Contract From America

[TooFarTampa]

Oh I see. Couldn't read it on the iPad, thx.

The problem is that health care can never be a free market because you don't know ahead of time what treatment you may need, and unfortunately every insurance is going to cover different things. Because patients do not and often cannot shop for the actual treatment, only insurance, we won't ever see a true free market.

Nobody really wants to control costs. I read an article this week about a small issue (significant to those affected). It was about the cancer drug avastin and studies showing it is not as effective with stage four breast cancer compared to other advanced cancers. The FDA is considering removing it from the list of approved breast cancer drugs. Why? Because it is not that effective for most with the disease (but it appears to help some). Avastin is very very expensive. These are the really tough decisions to make. Critics are already screaming "death panels." Hard to blame the sick or feeling that way, but these are some of the things that have made costs uncontrollable.

 

[TooFarTampa]

Exactly scooty, but few people seem to want to hear it.

 

[idlewind]

Considering how $$ those programs are, I think reforming them should be part of their platform.

I agree totally. The Medicare and VA are special cases in that those who depend on them have no way to go out and replace the benefits. And they were promised those benefits when they were younger/healthier and we must be sensitive to those promises.
I think a good start would be to look at a merger of the programs with veterans being able to get care at the vendor of their choosing and sell the VA infrastructure to the private sector. The adminstrative overhead should be much less running one program. Just a thought. I am sure there are many other good ideas floating around.

 

[scooterbug44]

I don't want to start dictating people's medical care based on treatment costs, but with the prices of some medications and treatments so insane and reasonable alternatives readily available I think we DO have to draw the line somewhere.

 

[idlewind]

Oh I see. Couldn't read it on the iPad, thx.

The problem is that health care can never be a free market because you don't know ahead of time what treatment you may need, and unfortunately every insurance is going to cover different things. Because patients do not and often cannot shop for the actual treatment, only insurance, we won't ever see a true free market.

Nobody really wants to control costs. I read an article this week about a small issue (significant to those affected). It was about the cancer drug avastin and studies showing it is not as effective with stage four breast cancer compared to other advanced cancers. The FDA is considering removing it from the list of approved breast cancer drugs. Why? Because it is not that effective for most with the disease (but it appears to help some). Avastin is very very expensive. These are the really tough decisions to make. Critics are already screaming "death panels." Hard to blame the sick or feeling that way, but these are some of the things that have made costs uncontrollable.

This example is why conservatives hate government run healthcare. These decisions are best made by the doctor and the patient. They best know what treatment will work and what price the patient can afford. No bureaucrat can do better.

 

[Lynnie]

I love the idea of reform.....for those Federal programs delivering medical care as well as reform in the private sector.

Reform is the healthy way to go!

 

[idlewind]

I don't want to start dictating people's medical care based on treatment costs, but with the prices of some medications and treatments so insane and reasonable alternatives readily available I think we DO have to draw the line somewhere.

You are correct but I would rather the patient draw their own line instead of the government doing it. I personally know of people who have refused certain treatments due to the small odds of success and the exorbanant cost involved. That is a difficult decision but as you say someone must draw the line.

 

[scooterbug44]

The patient rarely draws the line if they aren't footing the bill IMO.

And a lot of doctors don't realize how expensive most drugs are because they don't buy them and the pharmaceutical reps don't ever seem to mention it.

 

[TooFarTampa]

Yes, but by necessity, cancer treatment has certain protocols for certain types and stages, developed by studying many many patients. The FDA has to decide based on such research what uses to approve for all the various cancer drugs. Not that the FDA doesn't need imrovement or even reform - but we do need to have an FDA.

The FDA isn't government run health care. If they remove breast cancer from the list of uses approved for avastin, a doctor can still prescribe it. It would be for an off label use though and private insurance companies would be highly unlikely to volunteer to cover it. Emphasis on "private." So the FDA decision has ripple effects. No one is talking about FDA reform.

 

[TooFarTampa]

That was a response to idlewind ... Darn no quote feature on the iPad!