Who is from where in this forum?

I get the impression that many/most of you are in the US... me I'm Sydney Australia, and I get the feeling that Hep C and medication is dealt with quite differently depending on where you are. For me, the government paid for all my treatement but if I relapse then the Dr's don't see any point in remedicating, but perhaps that is because I have no liver damage yet and so can afford to wait.

[hep62pj]

Yup US I am from New Jersey...

I had to go on a clinical trial to try tx becuz my insurance co-pays were like $800 a month, and I cant afford that

Health insurance in the US is a joke...it is unbelievably expensive, I just lost my job and the cost to stay on the insurance would have been like $600 a month, lucky for me I was able to get insurance with my husband thru his job

[susan400]

I'm in the U.S., Florida.  

Susan

[Laika]

I'm in the US, Florida.  We have good insurance now associated with employment.  But when the employment goes, the insurance goes.  A double-whammy and a too-familiar tale here.  And if you're not young and in robust health, the premiums will be unaffordable.

Laika

[genedog]

toledo, ohio

[Gladitsnotworse]

South Carolina

[Micabo]

I am in beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

[scruffy]

U.S.-Minnesota        I have Good insurance for now.   frank

[bobbyullc]

I AM FROM COLORADO. MY WIFE AND I WERE IN AUSTRALIA FOR A MONTH 2YEARS AND THE BEST PART WAS THE AUSTRALIANS. WE LOVED THIER ATTITUDE. WELCOME.

[dutch_boy]

From hot steamy Georgia now but origianally from upstate N.Y. in the Adirondack Mountains. (my name refers to all my relatives who came to the US from Holland 2 generations ago) Self-employed so I pay high premiums for my health insurance.... and have a high deductible but they have come through for me after all my out of pocket expenses were met....very expensive but coulnd't have done this tx without it.
Scott

[dancegirl54]

Tax a chusetts
I have pretty good insurance as long as I stay working full time, cover only 1 of my kids, X covers the older 2 that have hep C

[mikesimon]

PA - In the country outside of Pittsburgh. Mike

[indyjo]

Indiana. I'm in the IDEAL study here. I have health insurance, however I work in a hospital and level 1 coverage would be through the facility I work for (what about confidentiality you ask?). Level 2 coverage was not affordable, hence the study.

[IwillBeatHCV]

South Florida. I am on a study so meds are free.

[PasoPerson]

carpedi - Do you work with a certain all lady drill team?  If so, it's me!  I saw you and your gal at the horse show?  Know who I am now?

snook_man - Since I was knee high to a grasshopper, my fav thing to do was to go fishing w/my dad.  Since we only did salt water fishing, I never knew of those little things you have to catch a dozen of to make a meal, lol.  I also didn't know how to pick out a fish at a market.  I did know how to filet a fish, leavng no bones to choke on!  My favs were SNOOK, BLUEFISH, KINGFISH, and SMOKED SAILFISH.  I sure miss those days, nothing like watching the sun rise when you're out in the Ocean.  

I gave up, finally, on South Florida two years ago.  Had to move to preserve my life and that of my family!  Crazy place these days.

[Oreos]

California, the Bay Area.  My individual Blue Cross covered most of the Riba but only 30% of injectables (Pegasys and Procrit).  Blessed that my husband's insurance picked up the rest.

[friole]

Texas for the last 28 years but raised in Ohio (U.S.)

I'm self employed too and pay high medical insurance premiums but it is a good plan.  That was a factor for me in deciding to treat now rather than waiting.

[nyhepc]

upstate NY..Adirondacks

[rifleman]

Hey Scruf, I'm from Maine.  Guess what? WE have something in common.  Neither one of the states we live in has a professional football team!
DJL

[snook_man]

LMAO!!!! Another Florida native here. Born and raised in South Florida, and still managing to stay put. Not many natives left down here..

[dendel]

Hello I am from South Florida.  I am on Financial Aid.  So my
medical is free.  Thank God.  Dendel

[PasoPerson]

Born and raised in South Florida - now live in North Central Florida.  

(Yes, there really ARE Florida natives!)

Carolyn

[carpedi]

Let's hear it for Florida - again! North Central here. I've got good insurance 'til I'm 65 in June when Medicare kicks in and won't pay for tx. So tx just HAS to work for me by then! (I did #6 pegasys last night.)

[miked]

Indiana.

Hey SnookMan...we were just down your way.  My twelve year old and I hooked up all week with snook, yellow tail, mangrove snapper and grouper.  Is this why you're named SnookMan?

[DebbieDo]

Sunny southern CALIFORNIA .........
Im along the beautiful Pacific Ocean, where its beautiful all yr round. Yes, insurance.  Welcome  :) Jane

[Leany]

I am now in MS. ..
have COBRA which is expensive. Does anyone have VA ...my boyfriend is retired militay . I thought about getting on his but am not sure of the care I would recieve.

[amommy]

Tax a chusetts here too...I am a central FL. wannabe if only I could convince the rest of my family!  If/When I treat, I have great insurance through my hubby, would only be the RX copay.  I am a stay at home mom at the moment so now is probably not a bad time to give it a whirl!

[omyst]

Sunny San Diego California, where you do not get weather only climate. For weather we drive up to the beautiful Sierra.

I have insurance with work, the doctor visits plus the tx is costing me about $125 a month.

Insurance costs in the US are rising at about 11 or 12% a year. All my raises over the past three years have been eaten by the cost of insurance. In 5 years the projected yearly cost of a family heath plan is going to be around $18,000 ( $1500 a month ), when I retire I will not be able to afford health care.

Things will only change when the people of this country demand it, our legislators will not help since it is not their problem, they get free health care for life ( comes with job ).

[sunspot]

Born in Tax a chusetts, raised in South Florida, now in central Alabama.

[stc1993]

originally from Orlando, before Disney. 3rd generation floridian. Now living in So. GA

[woodbeegood]

south carolina

[TravelGrl]

New Jersey

[DRAGON SLAYER]

I was born in NY, USA. Currently residing in sunny Israel. Treated here for 6 months & paid ~$30/mth as copayment for meds.

Ben

[cquest]

Upstate NY, we call it upstate anyway, people from the city don't think of this as true upstate...but then again, they only call Manhattan 'the city'...fugitabout the other burroughs! As far as insurance goes, luckily I pay $20.00 copays for each med, $20.00 copay for doc visit.

I was thinking about why this country doesn't make HCV testing part of the annual health check up and decided it is because if they really found out how many people have this, it would cost a fortune! Guarantee you that the insurance business would never allow testing to be done on a routine basis for that reason.
Cin

[ASmile4U]

I feel like an outsider since I'm not from Florida!  Born and raised outside of Pittsburg PA, lived in Houston TX for a few and have made my home in Missouri now for 22 years.
Insurance is good through hubby's plan, pay approximately $50/month for doc visits, tx and weekly lab.  :)

[couchpotato]

Another Canadian, Beautiful British Columbia. Provincial govt'. paid for our treatment as we are both self employed and don't make alot of money....on paper.

Mattie

[Kanzou]

San Jose, Calif

[bluepeng]

Massachusetts

[HepC in AZ]

Hi from Arizona. I am in Bullhead City Az. On the colorado River between Laughlin Nv and Needles CA. Raiesed in So. California. We are here doing the reliring thing! I did tx for 48 wks. My husband is retired from the Army and our insuance covered all the meds. It cost us $9 a month.

[scooz]

Central Florida..transplanted 7-16-99.going on 3yrs hepc free now. 6months pegasys and ribivirin..Liver super ast and alt 17 and 16..

[carpedi]

Nope, I don't even know what an "all lady drill team" is! Are we talking power tools or military manouvers? I've been to one horse show this year in Hastings where my granddaughter rides and if you were there I didn't know it. (I was the little old lady in the pink hat.)

[carpedi]

Nope, I don't even know what an "all lady drill team" is! Are we talking power tools or military manouvers? I've been to one horse show this year in Hastings where my granddaughter rides and if you were there I didn't know it. (I was the little old lady in the pink hat.)

[PasoPerson]

Nope, wasn't at that show.  Sorry, know another carpediem and thought "what a small world that would be".  Thanks for your response.

[doll face]

I currently live in Tennessee. Been here 3 years now, but still did all my tests and tx through Michigan doctors, where I used to live.

[Tahquitz]

Long Beach, California. I was laid-off 8 months before my HCV went active . My wifes insurance(and her support) have been great so far. The tx was not the expensive part-the consequences of the side effects were pricey. Keep your health up with diet, exercise, and a positive attitude. The dr. can't prescribe those and their priceless in the long run. G.L.

[Ambush]

Western NY State ~ I paid about $90 a month for meds and copays for dr visits.  I just got a letter from the ins co stating that interferon drugs, riba, and some other injectables would not be covered in the same way from now on.  Would have to use a "special pharmacy" to obtain this special list of meds.  Don't know what that'll mean, since I'm off tx.  I'm pretty sure the copays will be much more.
ambush

[chellski]

Pennsylvania - just outside Philadelphia.  I'm a widow and my kids are covered thru the state...i have what PA calls "special care" about 10 doctor visits a yr and emergency hospital stay (within reason) for about 110.00/mo.  However, NO prescriptions or dental are included.....i get my meds free from roche thru my doctor..
michelle

[snook_man]

Mike, that is why I'm named Snook for sure. I am a local down here, and in the water or on my boat almost daily. My favorite fish is the snook, but I'm also a sucker for snappers and groupers.
But I am known most for night fishing trips specifically to catch BIG snook, and tarpon.

Paso... I'm looking for a way out myself!! I was born in North Miami, and relocated to extreme south. Been down here for 20 some odd years, and seen the place change for sure. We are built all the way to the glades, and filling every single lot in between. Traffic is ridiculous, and nobody speaks english. I want to head upstate, but my family and my wifes family all live here also. We are looking for land possibly around Destin, or Niceville. I want to be in the panhandle somewhere.
Where ever I end up, I need to be CLOSE to the salt water. And as far as fish, no little ones for me!! I possibly could have had the IGFA world record last year for a 400lb plus Jewfish I caught on 30lb test.. The fish looked like a manatee when I brought it up.