Re: drug costs

[Guest guest]

Stu, I have been wanting to say some of the same things, but kept writing letters in my head that didn't get the point across in less than 5000 words! You expressed my thoughts quite well. Thank you!

Ramblin' Rose

Moderator

A merry heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22

Reply-To: Neurosarcoidosis To: Neurosarcoidosis Subject: drug costsDate: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 19:03:14 -0000

Hi guysHave been reading some of the posts about the costs of drugs, and cancertianly sympathize. My co-pays alone are over $500 per month, notincluding doc visits which puts it somewhere north of $750 plus my 20%until I top out at $2500 for the year not including prescriptions,needless to say this becomes alot of money, on the other hand my billlast year topped $85,000 not including another $20k or so for my wifeand son and we paid out a little over $5000. Could we afford the$5000? NO! But thats still a pretty small percentage of the total bill.Right now we just got approved for me to go on Enbrel along with myMethotrexate and weekly Solumedrol infusions and all the other drugs.The Enbrel is a weekly injection given at home to the tune of$1500.00 per month!!! Now Im no fan of big insurance companies butmine approved this without much of a hitch for off label usage, (justabout anything for Sarcoid is off label since nobody and I do meannobody has heard of Sarcoid), but as soon as my Rheumy dispatched aletter explaining the benefits of anti inflamatories for Sarcoidsufferers they said ok, and at this level of benefit thats not bad! So for my $25.00 co-pay they pump out another $1475.00 per month, andremember that not including the other $500 per month in other meds.Maybe our system needs some help, for instance getting a handle on thenumber of co-pays a chronic illness causes for an average incomehousehold among other things, but have you ever had a chat with someof our brethern, (Sarcoid sufferers) from Britin or Canada, you knowthose places with the wonderful government run plans that wait monthsand months for tests or procedures and cant get in to see specialistseven when they have life threatening illnesses? You might want tothink about these things before you allow the government, (youremember them, the ones that pay $500 for a toilet seat) to take oversomething so complicated and so important to us all.It would probably be worth asking the simple question, if thesecountries and others like CUBA are so great and their medical systemsare so much better than ours why then do all the rich and powerfulfrom those countries come to the US for their care??? And why dodoctors from all over the world, most notably from those countries,come here to get their training before going home to practice medicine?seem like reasonable questionsdont you thinkJust for what its worth.God bless and have a great day!!Stu

Learn.Laugh.Share. Reallivemoms is right place!

[Guest guest]

Actually, reading a bit about the situation, the WHO statistics on

healthcare in Cuba might be skewed towards it looking better than it

really is.. these statistics are dependent on people getting care and

it being reported.. by a government..

But that may also apply to the US because if someone HERE cant get

care, and knows it, they may not go to a hospital or doctor.. and

surprise - their disease doesnt get reported..

You may want to read this for more info:

" The World Health Report 2006 - Working together for health "

http://www.who.int/whr/2006/en/index.html

[Guest guest]

Hi Stu I pay about the same amount of copays as you do per month. Our insurance policy isn't that great. Every year my husband's company seems to change over to higher and higher costs for us. I do the budget at home and pay the bills. My husband doesn't have anything to do with it at all. He then wonders where all the money goes every week. He just doesn't understand the price of all my meds and dr visits! Debbie lizzyandstu wrote: Hi guysHave been reading some of the posts about the costs of drugs, and cancertianly sympathize. My co-pays alone are over $500 per month, notincluding doc visits which puts it somewhere north of $750 plus my 20%until I top out at $2500 for the year not including prescriptions,needless to say this

becomes alot of money, on the other hand my billlast year topped $85,000 not including another $20k or so for my wifeand son and we paid out a little over $5000. Could we afford the$5000? NO! But thats still a pretty small percentage of the total bill.Right now we just got approved for me to go on Enbrel along with myMethotrexate and weekly Solumedrol infusions and all the other drugs.The Enbrel is a weekly injection given at home to the tune of$1500.00 per month!!! Now Im no fan of big insurance companies butmine approved this without much of a hitch for off label usage, (justabout anything for Sarcoid is off label since nobody and I do meannobody has heard of Sarcoid), but as soon as my Rheumy dispatched aletter explaining the benefits of anti inflamatories for Sarcoidsufferers they said ok, and at this level of benefit thats not bad! So for my $25.00 co-pay they pump out another $1475.00 per month, andremember

that not including the other $500 per month in other meds.Maybe our system needs some help, for instance getting a handle on thenumber of co-pays a chronic illness causes for an average incomehousehold among other things, but have you ever had a chat with someof our brethern, (Sarcoid sufferers) from Britin or Canada, you knowthose places with the wonderful government run plans that wait monthsand months for tests or procedures and cant get in to see specialistseven when they have life threatening illnesses? You might want tothink about these things before you allow the government, (youremember them, the ones that pay $500 for a toilet seat) to take oversomething so complicated and so important to us all.It would probably be worth asking the simple question, if thesecountries and others like CUBA are so great and their medical systemsare so much better than ours why then do all the rich and powerfulfrom those

countries come to the US for their care??? And why dodoctors from all over the world, most notably from those countries,come here to get their training before going home to practice medicine?seem like reasonable questionsdont you thinkJust for what its worth.God bless and have a great day!!Stu~~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~~The Neurosarcoidosis CommunityNS CHAT:- FAITH CHAT: SUNDAY 4PM-5PM EASTERN TIME CHATROOM LINK: http://www.emxpc.net/chat/index.php Message Archives:-http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Neurosarcoidosis/messagesMembers Database:-Listings of locations, phone numbers, and instant messengers.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Neurosarcoidosis/database

[Guest guest]

Hi Stu I pay about the same amount of copays as you do per month. Our insurance policy isn't that great. Every year my husband's company seems to change over to higher and higher costs for us. I do the budget at home and pay the bills. My husband doesn't have anything to do with it at all. He then wonders where all the money goes every week. He just doesn't understand the price of all my meds and dr visits! Debbie lizzyandstu wrote: Hi guysHave been reading some of the posts about the costs of drugs, and cancertianly sympathize. My co-pays alone are over $500 per month, notincluding doc visits which puts it somewhere north of $750 plus my 20%until I top out at $2500 for the year not including prescriptions,needless to say this

becomes alot of money, on the other hand my billlast year topped $85,000 not including another $20k or so for my wifeand son and we paid out a little over $5000. Could we afford the$5000? NO! But thats still a pretty small percentage of the total bill.Right now we just got approved for me to go on Enbrel along with myMethotrexate and weekly Solumedrol infusions and all the other drugs.The Enbrel is a weekly injection given at home to the tune of$1500.00 per month!!! Now Im no fan of big insurance companies butmine approved this without much of a hitch for off label usage, (justabout anything for Sarcoid is off label since nobody and I do meannobody has heard of Sarcoid), but as soon as my Rheumy dispatched aletter explaining the benefits of anti inflamatories for Sarcoidsufferers they said ok, and at this level of benefit thats not bad! So for my $25.00 co-pay they pump out another $1475.00 per month, andremember

that not including the other $500 per month in other meds.Maybe our system needs some help, for instance getting a handle on thenumber of co-pays a chronic illness causes for an average incomehousehold among other things, but have you ever had a chat with someof our brethern, (Sarcoid sufferers) from Britin or Canada, you knowthose places with the wonderful government run plans that wait monthsand months for tests or procedures and cant get in to see specialistseven when they have life threatening illnesses? You might want tothink about these things before you allow the government, (youremember them, the ones that pay $500 for a toilet seat) to take oversomething so complicated and so important to us all.It would probably be worth asking the simple question, if thesecountries and others like CUBA are so great and their medical systemsare so much better than ours why then do all the rich and powerfulfrom those

countries come to the US for their care??? And why dodoctors from all over the world, most notably from those countries,come here to get their training before going home to practice medicine?seem like reasonable questionsdont you thinkJust for what its worth.God bless and have a great day!!Stu~~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~~The Neurosarcoidosis CommunityNS CHAT:- FAITH CHAT: SUNDAY 4PM-5PM EASTERN TIME CHATROOM LINK: http://www.emxpc.net/chat/index.php Message Archives:-http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Neurosarcoidosis/messagesMembers Database:-Listings of locations, phone numbers, and instant messengers.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Neurosarcoidosis/database