Well it is now the holiday season and we all look forward with gratitude for what we have to a wonderful season with family and friends-the true gifts of this time.
Our friends at "Big Pharma" evidently have been so excited that they could not wait and decided to give themselves an early gift by raising prices this year so far a whopping 8.9% despite the fact that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has fallen 1.3%.
It would seem that after careful reflection they were very uneasy about the 8 billion dollars that they promised President Obama in yearly price reductions over the next 10 years if the government would not start negotiating prices for medicare or other government programs. A bit like going into the local store when they have those end of year sales-10% off the 25% mark-up.
The usual argument is heard round the corporate tables. If we do not do this, why then research and development (R&D) of those vital lifesaving drugs will stop and we will all suffer unspeakable consequences. Let's take a closer look at this claim, as who would be so selfish and un-American as to want to be responsible for all that misery.
The ten biggest pharmaceutical companies had total sales of 269 billion dollars in 2008. Of this only 42 billion (15%) went for R&D. The vast majority of R&D money comes from the National Institutes of Health, our tax dollars at work. The other 30% comes from foreign laboratories. Additionally the vast majority of these drugs were "me too" products that added nothing to health care. Of the 667 new drugs approved from 2000-2007 only 75 (11%) were either new important additions or a significant improvement on an existing product. "Big Pharma" made 49 billion in profits (18%) in 2008. Now that's good business as the average for all Fortune 500 companies was a paltry 0.9%.
To ensure it's place "in the sun", "Big Pharma" spent 55 billion for lobbying, political contributions, front groups as "patient advocacy"and" independent" think tanks.
Education is a major part of this money. Hundreds of "detailers" scurry around the country to educate doctors that their drug is the best and has the least side effects. As part of this process free meals are given, meetings are sponsored and gifts with the drug name inscribed are distributed. For the consumer ads and free first prescription offers abound on television and on the Internet. While researching this Blog entry, I have bumped into Lipitor at least 5 times.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this (for me) is the creation of new disease entities to expand a particular drug's market. We now have "Social Phobia Disorder" and that can be treated. A few years back, those folks were just shy and considered normal. Up to 7% of American children now have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and are medicated with who knows what long term effects. Years back they were considered variations of normal and sent out to the playground to "run of some steam". Interestingly in Great Britain, the estimate is only 1%. We now have children as young as 3-4 being labelled as Bipolar and treated again with unknown long term effects on the developing brain. Turns out that the physician that did the studies was funded by the very pharmaceutical firm that manufactures the medication.
And so in this season of joy and gratitude, we should all reflect on our health care chaos, realizing that all too many of our fellow citizens and other folks that we invited here have no regular means of getting help when they are ill. We must change this. Then this season will have a real meaning.
Stephen
For those who would like references, go to the website of Physicians for a National Health Program--- pnhp.org. There, look up work done by Dr. Marcia Angel, former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
THE REPLY
Dear Senator Collins,
Thank you for your recent response to my concerns about health insurance, the reform process and its impact on health care here in America.I am deeply disappointed by your reply and I do hope that it was written by one of your staff as it shows a complete lack of understanding about this most important issue. Additionally the "non-partisan" Lewin Group that you cite is a subsidiary of United Health Care, a large corporation that sells (would you believe) health insurance. To use them as a resource is disingenuous and only obfuscates discussion on this issue. Obviously you have little knowledge of how the rest of the developed world functions and functions well as opposed to our totally inadequate and grossly unfair system that seems only to penalize the ill and helpless. Are you aware of the number of Americans that die yearly because of a lack of health insurance and thereby a lack of adequate health care, approximately 45,000 and of those close to 3,000 are veterans who served their country. Are you aware that the majority of bankruptcies in America are due to medical bills and the majority (75%) of these folks are working. I have two children with pre-existing conditions who cannot afford insurance. You ignore the fact that a public option does not obligate anyone to give up their present plan if they are content. I do believe that, as drug companies are now rapidly increasing their prices, the insurance industry will simply raise premiums to ensure that their obscene profits continue.
With respect I urge you to examine this with greater care. It is one of the most important issues today. Our system is in great danger of collapse and nothing in the Congressional bills seems to want to recognize that. You are all too beholden to the insurance industry.
Sincerely
Thank you for your recent response to my concerns about health insurance, the reform process and its impact on health care here in America.I am deeply disappointed by your reply and I do hope that it was written by one of your staff as it shows a complete lack of understanding about this most important issue. Additionally the "non-partisan" Lewin Group that you cite is a subsidiary of United Health Care, a large corporation that sells (would you believe) health insurance. To use them as a resource is disingenuous and only obfuscates discussion on this issue. Obviously you have little knowledge of how the rest of the developed world functions and functions well as opposed to our totally inadequate and grossly unfair system that seems only to penalize the ill and helpless. Are you aware of the number of Americans that die yearly because of a lack of health insurance and thereby a lack of adequate health care, approximately 45,000 and of those close to 3,000 are veterans who served their country. Are you aware that the majority of bankruptcies in America are due to medical bills and the majority (75%) of these folks are working. I have two children with pre-existing conditions who cannot afford insurance. You ignore the fact that a public option does not obligate anyone to give up their present plan if they are content. I do believe that, as drug companies are now rapidly increasing their prices, the insurance industry will simply raise premiums to ensure that their obscene profits continue.
With respect I urge you to examine this with greater care. It is one of the most important issues today. Our system is in great danger of collapse and nothing in the Congressional bills seems to want to recognize that. You are all too beholden to the insurance industry.
Sincerely
Saturday, November 7, 2009
The Forces of Darkness and Evil
"Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and most inhumane"
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
This was recognized by Dr. King almost 50 years ago as he engaged in the Civil Rights struggle. Yet we today have been unable to address and correct this glaring inequity.
I spent with Gerda a fascinating day making the rounds of our congressional delegation to try and foster a meaningful dialogue. We was most politely received in all three offices. we spent the most time at Senator Snowe's office where we discussed health care and a range of different but related social issues. I found Mrs. Diane Jackson most attentive and interested and I do thank her for her time. Less time was spent at Senator Collins office but we were shown the same courtesy and interest by David Heidrich Jr. Sadly at Representative Michaud's, it was very different. We were told by the staffer that he could spare us five minutes and, although notes were taken, I felt that there was little interest in what we were saying. We will remember that. Whether the afternoon will make an iota of difference.............. well I do doubt it. Nevertheless it is critical for each of us to continually register our concerns.
I thought that it would also be reasonable in each of these blogs to focus on one particular problem among the myriad in our rapidly crumbling all-American system. Today's will be bankruptcy caused by medical bills. A Harvard study recently published in the prestigious American Journal of Medicine ( August, 2009 ) found that 62.1% of bankruptcies in 2007 ( before the recession ) were significantly contributed to by medical problems. The majority ( 77.9% ) had health insurance at the start of the illness. Of these 60.3% had private coverage. These folks were solidly middle class and were working at the time of their illness. Many lost their jobs and their insurance as a result of the illness. In no other developed nation does this occur. Their medical bills ranged from $17,749-$34,167 depending on the type and chronicity of the illness. As we can learn even the well insured can be devastated by high out-of-pocket costs incurred by co-payments, deductibles and non-covered services. Having two children with pre-existing conditions, we know both how hard it is to find reasonable coverage ( there is none ) and the fear engendered by going without.
And that's the news from Lake Auburn,
where the women are good-looking,
the children above average
and you had better pray that your
insurance is adequate.
Stephen & Gerda
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
This was recognized by Dr. King almost 50 years ago as he engaged in the Civil Rights struggle. Yet we today have been unable to address and correct this glaring inequity.
I spent with Gerda a fascinating day making the rounds of our congressional delegation to try and foster a meaningful dialogue. We was most politely received in all three offices. we spent the most time at Senator Snowe's office where we discussed health care and a range of different but related social issues. I found Mrs. Diane Jackson most attentive and interested and I do thank her for her time. Less time was spent at Senator Collins office but we were shown the same courtesy and interest by David Heidrich Jr. Sadly at Representative Michaud's, it was very different. We were told by the staffer that he could spare us five minutes and, although notes were taken, I felt that there was little interest in what we were saying. We will remember that. Whether the afternoon will make an iota of difference.............. well I do doubt it. Nevertheless it is critical for each of us to continually register our concerns.
I thought that it would also be reasonable in each of these blogs to focus on one particular problem among the myriad in our rapidly crumbling all-American system. Today's will be bankruptcy caused by medical bills. A Harvard study recently published in the prestigious American Journal of Medicine ( August, 2009 ) found that 62.1% of bankruptcies in 2007 ( before the recession ) were significantly contributed to by medical problems. The majority ( 77.9% ) had health insurance at the start of the illness. Of these 60.3% had private coverage. These folks were solidly middle class and were working at the time of their illness. Many lost their jobs and their insurance as a result of the illness. In no other developed nation does this occur. Their medical bills ranged from $17,749-$34,167 depending on the type and chronicity of the illness. As we can learn even the well insured can be devastated by high out-of-pocket costs incurred by co-payments, deductibles and non-covered services. Having two children with pre-existing conditions, we know both how hard it is to find reasonable coverage ( there is none ) and the fear engendered by going without.
And that's the news from Lake Auburn,
where the women are good-looking,
the children above average
and you had better pray that your
insurance is adequate.
Stephen & Gerda
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