February 22, 2007 Issue

Imagine this scenario if you will: A middle-aged guy sits in his recliner. He is depressed even though he has taken the correct dosage of Cymbalta. His blood pressure is unaffected by the Lipitor he religiously takes each day. His wife left him even though his doctor assured him Cialis would put new life in his marriage. The empty half bed leaves him tossing and turning, so he seeks Ambien or Lunestra. Taking so many pills has upset his stomach to the degree that now he must take Prilosec and to top it off, now he’s convinced he has restless leg syndrome.

My diagnosis? This guy watches too much TV. I don’t think you need to look much further than television commercials to start to get a handle on why prescription drugs, most of which cost pennies to produce, cost so much.

Once, it was the job of drug reps to inform doctors of the latest and greatest in the way of aids to help the sick. Now the patients go to the doctor with a list of the drugs they want and they want them because they have seen an ad on television. I bet everyone has done this at least once. I did some years ago when the drug Vioxx first hit the market and was touted as the latest and greatest for those with arthritic pain. Fortunately, it turns out, for me the drug was ineffective and I stopped taking it. A few years later this drug was linked to massive heart problems.

The point is, I wouldn’t have known about this drug without television. A doctor gave it to me upon request. How responsible is that? How much did the drug company spend to market this drug? Gazillions is the answer and then they had to spend gazillions more when they were sued by people who took it and suffered bigger problems from using a drug they probably heard about on TV in the first place!

We have a serious need for health care reform. The obscene profits by the drug companies are just the tip of the iceberg.

It is a scandal that the “richest nation on Earth” cannot provide a way for all people to have access to routine health care. The cost for a visit to the doctor for something routine such as a sinus infection can cost as much as $150 for the uninsured. A doctor might spend 10 minutes with you. Factor in the cost of whatever drug is prescribed and you are looking at $200 for something minor. Little wonder the very poor are forced into emergency rooms with every day ailments.

We have 21 months of misery ahead while all the candidates for office try to get our attention and votes in the election of November 2008. They are all talking about health care and whoever comes up with a plan equalizing things for those without comprehensive health insurance coverage will get my vote. I’m quite tired of lip service about this issue. Employers who try and provide coverage for their employees get hit with massive increases each and every year, so they are faced with either paring down the amount of coverage, or increasing the employee participation costs.

It doesn’t take an advanced degree in math to know that the bigger the group of people to be covered, the less risk involved because the spectrum of people will go from those who seldom need medical attention to those who are facing some major challenges. However, the premiums from the large group protect the company and those who are covered by the health umbrella. I don’t understand why some entrepreneur does not take advantage of the knowledge that 43 million working Americans cannot afford health insurance in the current marketplace and start a company solely aimed at this group. My feeling is millions would sign up if the premiums could be in the $50 to $100 dollar range every month. Most employed people pay at least this much to participate in company plans.

I’m beginning to believe some standards of care are recommended by insurance companies in collusion with the medical profession.

I believe this because of dental insurance. Dental insurance companies pay for two cleanings a year and full x-rays. As someone who pays for my own twice-yearly cleanings, I eschew the x-rays unless I’m having a problem. After all, you don’t get a chest x-ray every time you have a cold do you?

Oops: I’m sure there’s a pill for this, but I flat out forgot to change the phone number for the artist in the last issue. C. Ginnetti Ponto’s correct number is 678-9220.

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