Seven Days VT: As 2014 drew to a close, 24-year-old Alissa Carberry hoped that her insulin pump wouldn’t need to be replaced. Carberry has Type 1 diabetes, a chronic disease that requires expensive medication and constant monitoring. On paper, she was lucky: She had insurance through her employer, Burlington Children’s Space, so her monthly insurance premiums were covered.
Yet Carberry still struggled to pay her medical bills. She faced a $1,900 deductible before her insurance — obtained by her employer through Vermont Health Connect — even kicked in. When it did, she was still on the hook for 40 percent of the cost of her medical supplies. The pump alone, with a $5,000 price tag, would cost her $2,000. She said she comparison-shops whenever possible, but "There is no generic for insulin pumps or insulin."
This year, Rep. Paul Poirier (I-Barre) introduced a bill to boost state subsidies for low-income individuals who have policies through Vermont Health Connect — policies that, Poirier argues, don’t do enough…To read the entire article Click Here.