Buffalo Boy's Blog

If this article doesn't tell you the crappy state of affairs amongst the health insurance industry, nothing does. I work in the healthcare field and I hate it. I hate the way we talk about it having to be profitable as opposed to doing what is right for the patient.

Healthcare shouldn't be about profit, it should be about caring for those who are ill no matter what they can or cannot afford. Insurers are now cutting back on what is called 4th tier drugs, ones that can treat and prolong the lives of those with multiple sclerosis, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

Some of these drugs cost more than some individuals make in a year. One if the individuals in this article thought he had good insurance and realistically it should have paid for his medicine for his leukemia and found out that for a 90 day supply it would cost him $4000 out of pocket.

Another woman in the article with MS had a federal insurance plan through her husband that never gave them a hard time, when she went to refill her prescription a drug that normally was paid for with a $20 copay now costs her $325 a mont for a 30 day supply.

I have a question: Why does it cost so much for the drugs here vs. say Canada, Britain, France or even Cuba? I have an answer, no where in the world, do drug companies market and commercialize and spend more on advertising themselves as they do here in the capitalistic society we are than in the United States.

Capitalism is good, a free market is good, in most areas except healthcare. In this country, we make a profit off people getting sick. Thats the sick part. Not the person who is sick, but the industry that profits off those who are.

I hope I don't get one of those diseases. Where does the average American get that kind of money to pay for a drug. Thats outrageous. Yet if he can' fork over the money, he doesn't get the treatment that could infact prolong his life or make them functional.

What do the doctors think? They prescribe the drug that could get their patient better, yet their patient can't afford it because the health insurance company can't pay for a treatment they just prescribed, because the drug company who was just in the doctors office giving them a free lunch charges that ridiculous price. Its a fucked up system by any stretch of the imagination. 

Even the most Republican/conservative of you out there have to agree that people shouldn't be expected to pay that kind of money for a drug that is going to if not prolong their life, potentially make them a functioning member of society. Nice system we have here. Im moving to Canada where they at least have health care that covers you.