Health Care Reform Anyone?

[Harry61]

I've never used this formate before.... So, with all this discussion re: Health Care reform, I note two interesting items:

• Most people have little idea of the HC system works, who holds the power, how decisions are made, or how do we stack up against other nations on quality vs. cost. How much do other humans pay for their care vs. us.... what do they get and how much does it cost. Ditto for Rx drugs. OR... how do we fix a broken, cost ineffective delivery system.
• Politicians barely know anymore than we do.......... In fact, our facination with electing wealthy individuals  has NOT produced the effects we need or want. Case in point, most elected officials receive better care plans and those wealthy individuals have accountants that pay their bills. They have not a clue, or maybe even care about cost vs. benefit.

So with almost no one having a clue, and our leaders inviting drug  and insurance company leaders and their lobbyest to policy making meetings.... How do we get input when our elected leaders are NOT listening to us vs. those contributing to the re-election fund?

I've worked in the medical industry for 40 years and my wife is an oncology research RN and navigator. I've worked for 4 pharma companies, medical device manufacturers in sale and marketing mgmt and owned my own successful business for 15 years. With my wife having worked for three medical companies, plus her 30+ years in nursing.... we've got a storehouse of knowledge on the subject,

I'd love to spark some discussion on what others are thinking about this delemma, prehaps help educate others about solutions, maybe incorperate some ideas I pick up from others. 

I did offer a proposal to the then young Obama admin. and the powers that pull the strings didn't want it to move ahead as cut $$$ out from the insurance folks... No surprise.

[retiredtraveler]

As you stated, there is a whole lot of money paid to candidates from health care companies. Unless that practice could be changed, nothing else will change. Money controls everything.

   Another issue I'm very aware of is that hundreds of labs are working (mostly) independently trying to find the cure for the common cold and make a fortune. I'm very aware that there is very little collaberation among labs to share their findings. I know several people working in labs, how little they publish, and how close they keep their findings while working on the same problem a hundred other labs are working on.

   What constitutes a 'new drug' and getting FDA approval is another issue. I'm very aware of a drug names Revlimid which retails for $1000 a pill. It is a structural analog of Thalidomide, which has been poisoning people for decades. FDA approved Revlimid as a 'new drug', even though only a few molecules were changed. I have no idea how to address that --- you would be knowledgeable in that area, I would think. It probably took minimal effort to get to the slight changes in the drug from original Thalidomide, but the company gets to charge whatever they feel like.

[ss11943859]

I hear you loud & clear, Harry61.

The health system is trashed, broken. The pols  are hand-in-hand with the insurance companies.

Drugs are produced with out benefit of pre-testing, or not enough testing. MONEY is No. 1 priority here. And, if we have to take a drug, how do we know what it contains, exactly ? Where does it come from? Does anyone really know ?? Can we write to the manufacturer ? Would they answer, and answer truthfully ?

Lots of questions, few answers. And those who could change the system don't give a ^&%$ because they are busy taking kick-backs from the pharmas.

[Harry61]

I think they would listen........ But, I can predict their response. They operate in a cloud of denial. 

I live not far from MX..... If I make a trip to "Stock up" on meds, I can purchase my insulin pens for $59 a box of 5 pens. In the US, it cost approx. $ 1,450. I am sorry, but that's rediculous! Six months if my meds would cost me over $ 13,000. and yet I can get them in South, Central America or MX for $400. There is absolutely no defense for this price structure. Oh yes..... there's also Canada.

To show you just how little oversite there is..... check the sales of opioids. There's more quantity shipped than there is people who could use them.  W.VA has about the highest adiction rate per cap. and yet the pharma companies shipped 74M pills to a State with 1.8M pop... really? There are laws that require reporting of substance over use... at the distributor level, the pharmacy level, and by the manufacturer. If you investigate, you will discover that not report was ever filed over years of abuse. In fact, you will discover that the Pharma companies who suppy these medications recently hired DoJ attorneys who's job it was to prosecute such activities... and several law makers passed new ledgislation to prevent the prosecution of these companies or their management teams.

So, with that being said, and the knowledge that US tax dollars pay a very sizable amount of the cost of drug R & D. ..... do you really believe there will be changes?   

We obviously need new leadership if there is to be change. As long as we allow large doners to funnel "Black Funds" into election campaigns we're lost. 

Final note..... the "Donald" recently offered congress a new  drug czar for their consideration. Whoops.... he was Tom Marino from PA the co-author of the bill that prevents prosecution of abusive manufacturers.........