I just read an article about new drug treatments for Hepatitis C. Hep C is the #1 cause of liver transplants in America. Serious problem, right? Drug companies have come up with a serious answer . . . but to the tune of $1,000 per pill, making one course of treatment with this new drug cost $84,000!!!
What does that mean? It means that if drugs cost this much, it drives up the cost for health insurance for EVERYONE! Yes, you too, person without Hep C. Health insurance rates will go up for everyone because of the cost of drugs like these. And insurance companies may tell people to try the older, less effective drugs first to try to save money when they really need the new stuff. Not fair on either end, is it?
And that’s not all. This article also says that this is just the beginning of pricey drugs. We’re going to see huge spikes in cost for treatments for MS, cancer, and more in the coming years causing health insurance premiums to skyrocket. Ouch!!!
Is it worth it? Heck no! Who’s to blame? Not who you would think.
I want to know… why aren’t the pharmaceutical companies being regulated too? Of course, these drugs do cost money to research and produce, but why this much? It seems to me that all of the weight of health care reform is falling on the shoulders of the insurance companies where the focus should be broadened to include pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, labs and doctors.
Tell me, friends, what do you think?
2 comments
I couldn’t agree with you more. While the ACA may provide an advantage for a few, it does absolutely nothing to address the actual COST of healthcare. It only redistributes the problem, and by adding administrative costs and taxes (including on vendors to the healthcare industry, which will be passed on to us) it can only serve to drive the overall cost of healthcare UP.
I couldn’t agree with you more. While the ACA may provide an advantage for a few, it does absolutely nothing to address the actual COST of healthcare. It only redistributes the problem, and by adding administrative costs and taxes (including on vendors to the healthcare industry, which will be passed on to us) it can only serve to drive the overall cost of healthcare UP.