Healthcare Reform

[BigRedBuster]

 

[RedDenver]

2 hours ago, BigRedBuster said:

 

This is insane. From that link (emphasis mine):

Quote

 

Currently, the average wholesale acquisition price — the amount paid by wholesalers that then mark it up when they sell it to distributors or hospitals — is $361.26 per milliliter, according to Richard Evans, a drug industry analyst at SSR Health, part of the boutique investment firm SSR LLC.

Using that average, the cost for the 12-milliliter dose Parker received would have been $4,335.

Perhaps the hospital erred when billing, adding an extra zero?

No, said Baptist Health spokeswoman Dori Robau Alvarez in an emailed statement.

The $46,422 charge reflected list prices the hospital had in place on Sept. 22, 2018, when Parker was treated. Alvarez wouldn't disclose that rate, but simple math shows the hospital was billing $7,737 per 2-milliliter dose, which is how the immune globulin is often packaged.

Alvarez also noted that the month after Parker was treated, Mariners revamped its full price list, known as a "chargemaster." The hospital lowered its charge for rabies immune globulin to $1,650 per 2 milliliters, which would have made Parker's bill about $9,900 — still high, but not sky-high.
Hospitals revisit their chargemasters periodically. But it should be noted that this particular 79 percent cut came shortly before January, when new rules required all hospitals for the first time to post those previously hidden charge lists publicly on websites, part of the Trump administration's interpretation of the Affordable Care Act.

 

 

[Waldo]

2 hours ago, BigRedBuster said:

 

The postal insurance is the cheapest plan the gov offers. Percentage plans suck. Insurance in this country also sucks. 

[BigRedBuster]

Just a little personal experience I've had this week in our wonderful healthcare system.

 

I have an employee who unfortunately, was diagnosed with a pretty serious ailment.  He's put on a monthly medication that he probably will need for the rest of his life.  He's around 40.

 

This monthly medication is $20,000 per month.  That's $240,000 per year.  We have a wellness plan that has a feature that helps employees find cheaper medical costs.  They found that if he goes to the Cayman Islands or Canada, he can get it for around $10,000 per month.  He has to physically go get it because it can't be shipped.  It has to be in a climate controlled box the entire time.  

 

Now, we will do what needs done.  But, we self insure our plan up to $30,000 per year.  After this year, he will be lasered so that limit is lifted and we get the vast majority of the cost right out of our pocket.  So, we will foot the bill as needed for him.  

BUT.....welcome to our f***ing healthcare system.

[Ulty]

7 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

This monthly medication is $20,000 per month.  That's $240,000 per year.  We have a wellness plan that has a feature that helps employees find cheaper medical costs.  They found that if he goes to the Cayman Islands or Canada, he can get it for around $10,000 per month.  He has to physically go get it because it can't be shipped.  It has to be in a climate controlled box the entire time.  

 

Holy $h!t!

[BigRedBuster]

12 minutes ago, Ulty said:

 

Holy $h!t!

 

My response was something similar.

[RedDenver]

Catalyst Pharma sees net price of drug, once free, topping $300,000

Quote

 

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Monday that it expects its drug for a rare disease, which had long been available to patients for free, will cost more than $300,000 per year including rebates to insurers and other discounts.

The drug, Firdapse, is used to treat Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS), a rare neuromuscular disorder.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders sent a letter to Catalyst last week asking the company to justify its pricing.

 

 

[BigRedBuster]

4 hours ago, Ulty said:

 

Holy $h!t!

I felt I should post this since I do enough beating up on our healthcare system.

 

We have found out that the pharmaceutical company has a foundation that will pay 100% of the cost of this medication if he meets certain criteria.  We are going through that now and finding out the specifics.

 

I hope that works for everyone involved.

[Ratt Mhule]

An old coworker who I was really close with who is a staunch Trump supporting republican just had her granddaughter diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. I go on facebook and see that they started a gofundme to help pay for medical expenses. I know its wrong but I just want to yell at her and say these are the people you vote for that are causing you to ask other people for money to pay for medical bills. But she will never vote for a progressive candidate because they most likely have a D next to their name. At least this form of cancer has a good prognosis and cure rate. 

[B.B. Hemingway]

Just now, Frott Scost said:

An old coworker who I was really close with who is a staunch Trump supporting republican just had her granddaughter diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. I go on facebook and see that they started a gofundme to help pay for medical expenses. I know its wrong but I just want to yell at her and say these are the people you vote for that are causing you to ask other people for money to pay for medical bills. But she will never vote for a progressive candidate because they most likely have a D next to their name. At least this form of cancer has a good prognosis and cure rate. 

 

Yeah, may hold off on the political lectures for now....

[Moiraine]

5 minutes ago, Frott Scost said:

An old coworker who I was really close with who is a staunch Trump supporting republican just had her granddaughter diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. I go on facebook and see that they started a gofundme to help pay for medical expenses. I know its wrong but I just want to yell at her and say these are the people you vote for that are causing you to ask other people for money to pay for medical bills. But she will never vote for a progressive candidate because they most likely have a D next to their name. At least this form of cancer has a good prognosis and cure rate. 

 

 

Ya... I know someone who can only afford the medication she HAS to have because of the ACA and she adores Trump.

[Ratt Mhule]

5 minutes ago, B.B. Hemingway said:

 

Yeah, may hold off on the political lectures for now....

 

Dont worry I wont say anything. Thats why I came here to vent about it. It just makes me sad because there are people out there that want to fix this issue and are considered radical and crazy. 

 

On another note, had a Canadian patient at my clinic today with a broken wrist. Was thinking as Im taking the xray that shes about to get a $500+ bill. Where if she just tough out the pain for a day and flew back it would be free. 

[Danny Bateman]

1 hour ago, Frott Scost said:

An old coworker who I was really close with who is a staunch Trump supporting republican just had her granddaughter diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. I go on facebook and see that they started a gofundme to help pay for medical expenses. I know its wrong but I just want to yell at her and say these are the people you vote for that are causing you to ask other people for money to pay for medical bills. But she will never vote for a progressive candidate because they most likely have a D next to their name. At least this form of cancer has a good prognosis and cure rate. 

 

Cultural identification with one party or the other trumps actual issues and real-world effects of policy a lot of the time. It's pretty weird.

[NM11046]

16 hours ago, BigRedBuster said:

I felt I should post this since I do enough beating up on our healthcare system.

 

We have found out that the pharmaceutical company has a foundation that will pay 100% of the cost of this medication if he meets certain criteria.  We are going through that now and finding out the specifics.

 

I hope that works for everyone involved.

There is also typically support available from specialty pharmacy if his meds are administered that way, and there are non profits (depending on his disease) that also allow applications for grants to be put toward drug.  Sadly the government has begun limiting the amount of funds available from the non profits but he should try.  

 

I understand why the view of pharma co’s is so negative, some/most is deserved.  But typically biotech companies revognize the pricing challenges of their medications and do whatever they can to make sure a patient gets on drug and has no interuptions due to financial challenges. 

[RedDenver]

2 hours ago, NM11046 said:

There is also typically support available from specialty pharmacy if his meds are administered that way, and there are non profits (depending on his disease) that also allow applications for grants to be put toward drug.  Sadly the government has begun limiting the amount of funds available from the non profits but he should try.  

 

I understand why the view of pharma co’s is so negative, some/most is deserved.  But typically biotech companies revognize the pricing challenges of their medications and do whatever they can to make sure a patient gets on drug and has no interuptions due to financial challenges. 

But keeping them on the med and getting the med paid for by whatever source is in the pharma co best financial interests as well.