Tag: insurance

Redefining The Future of Healthcare

Using MEDI+SWARM’s machine learning to better healthcare outcomes.

One of my passions in life is helping to create MEDI+SWARM. MEDI+SWARM is a social health network that connects people with similar health conditions into communities to easily allow them to see top-rated solutions for their condition, ask questions and get real answers, and to post helpful ideas. While there are quite a few “social health networks” MEDI+SWARM is unique in that it leverages modern technology like machine learning to actually learn from users and improve their health. For example, if in a community of Crohn’s Disease and Arthritis, a user says that by eating salmon it reduces their joint pain and Crohn’s Disease symptoms, and other users agree with this, then the suggestion of eating salmon to reduce joint pain and Crohn’s Disease symptoms is analyzed by our learning machine. Our learning machine will then analyze that statement to realize and identify the components in salmon to see if there’s something known to reduce these symptoms. Bingo! The system will realize Omega 3’s and the fatty acids in salmon are known to reduce these symptoms. This information is realized back to the user and to researchers. This is just a simple example of what the learning machine can do! Just imagine the information it can learn from people who actually live with chronic disease on a day-to-day basis.

Another incredible feature we are working on is the capability of using IBM Watson Health to help answer questions asked by users. Imagine the ability to ask any and all of your health questions to IBM Watson Health, who will then reference medical journals and other information to bring you a real answer. It’s like having the power of a physician at your fingertips!

While MEDI+SWARM is still in development we hope to launch into our Beta soon. If you visit the site today you’ll notice the site isn’t quite ready yet. We are working diligently to bring MEDI+SWARM’s Beta MVP to production soon. If you have any feedback on our planned features, or something you would like to see happen, please feel free to share your feedback as it’s much appreciated.

How I Lowered My Infusion Bill from $2,692 down to $5

Tips on using copay cards to lower your medical expenses.

Nothing is more stressful than opening a bill from the hospital and seeing that your life-saving infusion is going to cost $2,692 AFTER insurance—let’s just say it can cause a few gray hairs to come out of nowhere!

After trying Remicade (developed antibodies), Humira (body didn’t respond), Remicade again, Simponi (developed antibodies), I’m now taking Entyvio to which my body is responding very well to. I’ve been able to achieve clinical remission and I’m no longer steroid dependent. I’d say this is cause for celebration!

However, there is a downside—there are only two infusion centers in the state of Utah that currently provide Entyvio infusions and only one is covered by my insurance. The total for one infusion? $17,890.80. The average person on Entyvio requires eight infusions per year. That means over $143,126 in bills for one year for the average person on Entyvio. I hope you are making more money than I am, because there is no way the average person can come even close to affording $143,126 in hospital bills each year. Luckily, after insurance my bill is only $2,692.44 which isn’t horrible considering my max out-of-pocket is $9,000 for the year. $9,000 is still pretty steep, but it’s better than not having insurance.

What a lot of consumers don’t know is the majority of drug manufacturers provide financial assistance. For example, Entyvio offers Entvyio Connect, Entyvio’s Financial Assistance program, which limits caps the drug price to the consumer to only $5 per dose. My explanation of benefits from my insurance, which breaks down the hospital bill into line items and explains how much the insurance company will cover, shows that the pre-infusion medication of Benadryl and IV Steroid cost $139, IV Supplies cost $537, Laboratory Work $149.80, and Entyvio Drug expense of $17,065. My insurance covered all of the pre-infusion medication, laboratory work, majority of the Entyvio drug expense leaving me with a bill of $2,692.44.

Since I’m enrolled in the Entyvio Connect program my bill has been further reduced to just $5! That’s a savings of over 99% off my original bill with and without insurance. It really does a make difference using a co-pay card like the Entyvio Connect program to help lower your medical expenses. If you are taking a medication it is worth checking to see if the drug manufacturer offers a financial assistance program. These programs can help you save some serious money over the long-run.

Let me know your favorite ways to help lower your medical bills! Good luck and take care of your health!

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