BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace

Subject: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: olddude
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 01:04 PM

We have to do better in this country. I picked up my meds and next to me was an elderly lady. She was crying because her husband's meds were 192 dollar copay and she could not afford it. Of course I bought it for her without her knowing by calling aside my pharmacists friend but that is not the point. How can a country as great as this make people decide between food and their cancer meds. Some how this has to be fixed. It is a disgrace

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Greg F.
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 01:08 PM

C'mon Dan - as the Republicruds tell it, the U.S has the Best Medical Care In The World.

You one a them Commernists, er somethin?

Besides, I'm sure Trump will fix things up just fine.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: olddude
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 01:13 PM

You know Greg there are times I am ashamed of America, this case and when I see people following trump.. So sad. I just keep thinking now what she will do when it's time for refills. I told my pharmacists friend they need to contact someplace to get her help.. Terrible

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: GUEST,Pete from seven stars link
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 01:48 PM

No answers , and not American , but bless you dan .

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Rapparee
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 01:52 PM

Everything is terrific here! We have the lowest drug prices and the best medical care in the known Universe! Stop hating on your country and its leaders! Everything is just fine! This is paradise!


Oops...that was intended for the North Korean market. The US could use a little tweaking.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: olddude
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 02:14 PM

Good one rap

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge (must re-set that cookie)
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 02:27 PM

It will not change until the corrupt US election system is fixed, Citizens' United is overturned, socialism is no longer a dirty word (but capitalism is) and Bernie Sanders is (correctly) recognised as centre-left and only mildly so at that.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 02:53 PM

Same here Richard, Jeremy Corbyn is described by some sections of the press as "hard left". He is no such thing, he is a mainstream social democrat, of the types that most European governments include. Probably not even to the left of Attlee or Wilson.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: peregrina
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 04:48 PM

Come to the UK and see how the NHS works.

Even though it is under attack, underfunded, and being undermined, it is very very good to see that people of any income range can get cancer treatment or a heart bypass or all the major kinds of medical care that make USA Americans worry about healthcare costs making them bankrupt--all free at point of use.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: GUEST,Richard Bridge etc
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 05:16 PM

Yes to both of the above. Which does raise the question of why Jeremy Rhyming-Slang and his overlords Scum-moron and Sniffin' Gideon are so hell-bent on destroying the NHS. Could it be there is money for the 1% in it.

But, hey, I must not mention UK politics or the thread will be closed and/or deleted.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: peregrina
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 05:20 PM

Greed and profit should both count as a 4 letter word, and market mechanism likewise. Because they are destroying the fabric of society. Once upon a time they were not so
toxic. But: unchecked?

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Greg F.
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 06:38 PM

Well, could be worse, Dan - he could have Hepatitis C and be looking at
$84,000 for a 12-week course of treatment with Solvadi.

That's "The Invisible Hand Of The Free Market" (worshipped by Republicruds) shoving a broomstick up your a-- well, never mind.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 06:44 PM

I do not understand why America does not have National Health. one does not have to cross the Pond to see how it works! the neighbours (Canada) has it with a population of only 35 million. I just don't understand it at all. is Bernie Sanders advocating free universal health care? one would hope he would be !

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 07:23 PM

To clarify, what is "free" in the UK is your consultation with your general practitioner, on whose list you are likely to be. If you're referred to a hospital for a scan or an X-ray or any consultation with a consultant, that's free. Physiotherapy is free. In-patient and out-patient treatment in a hospital is free, including the hospital food. Having a baby, along with all the attendant midwife and health visitor services, is free. Hospital transport is free, and transport for non-emergencies is free for disabled and elderly people. Abortions are free. Support services such as for people with epilepsy are free. Certain things are not always free: there is a charge of around eight pounds for each prescription item, but so many people are exempt from paying that most prescriptions are free. Eye tests cost about £20 but, again, there are many exemptions and lots of people don't have to pay. Most people have to pay for glasses. Hearing aids are free, though many people elect to pay for having a wider choice of models not available on the NHS. Courses of medicines that are very expensive are occasionally not available on the NHS, which gives rise to the occasional tabloid sensation.

If you want to, you can pay privately for most of these services. If you do, you may wait less time for treatment and you may end up in a room in hospital instead of a ward. That sort of thing. You won't get better doctors though. There are such things as private nurses and ambulances. A few years ago, in many areas of treatment the waiting lists were so short that it was hardly worth paying to jump the queue. The Tories have made sure that waiting lists are lengthening rapidly, true to form. In recent years I've had minor surgery on a shoulder, on a knee and slightly more serious surgery on my back. In no case did I wait for more than three or four weeks from decision to operating theatre.

Dental treatment is not free. I have to pay about £17 for a checkup and a few pounds more if I need a filling. There is a ceiling on costs, no matter how much treatment is needed. Fancy elective dental treatment costs a lot more and the sky's the limit, if you're vain enough. I don't have false teeth, but I understand that dentures may cost you. Private dentists cost a lot more and there is no ceiling that I know of. Yes, Musket, I use "private" too loosely for your taste, but most Brits know what I'm saying.

Elective plastic surgery and the like, you pay.

When I say free, of course we pay for all of this via taxation. There is a general consensus that this is a good thing. We can't understand the fierce resistance to this that we see in the US, which apparently leaves thirty million citizens at the mercy of the goodwill, if there is any, of the system.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Greg F.
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 08:07 PM

We can't understand the fierce resistance to this that we see in the US

As Deep Throat once said, Steve: "Follow the Money".

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: olddude
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 09:26 PM

We could only wish steve, here if you don't pay you don't play.. I guess it's just, you don't get that med to keep you alive. Costs are insane. I take five meds each day, two of them are 700 dollars a month each. I have exceptional insurance that I pay dearly for and I am fortunate to afford any copays.. Too many people are like the lady I paid for... Just cannot afford the meds but don't qualify for help.. Terrible

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 09:51 PM

Steve Shaw says (about British medicine): We can't understand the fierce resistance to this that we see in the US

A lot of us here can't understand it either, Steve. I was deeply disappointed with the medical plan proposed by Hillary Clinton in 1993, but it was the best the Clinton Administration thought they could get past the Republicans - and it didn't pass. Obama's Affordable Care Act, which did pass and which has made at least some progress, was very similar to the Hillary Clinton plan.

As a retired federal employee, I can get a very good health plan. The government retirement fund pays about 2/3 of my coverage, and I pay the rest for myself and an amount for my family. I pay $309 for health insurance for my wife and me, plus $104 per month apiece for Medicare. This is a "single-payer" plan. All payment comes from Medicare and the government retirement fund, and it is administered by a consortium of the Blue Cross-Blue Shield corporations.

The Obama Administration had proposed including the same single-payer plan I have in the Affordable Care Act, but they thought it might kill the whole program because the Republicans would be so vehemently opposed. Bernie Sanders is proposing single-payer coverage, and I think he's got a good plan.

I think my healthcare plan includes dental coverage. I looked into it several years ago, but it was so ludicrously limited that I don't bother with it. Dental care in the U.S. is far more expensive than what Steve describes.

So, yes, I agree that medical care and drug costs in the U.S. are a disgrace, but Obama's Affordable Care Act did help quite a bit.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: olddude
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 10:27 PM

The problem with Obama care Joe was it cost people their coverage. For example a self employed nurse across the street from me. She use to get her insurance through the chamber of Commerce. Now they dropped it due to costs from Obama care so she had to go through the government website. Her cost went from 300 a month to 800 a month that she can't afford. Same thing I hear from other self employed workers.. Not good.. It is a start but needs work.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: olddude
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 10:34 PM

And the very people who need health care help, the working poor are many of the people supporting the Republicans. I will never understand it.... Never

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 11:11 PM

Agreed, Dan.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: GUEST,#
Date: 08 Mar 16 - 11:17 PM

"And the very people who need health care help, the working poor are many of the people supporting the Republicans. I will never understand it.... Never"

Dan, I just stumbled over the following article--five minute read--that may answer your above remark/observation.

http://www.salon.com/2014/10/24/why_conservatives_prefer_propaganda_to_reality_partner/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflo

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Teribus
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 02:18 AM

"The Tories have made sure that waiting lists are lengthening rapidly"

Good heavens I wonder how they managed that?

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Thompson
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 03:19 AM

But why isn't there a huge movement in America to found an American NHS? I hear the odd American complaining, but I don't see them organising.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 03:36 AM

I'd tell you exactly how political oversight has lengthened waiting lists Terribulus, but educating pork isn't on my list of priorities this week.

We have an interesting international dichotomy. The USA, through the money sloshing around the pharma industry leads the way in developing cutting edge treatments. The research and development costs, corporate returns and investor confidence in the industry means the retail costs are based on US market value. To me, The USA represents both the best and the worst in healthcare.

This is interesting for other countries, UK included. It does mean some very cutting edge drugs enter our market slightly later when the manufacturers can drop the cost slightly as it isn't "this month's cure." As our publicly available healthcare (NHS) does have a finite budget, such drugs are considered on both cost and health benefit terms, and our organisation for assessing treatments (NICE) have their opinions used by many healthcare providers in many countries where insurance based systems consider effectiveness of drugs. (In The USA, Kaiser Permanante and Evercare are two that spring to mind.)

It also means of course that as well as developing drugs for symptoms, pharma companies increasingly develop symptoms for drugs. The term "over doctoring" is one we in The UK are getting used to as patients point out snake oil to their GPs that they "read about on the Internet."

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 05:33 AM

"The Tories have made sure that waiting lists are lengthening rapidly"

Good heavens I wonder how they managed that?

In the first five years of Cameron's premiership, the proportion of patients not hitting the 18-week waiting target went up from 7% to 13%. The numbers on hospital waiting lists went up from 2.5 million to 3.4 million. I'll give you a couple of hours to ferret around looking for your explanation. The fact is, it happened under your shower. That's your starting point. Over to you.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Will Fly
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 06:23 AM

Just to get the thread back on track, with respect to Dan...

I know a very fine American musician who has opted to live in this country (he has an English wife), in spite of getting less work than if he were in the US, because of medical conditions. He estimates that treatment necessary for his condition would eat up his total income, in addition to any Blue Cross payments. So he lives over here, earns what he can, pays his way - and gets NHS treatment.

It's a sad comment on living in the US. I have a sister in Arizona who works in the health system - and gives thanks regularly for being reasonably fit and not dependent on medical care!

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Thompson
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 06:40 AM

On the other hand, the fact that money is so much of a factor in drug production is an incentive to dishonesty, so some of the cutting-edge treatments may not be cutting-edge at all…

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 07:03 AM

As I said, whilst making some cutting edge drugs for symptoms, there are also many cases of making symptoms for drugs. Medicalising lifestyle, as they say...

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: GUEST,Richard Bridge on the Intel Quad Core
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 07:40 AM

Dennis Kucinich proposed a very sensible "single payer" scheme a couple of elections ago, for the USA. The retarded voters slammed it as "socialist". Why are they so stupid?

Over here, Terribilis, the con-servatives have repeatedly underfunded the NHS, increased its costs by putting profits into the hands of private profiteers, driven out the nurses by overwork and abolishing their bursaries (while putting profit into the hands of private profiteers who provide and exploit "agency nurses") and are now making war on the doctors. It is so stupid it can only be malice.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 09:49 AM

By the holy beard of St. Patrick, I find myself in complete agreement with our Armchair Socialist once again! It's a worry.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 09:53 AM

Which of us is that? I'm only a cheap Tesco budget Prosecco socialist meself.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 10:14 AM

Not you Steve.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: GUEST,Richard Bridge on the Intel Quad Core
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 10:42 AM

Don't worry primitive tribesman, I will disagree with you about St Patrick's beard and say that it was not holy. Feeling better now?

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: olddude
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 12:18 PM

One measure of the greatness of a country is how they treat the sick and elderly. We dropped the ball on both. Very sad for America. And potential leaders just want a wall.

Subject: RE: BS: Drug cost in America a disgrace
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 01:02 PM

Oh, I always feel fine, Flashman. 😎