or lenient. I don't have a specific answer but I think there are a lot of things that can be fixed in our government, healthcare and medical industrys that could a factor in why costs were so high for you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/vaccines-cost-how-much#post-1748291 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 15:40:07 +0000 fairy 1748291@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Urgent cares give vaccines too, would your insurance have covered them there? Children's vaccines and well visits are covered (with American insurance at least.. Though the cost is still ridiculous we pay over $900/month for employee+spouse+child health insurance and that's for a HDHP so we end up paying for things until we hit the deductible anyway!) and the only time I have seen people pay out of pocket for vaccinations were for travel, flu shots, or nursing school. Mind boggling costs, though! </p>