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WSJ.com Forums :: View topic - Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 3:21 pm Post subject: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
Welcome to my forum!
I invite you to join me here week, my column takes a look at ways to save money on prescription drugs.
Consumers can save big bucks by shopping more carefully for their medicines, and consulting their doctors and insurers for help in keeping costs low.
But do drug companies, doctors and insurers do enough to help consumers with rapidly escalating health-care costs?
What would you like to see these groups do to help make health care more affordable?
I'll check in periodically and post replies.
(Be sure to include your full first and last name.) I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Best,
Terri
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:23 am Post subject: Re: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
This won't happen, but...The only way positive change will happen is if We the People have a national dialogue on what we want from a health care system.
Do we want every procedure on demand?
Then we have to be ready to pay.
Do we want to set fairly strict age or health guidelines for who would receive chemotherapy or hip replacements?
Then we have to start being honest about who receives curative treatment and who receives a lot of painkillers.
And if We the People aren't interested in preventative medicine, if We the People continue to think french fries are vegetables, that using the remote control is exercise, and that it's okay to be FAT, then We the People have to be willing to pay the medical dollars required to treat the FAT-related illnesses.
I have group health insurance (public school district of 40,000 teachers) and our benefits have stayed the same for years.
I'm lucky. But, I also take care of myself, because I don't want to suffer the aches and pains of not taking care of myself, the side effects of anti-cholesterolbloodpressurewhathaveyou medicine, the time wasted sitting in the doctor's waiting room.
Folks, we have to have a serious talk.
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:35 am Post subject: Re: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
Addendum.
For being such a rich country, we also have huge numbers of uninsured women getting little or no prenatal care, thus having premature babies, who will require potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical care from incubator on throughout their lives.
Because this nation is so squeamish about comprehensive birth control education being taught in schools, we've got some of the higest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world.
Those teens are generally not the wealthy ones with parents with insurance who are getting pregnant, either.
Do we want to get serious and honest and open about all aspects of medical care?
Or if we don't talk about it, will it all just go away?
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:13 am Post subject: Re: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
(1 rating)
CDC study that 50% of healtcare costs are caused by lifestyle habbits.
People who smoke should have to pay the 35% increase in premiums that their lifestyle incurs and thus lowering healthcare costs for companies who need not have others pay such high medicine copays.
Also, people who have a Body Mass Index greater than 35 should pay the higher premium for the same reason.
This is not allowed by americans for disabilities act but that law should changed as this was not the purpose of the law.
It is not fair that those of us who do not smoke and who eat healthily and exercise subsidize those who have these unhealthy lifestyle habbits through having our companies pay for their lifestyle habbits and charging others an average of $2,500 in premiums.
Western European countries that negotiate lower drug prices (thus making Americans subsidize them) should have to pay higher rates negotiated through World Trade Organization agreements.
That will lower our national medicine costs.
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:49 pm Post subject: Re: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
My insurer requires a co-pay of $10 per month for generic drugs and something greater ($25??) for non-generic.
This does not encourage me to find the overall least cost - just to go to the most convenient drugstore.
For those of us with a co-pay greater than $4, Wal-mart with no insurance will soon cost less than the co-pay for many prescriptions.
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:54 pm Post subject: Re: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
There is much we CAN do, but I don't think there is much we WILL do.
It's easy to blame it on the drug companies and insurance carrier, and I think they are to blame to some extent.
But I agree with the previous poster that if "We The People" are unwilling to change our lifestyles, the fix is limited.
We have to exercise and eat right.
We have to stop smoking and cut down on our drinking.
We have to ask questions of our health care providers.
We have to comparison shop for our prescriptions.
We have use the same frugality on our health care purchases that we use in our other day-to-day purchases.
How many people go out and buy the first car that meets their needs, with little or no regard for the price?
We need to apply the same spending behavior to our health care, and the providers need to be prepared for the questions and challenges associated with that new behavior.
We in Massachusetts are gearing up for the nation's first mandated health coverage program.
Responsibility for obtaining coverage is placed on the individual, and responsibility for providing affordable coverage is on the Commonwealth, but employers are burdened with the additional responsibility of documenting who is covered and who is not.
The Commonwealth should spend more time on consumer education and training and less time on employer regulation.
$.02
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 6:29 pm Post subject: Re: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
You know I constantly see ads about todays "medicines paying for tomorrows miracles" and I have to wonder how true that really is.
The number one domestic issue facing America in my mind is health care reform.
We are in a run away system and I fear politicians won't get serious about all this until its too late.
It is something that could have serious macro economic concequences in the future if we don't address these problems now.
Prescription drugs are only the beginning.
I think its great that you are addressing ways to keep cost down.
Its a wake up call that we are responsible for the way we use our insurance.
Just paying premiums doesn't mean high costs aren't our problem now.
The key to better health care is fewer health issues (maybe through preventative care!!!) and responsible us of the systems we have.
Members of the media need to start brainstorming with health care professionals and come up with ideas for a better system.
If we make it more important politicians will know it.
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 7:29 pm Post subject: Re: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
My husband and I are self employed and pay a whopping $740 per month for our health insurance -- if we become ill or need to spend time in the hospital for any reason (we're in our fifties) we could end up spending nearly $15,000 for medical insurance, deductibles, and co-pays.
We can't afford prescription drug coverage and since we don't have any chronic conditions that can't be treated without prescriptions (we use red yeast rice and oatmeal for breakfast for high cholesterol and turmeric for psoriasis -- both very effective and cheap), we just pay about $20 per year each for AARP prescription discounts and try to buy our meds from Costco or WalMart.
So, to save money, we buy the cheapest plan possible, no prescription coverage, and probably wait to long to go to the doctor because of the co-pays and deductibles.
Heaven help anyone who can't afford health care coverage at all ...
There is no reason that our country can't have a universal, one-payer healthcare program in place like every other developed country in the world has.
This will never change as long as Republicans rule the country ...
Ultimately, the best way to save money on healthcare is to vote Democratic because then we might have a shot at healthcare for everyone and not just people who work for large companies or the rich.
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Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 10:50 am Post subject: Re: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
A while back I wrote a column that looked at the new trend of companies making smokers pay higher health insurance premiums.
Many readers who responded to the column resoundingly agreed that all companies should charge workers who smoke or are overweight more for their insurance.
I think it's a smart idea and one I'd welcome if it encourages people to live healthier lifestyles.
What do you think?
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Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 10:51 am Post subject: Re: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
There has to be a change to personal responsibility all around.
Every American has got to realize a lifetime of irresponsible health choices do not become the responsibility of everyone else when the expected consequences kick in.
Doctors, much as they may not want to be, shoulc be the 'nags' about unhealthy habits and document it.
Then there will be record that the patient did know and chose not to change when the bills come due.
Unfortunately the entire family suffers, as I can attest to personally.
My father is bleeding the savings he and my mother accumaulted dry because he is absolutely irresponsible about his health and refuses to take any personal responsibility for it.
Any attempt in the last 30 years to call it to his attention resulted in angry unwillingness to admit any failings on his part.
But the doctors he sees allow him the pass since they simply hand him the next set of perscriptions, never calling him on his smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet, ever increasing weight, until he comes back into the ER with heart failure, diabetic shock or what ever.
I can only hope that my mother will at least keep the house.
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Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:16 pm Post subject: Re: Are Drug Companies, Doctors and Insurance Companies Doing Enough to Make Medicines More Affordable?
One underused strategy for reducing drug costs and improving outcomes of drug therapy, especially for older adults who use multiple chronic medications, is the consultant pharmacist.
A comprehensive review of all the medications being taken, and interview of the patient and/or caregiver, can take up to an hour or two.
But the cost of this service can produce very significant long-term savings.
The pharmacist can work with the patient's prescribers to eliminate duplicate or unneeded medications, reduce dosages, and help change more expensive to less expensive medications.
More information, and a directory of these pharmacists is available at http://www.seniorcarepharmacist.com
Thomas Clark
Director of Policy & Advocacy
American Society of Consultant Pharmacists
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