Diatribune - medicare - Comments

Sorry to hear 'bout that

Joanne — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:44:44 -0600

Sorry to hear 'bout that Keechi! Have you outburst your miseries to the government of America? I'm sure they will take action on these.

Finance Articles

A Sincere Thanks to Northside Hospital in Cuming, Georgia!

Justanothercoverup — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:04:24 -0600

Hopefully, this will be my last comment on this thread. I just received word from my Mother's Doctor and she will be released from the hospital this evening. She is being discharged with adequate "long-acting" pain relief for her chronic pain issues, plus other needed medications - and although there is still no definitive virus or bacteria that has been identified as the cause of this crisis, it was only through the heroic efforts of the physicians at Northside Hospital in Cumming, Ga., that saved her life!

I admit there was a "speed bump" with the emergency room, which I'm sure wouldn't happen again, but in regard the care and expertise I saw demonstrated in the Intensive Care Unit - and expertise of the physicians who were called upon to consult and aid in her treatment were absolutely magnificent, and even when I had begun to lose hope, they kept working non-stop in an effort to get to the root of the problem - thus saving her life.

Just because they couldn't identify exactly "what" was wrong, or which Virus/bacteria/or whatever was wrong doesn't take-away from their remarkable ability(s) - but shows that even when faced with an unknown, they kept working and eventually persevered.

If I were to become critically ill and had my choice of hospitals, I'd request to be taken to Northside Hospital - as I would any member of my family that needed critical, life-saving care. I don't have enough words to thank them for their remarkable performance in the face of an illness that lesser individuals might not have been able to overcome. My sincerest of thanks and gratitude - and the same from the rest of our family!

No, the financial difficulties are only beginning, but Mom is coming back home, and somehow - I know in my heart that things will work out. The support, prayers, and well wishes have helped a lot - and quite honestly, helped give me the strength to face a situation that could have been much worse than it was.

My eyes have been opened; Now I know personally the plight so many millions of our seniors face, and sometimes, what little support or help they receive... I may not be able to accomplish a lot, but will always be an advocate for those who cannot speak for or help themselves - as we all should be. One day, like it or not, we could all be in a similar position - so working to change a broken health care system should be foremost in our minds, once we take back our country from the Neo-cons.

Yes - Doctors do receive kickbacks from Drug Companies!

Justanothercoverup — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:44:13 -0600

Well, it looks as if I was able to answer the question myself, with very minimal research. Yes, Doctors do receive kickbacks for prescribing new and experimental drugs, as indicated briefly below:

Doctors Make Me Sick

by Jane Gaffin

While zero-tolerance policies clog court dockets and jam jails with non-violent weekend recreational drug users, it's the dangerous drug-pushing criminals who should be behind bars, namely doctors who take patients off healthy nutrients and hook them on harmful prescription drugs.

The practice is detrimental to patients and financially beneficial to the quacks. Doctors receive 50 to 80 per cent kickbacks from the giant pharmaceutical companies for prescribing specific pills, especially experimental ones.

New drugs are not tested thoroughly before the government approves their release into the marketplace. Then doctors receive extra residuals for monitoring the reactions of the human guinea pigs and sending results to the drug companies in the spirit of research. Twenty years later, the patient is diagnosed with cancer or some other chronic disease. MORE

And then, there is this article - one of many I found on Ask.com:

Of Doctors, Drugs, and Trust

Too many doctors write prescriptions while under the influence of drug companies. Aggressive prosecution of the worst cases could help mend doctor-patient trust.

Excerpt:

Like public companies, physicians and pharmaceutical firms have traditionally self-regulated their interactions--mainly with vague and unenforced ethical guidelines. Most times, little perceived harm came from pharmaceutical makers giving gifts to doctors, or paying for their travel or meals. But such inducements contribute to the rapidly increasing cost of medical care. The drug industry spends between $8,000 and $15,000 per physician each year to market its products. (Emphasis added) The National Institutes of Health Care Management Research and Educational Foundation (a Washington-based nonprofit) found that retail spending on prescriptions more than doubled between 1995 and 2000, growing from $64.7 billion to $132 billion. Around 25 percent of this increase--nearly $17 billion over five years--was attributed to a shift to the prescribing of expensive drugs that often offer only incremental improvement over existing drugs, many of which are about to lose patent protection and face cheaper generic competition. Doctors studying their colleagues have concluded that physician-drug company interactions, small and large, legal and illegal, are contributing to the increases. MORE

So, now we know for sure that physicians receive kickbacks for prescribing certain medications being pushed by the pharmaceutical companies - and personally, I feel like this is a major conflict of interests to the patient they are treating. It smacks of the same corruption we see when lobbyists in Washington are caught illegally influencing our Congress. It truly seems that corporate America is ruling this country - not the people who are responsible for their profits and ultimately, who suffer when profit is placed above the welfare of the people.

JAC

I contacted the manufacturer of Lunesta yesterday

Justanothercoverup — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:47:28 -0600

I called Sepracor Corporation yesterday afternoon, not to accuse them of wrong-doing, because at this point no one knows the exact cause of my Mom's close encounter with death. (Sepracor is the maker of Lunesta.) The reason I called was because "Lunesta and Aricept" were Googled together by the University of California at San Francisco - and I was calling to see if there were any "known" drug interactions with either Aricept or Namenda. If anyone has any information of other possible drug interactions of this type, I would be extremely grateful.

magnify this user 8QSVGC1.ucsfmedicalcenter.org (University Of California San Francisco) [Label IP Address]

California, San Francisco, United States, 0 returning visits
Date Time WebPage
14th June 2007 12:05:19 www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=lunesta and aricept

Am I accepting the opinion of a Doctor that states it "couldn't have been the Lunesta?" At this point, until I know more, the answer is no! I was told, and have yet to verify this information, that Doctor's receive kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies for prescribing their newest drugs; based on this information, if it is indeed true, then the Doctor's opinion in regard Lunesta is essentially invalid as far as I'm concerned - especially when they (although I do stipulate that he was not the one that prescribed the drug) receive compensation for prescribing these drugs. If there really is financial compensation involved, then I would consider it to be a conflict of interests - and will vigorously attempt to learn if drug companies really do pay Doctor's for prescribing new medications. If this IS true - then I believe it is a practice that is contrary to the patients well-being, and will work to make this issue as public as possible.

I repeat - I am not personally aware that this practice exists, but if anyone has information in regard this issue - your input would be greatly appreciated.

JAC

I understand

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:51:14 -0600

I, too, have fibromyalgia,and definitely think of myself as a victim of our governments"why don't you people hurry up and die" thinking.I'm unable to work,but my husband, who has uncontrolled diabetes, does work.H'es a cook, on his feet all day,and then comes home to have to take care of the house.Our kids help out, but they have school to think about.We were on medicaid until last Autumn,when it was taken away,because they said my husband made too much money.He was making less than a thousand a month,to support a family of 5.The worker sent me a booklet of guidelines they use.If I were a single mother,I could make almost $40,000 a year, and still qualify for medicaid.But, because I have a husband,he isn't allowed to earn more than $800 per month.
Anyway,thanks to social services "new" guidelines, we now have NO medical care whatsoever.Neither of us have the medication we need,nor any other treatment that could help.I hurt 24/7/365,along with too many other symptoms of FMS to count.Hubby is now seeing complications from diabetes that scare us to death.We know FMS is unbearable,but it won't kill me-his diabetes CAN kill him.And yet, we can't get help.Even when I had doctors, though, I couldnt get any pain relief.I would tell them my meds didn't work, and they would prescribe the same ones over and over to me.One doctor even laughed in my face, and told me" You aren't getting anything stronger than what you already have from me."Of course, now I have nothing.I recently was approved, after fighting since 2003,for SSI, but was told that because my husband makes more money now, I will probably only get the backpay, and not recieve an ongoing check,nor medicaid.We're still at about half the poverty level for a family the size of ours.
My best advice to you is to call your representatives, your governor,your senators,and the media.Contact national talk shows.Contact the Today Show.Get the word out what's happening to your mother to anyone and everyone who even MIGHT be of help.Get a copy of the Patients Bill Of Rights-there is wording in there that states that patients have the right to pain relief.In this screwed-up system of ours, WE-the PEOPLE, have to be our own advocates.WE have to take control of it ourselves.Because THEY don't care.

Sheryl

I went through this in 1989,

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:01:51 -0600

I went through this in 1989, you MUST approach all doctors knowing they shall ALWAYS minimize and try to play down everything. Your answer that the meds were working but not enough was wrong, should have described her pacing at night and vomiting from pain. Get free samples of meds, see nurse's assistant instead of actual doctor-it costs less, generic meds cost less, ask for a MONTHLY supply of meds, each 1, point out how many times in a day you/she takes each pill-you'll probably have to fight them for this. Food closets, churches, senior centers may have info-doctors that are better, places to eat. If you have a disabled car plaque people will be more inclined to believe you are disabled, if it's an "invisible disability", not so much.

Chronic pain patients have

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 20:48:07 -0600

Chronic pain patients have NO RIGHTS that must be respected by anyone. The situation for chronic pain sufferers is way beyond Kafka, Bosch anything anyone can imagine. It is also the consequence of our flight from reason. The media hysteria about Oxycontin, mixed with demagoue politicians have made prescribing effective opiates a heroic deed. The best practices on Pain management, the newest theories are in direct conflict with the DEA. The DEA MUST be removed form the Medical business. Credit cards get abused but no one believes they are evil. No0ticwe how the Doctors seem to treat Opiods as the evil molecule? Insulin dependent diabetics need their "drugs" every day. Does that make them evil? The hypocrisy, moralistic brutality and callousness I have witnessed as the partner of a Pain patient would stun anyone who has not experienced it. Any Doctor willing to prescibe adequate narcotic pain meds is a hero and is risking his life. A Doctor in Virginia, Dr Hurwitz, was recently re-tried, and though he had the original conviction for 45 YEARS!!! thrown out a jury still reconvicted him and he faces 20 years. All for having patients lie to him. Pain is self reported. Either a few fakers get through or you deny people who need relief. Suicide is epeidemic among Chronic Pain patients. Surprised?

Problems w/Medicare and/or Medicaid

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 20:11:45 -0600

Have you contacted your Congressman?

Sometimes they can help you -- if they're the right kind of representative.

JEB

Things gotta turn around...

keechi — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 23:15:57 -0600

When I was insured (through a local government job) my personal doctor dumped me because of a conflict with my carrier (BCBS). I watch first-hand as Medicare and the healthcare system that exists today in America wildly abuse and neglect my mother's elderly status and poor health condition now in her waining days. As a current uninsured citizen myself, I find I that health services are becoming more competitive everyday for the uninsured cash paying customer who plays the game with some smarts. If I need an MRI, or Bone Density Scan, I shop around the fact I'm paying cash and the prices for procedures drop out of the sky. Both my mother and I required Brain MRI's this year... I paid $500.00 cash for mine, and my mom's insurance & Medicare D Plan got billed for around $3,500.00+ for the same procedure. When will America find its pride and social responsibility? I may not live to see the day - certainly my mother won't...