Getting sick with the flu isn't just an awful experience that makes you feel worse than you could imagine. It also can cost you a lot of money if you don't have the proper insurance. says a report in a Health Magazine.
According to Health.com, doctor's visits can run $80 to $100-or more. ER visits in the middle of the night or weekends can easily total $500. With the average health plan deductible rising, you could owe the whole bill, or at least a decent share. In extreme cases, if you land in the hospital the cost (before insurance) can be $2,000 a day. And the average stay for the flu is about four days.
A 2012 study found that when children under the age of 5 came down with the flu parents missed an average of seven work hours if the child was treated in an outpatient setting, 19 hours if the child went to the ER, and 73 hours if the child was hospitalized, as reported by Health.com.
The good news is that you probably don't have to pay a penny for the best defense against the flu. Under Obamacare, a flu shot is free as long as you have health insurance (though plans that were in place before the law passed in 2010, known as grandfathered policies, are exempt). It's one of the preventive services that insurers must fully cover without charging you a co-pay or co-insurance-even if you haven't met your annual deductible yet. Under Medicare, you also pay nothing.
Your vaccine should be free as long as you choose a provider that's in your plan's network. That could mean making an appointment with your doctor, or walking into your neighborhood drug store, urgent care clinic, or big-box retailer. Walgreens, CVS, Target, Walmart, and Kroger all dole out the vaccine, though make sure the branch near you offers the service (not all do). You can use this vaccine finder tool to look up providers near you.
Without insurance or outside your insurance network, you'll probably pay the list price. At Walgreens, that's $30 to $55, depending on the form of vaccine. Although a shot in the arm is the most common, you have options, including a nasal spray.
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reports a "plentiful" supply this year. But don't wait until the last minute. It takes about two weeks for the protection to kick in, says WebMD. .
Get your flu shot. For you and for your family.