Sick pay: 9 stories of health costs

Lisa Marie Cabrera with her boyfriend, Jason.

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I work for a teacher's credit union and am one of the fortunate few where my employer pays my insurance costs every month. I only pay my co-pay and prescriptions through my HMO plan.

Now you may think how lucky I am, but when I go to the eye doctor and I walk out of the office paying $450 dollars just for glasses, I have ask, "What is my insurance paying for?"

My vision insurance only pays for basic frames; if I want a different style then I have to pay the difference. The frames they offered to me were metal, but I have sensitive skin and need plastic frames. Of course, they are more expensive.

The same thing goes for my general doctor visits. I can spend up to $125 just for being sick. My co-pay alone is $25 and prescriptions are $20 each. Still, I am grateful for my benefits and do my best to not get sick. Preventive care and holistic care keeps me out of the doctor's office.

For a year, I didn't have health insurance. I found local clinics that would adjust co-payments based on income. I didn't mind going there, but you could wait up to two hours just to see a doctor -- and that is with an appointment. Also, you didn't have a regular doctor, so you would just see whatever physician was in the office at that time.

My thoughts on universal health care: I would like to see it happen. It will help with the costs that we have here.

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