Disturbing Health Care Provisions in the new Stimulous Package

[greyhorsewoman]

It took us longer than 20 days to get into this mess ... and most of us just went along for the ride. It'll take a lot more than 20 days to get us out, and it probably won't be pretty.

I'm finally out from under my chair.

 

[ksacres]

Quote:
In case anyone didn't see. Don't want the thread shut down...

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Last warning, DO NOT add the election votes or results to this.

 

[mountaintopchicken]

I just did a quick google search on this. A quote from the following page (Columbia Journalism Review):
http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/what_the_stimulus_package_hold.php

"The Wall Street Journal took aim at the bills’ differing stances on medical effectiveness reviews. Limiting tests and treatments to those that are effective and relatively inexpensive is crucial to controlling the country’s health care spending—and, in a sense, is the key to successful reform. The House bill assigns $700 million for health care “comparative effectiveness research.” The Senate version uses the words “comparative, clinical effectiveness.” Experts say there’s a big difference.

Comparative effectiveness means looking at the costs and benefits, so that if two drugs are equally effective, but one costs less, the cheaper drug should be recommended. (bold font is mine)."



I'm not sure that this is eliminating expensive meds for people who truely need them (such as the op), just reccomending a cheaper med if two meds are equally effective.

But this was just a quick google search, don't have time for much more than that right now. I would look into it further though, to find out the facts.

 

[ksacres]

I don't know. But what I do know is that not all generics are equally effective. I was on meds for hypothyroidism. The generic gave me headaches and weird tinglies. The "expensive" brand didn't. I don't know what they difference is, and I didn't even know I was on the generic until I told the Dr about my new symptoms...

 

[jersey]

Try not to get too upset over this. I work in healthcare and right now there is nothing different about this. Most insurance companies dictate what drugs are to be covered and the doc can either go along or prescirbe something else coparable. If you have a good doctor he is not going to give you a drug that won't work. If you are on medicare they have been doing this a long time, you might not know it but they are. If it will make you feel better talk about what you are concerned about with your doc, your insurance provider and see what they are actually going to be doing. Hope all goes well and you get the meds you need. I would say if it is being covered now then don't worry about it til it actually happens.

 

[jersey]

Quote:
The problem with some of the generic hypothyroid meds is some of them don't have synthroid at a concentrated level. I as a nurse was not aware of this til my husbands thyroid was not responding to the meds his new doc put him on for several months. l I discussed this with a pharm representive I know that works for the firm. He told me alot of them have additives and some may have only had about 50% of the med. Well I brought this up to the doc, dh went back on the namebrand and his thyroid was back to normal levels within 4 weeks.
The thing is though one needs to be very informed on the meds they are taking. If your meds are causing you problems then tell your doctor you want the namebrand. They are more expensive and unfortunately you might have to self pay for them but normally if a doc writes do not substitute they will be covered.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

My doc prescribes generic medicines for me. I have heart disease, but some dont have generics.

 

[farmergal]

I agree with Jersey. And if you think that the health care system works for everyone now, think again... my fiancee had cancer at age 20. If he hadn't had health insurance at that point, he would now be uninsurable. NO one would insure him because of his history of cancer.
Even now he's stuck with that exact health insurance for the rest of his life, just because he had thyroid cancer (which was in no way his fault). And I have the same plan he does, and trust me, I pay them $110 each month and I get absolutely nothing out of it. I pay because I'm scared that something might happen to me that cost $80,000, which I couldn't afford.
They won't even pay for a visit to the OB/GYN for family planning services! (But they'd pay for a visit if I needed Viagra.)
So... maybe this new plan isn't the right answer, but the current system isn't the right answer, either.

 

[farmergal]

PS -- My fiancee also was on name brand thyroid meds, for the same reason. I don't understand why some generics aren't the same as the name brand. Then it's not really equivalent, is it?