by Patrick Appel

A reader writes:

And this is without anything catastrophic happening. I can't afford to take the medications that would really prevent my asthma from being a problem -- the daily inhaled medication that helps me most, Advair, would cost me nearly $300 out of pocket per month. So, instead of being able to spend that, I end up getting really sick a couple times a year and, if I can get the doctor to bill it as bronchitis, I can afford a nebulizer treatment every now and again.