what an F'd up Health Care System!

[RazBerryBeret]

A little heath story I find interesting and frightening.

The husband of one of my best friends recently came down with pneumonia. Guess it's kinda going around here in Ohio. He went to the Dr. got meds, took them, still felt bad and still had the cough. He went back to the Dr. got a chest x-ray and was told his lungs were clear, it may take a couple days to feel better. Three days later he was coughing up blood and taken to ER in an ambulance. He had Septic Pneumonia. His outlook did not look good, he was in a coma.

Because he's in his mid 40's and relatively healthy the Dr. talked to his wife about a medication they would consider giving him. This medication would greatly increase his chances of surviving. They only give it to patients who stand a good chance of surviving because it is so expensive. It is a "drip" and it is a one time (24 hr.) medication--don't know the name of it. But the medication/treatment costs $12,000. Geez! So I asked my friend if there was a reason it was so expensive, she was told it's because there is only one maker of this particular medicine, so it is kind of rare. So, it is expensive NOT because of what it is made of, or because of where it comes from, it is expensive because there is only one maker? Why? Hey, aren't we losing jobs like crazy in this country--and yes, I know a chemist is not a job just anyone could do--but c'mon!
There is only one maker because "someone" is making a killing off these types of medications. This is ridiculous!

The other part of this story is similar to lots of stories--she carries the insurance from a small company, they have a "self-funded" plan and she's looking at a month of hospital stay with at least 2 weeks in ICU.

We Americans need to wake up and do something about this! (and I know there are several DUers in the medical field on this board, maybe they can shed some light on this?)

[Horse with no Name]

1. Let me add one thing here because many folks aren't aware

I will be the first to say that our system is fucked up.
I have been sick since January and ended up in the hospital last month--but not before I was almost dead...and that is with going to the Doctor every other week.
Pneumonia is one of those things that does NOT always show up on X-ray and when it does...it can be delayed.
There are many reasons for this...but not being diagnosed with pneumonia by X-Ray alone is not that unusual. However, with that being said...the fluid in the lungs should have been the first clue to the Doctor..and even if unsubstantiated, with the knowledge that it isn't always going to show up radiologically, the Doctor should have suspected it and acted accordingly.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. $12,000 Is Awful - But It's A Small Expense Compared To Everything Else

It's certainly true that the drug companies are in it for the money, not for helping people - they charge what they can get away with. But doctors and hospitals also charge whatever *they* can get away with. All told, pharmaceuticals account for less than 10% of all medical spending: for example, the $12,000 for the drug will be less than one-tenth of the total cost in your friend's case. (I work in the medical industry, but have nothing to do with pharmaceuticals.)

You didn't say so explicitly, but it souns like your friend's husband made it through - if that's the case, than congratulations.

[RazBerryBeret]

3. yeah, the astronomical costs

are mind boggling. He is still in critical condition, still on a respirator and dialysis...but his prognosis is better than it was. this week they will test from organ damage due to the sepsis.

but it is the charges they can get away with, and the fact that the dr. would decide who would get the possible life-saving treatment--because of the cost.

all in all, guess he's one of the lucky ones.

[Clear Blue Sky]

4. Another way to look at it.

How much did it cost the company to develop this drug? 5-10 years of research, clinical trials, etc before FDA approved and on the market.

Most drugs never get from the early phase clinical trials to market because they don't work well enough or have safety issues. In these cases, the money spent is lost.

So high cost is both return on investment (paying back those who funded the research, assumed the risk) and money to fund the next drug.

Yes it sucks that drugs cost so much but what are the alternatives?

Easier approval process means more unsafe drugs. Price fixing means no more incentive to innovate the next wonder drug. Frustrating all the way around.

[Lars39]

5. But do they cost that much? Here's a good article:

http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2004/09/09_401.html

[Lasher]

10. And I don't know why US drug companies have to get so much of their profit from US citizens.

Other countries pay far less for drugs that are made in the USA. That's just plain wrong.

[Juche]

11. Thats not really true though

It is closer to $100-200 million to make a new drug when other things like tax credits are factored in. And 40-50% of R&D that goes into those drugs is done publically via groups like the NIH.

And 90% of new drugs aren't new. They don't work better than old drugs, or they are just old drugs repackaged. Several drugs for arthritis that are out or coming out work no better than the generics that cost 5x less or aspirin for that matter. Or wellbutrin and zyban are the same drugs. So are proscar and propecia. They are just used for different purposes. A good deal of the drugs that have come out or will come out either don't work any better than old drugs, or are just old drugs repackaged.

Pharmacology is the most (or at least one of the top 3, it varies) profitable businesses around. I think it was recently surpassed by investment banking though.

A good alternative is to restructure public financing and the tax code to encourage drug companies to work on meaningful drugs for diseases that affect the west (chronic illnesses of the brain and body) and diseases of the third world (dengue fever, malaria). Right now most of what they do is making knockoffs.

[Pharlo]

15. Frontline did a show on the balance between

pharmacuetical innovation and affordable health care costs in 2003 in an episode entitled "The Other Drug War". It covered this topic very well. Highly informative.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/other/etc/synopsis.html

[dkf]

6. My dad's doctor says there are quite a few of his patients

in the hospital now from pneumonia.

He says they are traveling to Las Vegas (Destination of choice for Hawaiians) and come back sick with colds that turn into Pneumonia

Its scary.

[Horse with no Name]

7. My tinfoil hat has been tight lately

MANY folks (healthy) have been sick.
I can rattle off the names of 10 people that I personally know that have or have had pneumonia this year.
Much higher than normal.

[dkf]

8. 10 people? Wow. Something is going on.

[Horse with no Name]

9. 2 of them have been in ICU

Something just doesn't feel right about this. :shrug:

[RazBerryBeret]

12. I was trying to research this too...

I know of several people who have had pneumonia or walking pneumonia recently and it does seem to be more than normal.
but I'm still wondering how someone who is relatively healthy and treated for pneumonia winds up near death in four days.
I know there are weird cases that happen everyday, this one just brought it home for me. and next time I have a cold and cough, I may be visiting my doctor daily!

[Fireweed247]

13. I agree with you

This didn't use to happen. Who benefits?

I have been under the impression for quite some time that the 'powers that be' want to kill US all. This could be one of their methods, not to mention the huge profits the drug companies/hospitals are making. Delivered by perhaps the thick ever increasing chemtrails that look like vapor trails but then spread out and linger in our skies dropping God knows what on us. I know it sounds crazy, but if you aren't paranoid these days, you are not paying attention.

[cbayer]

14. To the "only one company makes it" question

The pharmaceutical companies receive patents on their drugs once they come to market. That prevents other companies from making generic versions of that particular drug. Not saying it is right or wrong, it's just the way it is.