Dear Peggy:

 

Thank you for posting on the harsh realities of rising drug costs colliding with essential health care (you are not [paraphrase] talking optional designer items but what you need to sustain a decent quality of life). Many of us are suffering sticker-shock-to-the-max on copays and ,beyond that, even the specialized prescription medicines where they exist at all or are accessible (clear case in point being pain medications) are certainly not perfect solutions, let alone what can be purchased over the counter w/o rx and as you point out not cheaply.  So very sorry (which hardly squares it) you are in this situation but glad you shared how it is, really is.

 

There are a bunch of articles around on the Web spelling out more on these matters, e.g. http://www.essentialdrugs.org/edrug/hma/e-drug.199910/msg00179.php , but we sure appreciate your bringing to the fore in addition to issues the fundamental facts of basic living and trying to care for the family.

 

:) LDMF.

 

PS: Your closing homily (is that the right word?) is beautiful.

 

----- Original Message -----

From: peggy oconnor

To: pain-in-the-law@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 8:43 AM

Subject: [pain-in-the-law] Medication costs

As we know too many have too few resources to "exercise" prescription medicine.
Please post if you have thoughts on the reported (source="Segal") view expressed below that "Prescription noncompliance may not be negatively affecting the health status of patients..."

E.g. in your experience, are OTC (over the counter) medications equally effective? And how can comparisons be made? Etc.., any thoughts stimulated.

Thoughts, I have a bundle!!!

Until the middle of last year prescriptions were not a problem.  Due to circumstances, inability to work, and my husband losing his job, the medicines I have to take in order to maintain some normalcy have become out of reach.  Not only do I take medicine for chronic pain, my children also take medicine for CFS and severe allergies.

We have BC/BS and our co-pay is a differential and not a set amount.  This had caused us to either forgo getting the medicine we need, or to skip doses to make it last.  Since we have insurance we are not illegible for patient assistance and our income is only $740.00 a month with the medicines costing 256.00 of that amount.  We also have rent, phone and utilities to deal with as well, not to mention food. 

Thank God for food banks and free, very stale food that we do get.

I hate being in limbo and falling through the cracks simply because we have insurance.  The realities of life do not fit into the compartments that the insurance company wants us to deal with.  How is anyone suppose to live?

OTC meds are not an option.  In fact they do not even cover what we need and most of the time they are more than what you would have to pay, if you had insurance.  The government needs to wake up and smell the coffee.

Once there was a forest fire, and all the animals rushed to escape.  A hummingbird went to the river and collected a drop of water.  The other animals laughed. 'What are you doing?'  they asked.  She replied, "I am doing what I can.'

PEGGY

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