Posted 5/31/2017 1:31 AM (GMT -5)
I also posted this in Crohn's disease forum, am reposting because I don't really know the difference between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease or which one I have.
Hi! I'm an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher looking to teach in other countries (as many countries as possible).
I'm trying to make a list of countries around the world where a full time foreign employee with average pay can get (affordable) Crohn's medicine. (I am on Infliximab/Remicade now, but my doctor said I could probably switch to Humira.)
So far I know I can get Infliximab/Remicade in:
1) Japan--where I am now. (I pay 90,000 yen, which is about $800 USD, per infusion. There's a government subsidy to get it for 0-10,000 yen, but when I tried to apply for that, I was told I have to go off the meds and get sick again for long enough to get a colonoscopy showing evidence that I have Crohn's.)
2) S. Korea-- There's national health insurance for full time workers, even foreigners, and out of pocket cost is capped at 3 million KRW (~$2,500 USD)
3) U.S.A--Now, apparently, health insurance companies can't refuse to pay for treatment for pre-existing conditions, but I never had to pay for my own Remicade in my home country because, when I lived there, I was under my parents' insurance. I'd be interested to know exactly how much people in the U.S. pay for it, although I imagine it varies by state
Also, I found this thread about China:
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=3509001
It says that you can get "reimbursement" for Infliximab in certain provinces in China but gives no indication of the initial cost or the amount that is reimbursed.
I'm especially interested in teaching ESL in Spain, Poland, or the Czech Republic, because they were listed as the easiest countries to find ESL jobs in Europe.