Irrefutable proof that Americans are a pick pocket's dream come true

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

I just saw that "feel good" commercial with the woman who says "I lost my job and my health care and my first thought was ,how am I going to get my medicine?" That cost $1100 a month!*(*I'll have to re-verify that, but that's what I thought she said)

So sad that she lives in America where her healthcare is dependent upon her employment. So sad also that without an employer subsidized health plan, her PRESCRIPTIONS were going to cost her $1100 a MONTH!!!!!

Now, here's the part that really really bothers me - It is highly doubtful that her prescriptions would cost her anywhere near that amount in ANY other country in the world - because those countries REGULATE the costs of prescriptions and NEGOTIATE the costs of prescriptions for the benefit of their citizens.

But, of course, NOT HERE. We are the country that expressly FORBADE negotiating bulk rates for the benefit of Medicaid recipients. But there's also the rest of us, that are not on Medicare or Medicaid - I'm talking about all the privately covered American citizens, as well as those who pay their own health care costs out of pocket, who are FORCED to bear the cost of research and development and marketing and profits FOR THE REST OF THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!!Because the drug companies said so - so there. And we are so stupid and our leaders are so complicit as to allow this to happen.

Why does a prescription medicine made by the same company cost an American so much more than a citizen in almost any other country? BECAUSE WE ALLOW IT TO COST MORE!!

Sickening, literally. Too bad there's no pill for stupidity and inertia. Even if we paid ten times what others do, we might still benefit.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Five stars all around. A way to reduce the amount spent on meds.

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[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. I'm fine with alternative medicines and nutriceuticals, but this isn't addressing my point

about mainstream, prescribed, pharmaceuticals that cost Americans way more than they cost anybody else.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. Yes, it blows, we are screwn in so many ways that it's hard to know

when there is a break in it. Like so many fatted calves it seems we go into debt never to return. I tell ya it's not your father's Amurka anymore.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. There are a whole lot of highly paid do-nothing executives standing between

you and your prescription. Insurance people, management consultants, advertising companies, medical sales & marketeers, administrators, lawyers all with a piece of your medicine buying dollar.

[superkia]

7. Dont forget the MAIN ingredient, politicians!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. Of course, without their reaching, grasping, willing hands

to accept political contributions and sign up for future employment for themselves and family members where would this issue be?

Is our system just totally corrupted beyond repair?:cry:

I've always been an optimistic, trusting sort of person - but at what point does optimism turn into lunacy? Among the Congressional population - who speaks for me?

[superkia]

9. I think it all depends on who we vote for in the primaries!

Right now I only see that one person standing up and doing his part to try and fight the political machine,only one! If we pick the wrong one this time, its over! And we can only point at ourselves! We always blame everyone else here in America, never take responsibility for our own actions(votes).

[blonndee]

11. Every time I think of big pharma, and just reading your post,

it reminds me of that old Depeche Mode song

The grabbing hands
grab all they can
All for themselves--
After all,

It's a competitive world

Know that one?

[sendero]

5. I agree..

..... someday, the "average American" is going to wake up to the blatant rip-off he's been living with for a long time and he is going to be really really upset :)

[Systematic Chaos]

6. K&R #5 for one of the best rants ever on this site.

:yourock::kick::yourock:

[dickthegrouch]

10. No one gets this right!

The cost of developing the drugs is relatively small compared to the astronomical settlements made after one of them doesn't work correctly for a small group of people.

The insurance premiums and other legal costs are, by far, the greatest part of the "cost" to US drug buyers. There is no obscene financial payout in most other countries. Reform the law/lottery rules and we'll have cheaper drugs.

The reason the other countries don't pay as much is that it's vastly cheaper to get the drugs approved for use, and there is no horde of greedy lawyers waiting to pounce.

I'll agree some drugs need to be taken off the market if they show adverse reactions in a sizable community, but *should* the developer/producer be *liable* for something that does not show up until 100 million doses have been taken, or after 5 years of daily use?

Things they couldn't know or predict until the sample size is large enough or the time elapsed is so large as to preclude testing, should not trigger liability in my view.

The person was sick to begin with. There is absolutely no scientific way to predict how the drug would affect that particular person.

(No, I'm not employed at or by any pharmaceutical company or anything anywhere near the industry; and I'm obviously not a lawyer!)

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

12. Oh, I see, the costs of drugs in the US compared to other countries is

because of "greedy lawyers". Fix that and the problem would disappear. Right.


Listen to Sean Hannity much? He always makes the same point and it's nothing short of ludicrous. American citizens do not pay more for drugs due to greedy lawyers. They pay more because of greedy drug companies.

[knitter4democracy]

13. Not according to Pharma's figures.

They say that around half of the cost is from marketing costs. That's all those ads and free crap to med students and doctors and anyone with a set of scrubs on and huge ads in all the med journals and all the fake med journals and . . . You get the idea.

They spend way more on marketing than on R&D. Period. They spend more on marketing than on litigation costs. Period. Their own numbers say that (I read it last year in AMNews or Medical Economics, I think).

[Mind_your_head]

15. You don't really BELIEVE that, do you?

"The reason the other countries don't pay as much is that it's vastly cheaper to get the drugs approved for use"

[cutlassmama]

18. You make perfect sense. I think their liability should be limited.

Otherwise, we will be without medications that could truly help and/or cure our conditions. Not every medication affects one person the way it does the next person. It's ludicrous to think it would.

[knitter4democracy]

14. I hate that ad!

It's an ad for Pharma, too, of all things.

If we just had single payer and used Canada's model on buying bulk, so many costs would go down. Infuriating!!!

[cutlassmama]

16. I take 23 medications a day. It probably run about

that if I did not have health insurance. Even with health insurance the co-pays are killing me. My HMO would not approve medication from Canada, but recently my pharmacy gave me a medication from Israel. :wtf: It was a fungus cream (I have diabetes among many other things)and it worked.

If the woman doesn't have a job, I truly feel sorry for her because even these "free programs" they advertise on TV will only pay for 3 prescriptions a month and that is only if you do not have any insurance whatsoever.

Most probably she will end up dying before getting approved for SSDI since it takes between 2-3 to get approved, thus getting on Medicare.

She's in a pretty bad situation I'd say.

[annabanana]

17. This ad is a PR initiative for Big Pharma. . "Can't afford your Meds?"

"There's a bus driving around somewhere that will give you some free ones.. so shut up and try and find that bus..."