Here's an example of why I no longer participate in our medical industry

[Ziggidy]

I have been in the healthcare system for 44 years (retired 6 years ago), and I can rant for hours and hours how the industry has changed. Not only the drug companies or insurance, but the doctors also - the entire system no longer has the patient in mind, only the bottom dollar. Yes, there was a day when it was different.

Just this week my wife had a prescription that the insurance denied, cost was 238.00! BUT, sure enough, GoodRx got it down to 63.00! We pay for insurance, we get GoodRx free.

I doubt my doctor would recognize me if I saw him on the street, no personal interaction, none. Every 6 months, check in and he asks me how I’m doing, listens to me and says I’ll see ya in 6 months! 5 maybe 10 minutes. I’ve tried to get a conversation going but it’s like talking to a wall; and no, the waiting room is usually empty since I am the last scheduled. He is a walking talking puppet for the medical mafia. If I ask for something outside the parameters of what the latest trend is, he’ll just tell me he can’t.

Ok, I’ll stop.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

That's not how it reads, at least to me. He made a direct statement that he believes B/P and heart health has improved over time

Not really...

"I could be wrong, but if the data existed, I'd go out on a limb and bet my mortgage that the blood pressure and heart rate of people being "grilled" by congress would show a steady decline over the decades."

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

What makes you think that? I'd say your limb would break and you'd lose your house. Obesity is the leading comorbitity. There more people eating processed foods than ever before. There's more people leading a sedentary lifestyle that in previous decades. Quite frankly folks move less, exert less energy and eat more unhealthy foods. These factors most certainly play a role in your cardiac health. I'd say >75% of my patients are on B/P meds.

As others have said, I was speaking metaphorically there. Not saying it was a poor choice of metaphor, but at the time I didn't consider how easy it would be, given the context of the conversation, to take it literally. Trying to make the point that none of these CEOs, whether from Pharma, or Tech seem to have reason to be nervous in front of Congress.

 

[xwing]

While I'm sure it would be painful initially I still think the system would self correct if there was no medical insurance/care. The medical industry would then have to charge what people could afford rather than the obfuscated non-sense of prices we have now.

That is the truth. But it will never happen b/c the leftists in government are in cahoots with the healthcare companies to never let it happen. The government authoritarians get more control (and the power that comes with it); the healthcare companies are protected from free competition (and can price accordingly). It's the consumer who is screwed over by our ultra-regulated healthcare system.

 

[Ingomike]

Not really...

"I could be wrong, but if the data existed, I'd go out on a limb and bet my mortgage that the blood pressure and heart rate of people being "grilled" by congress would show a steady decline over the decades."

Yep, it was a political statement, not a statement on health of people.

They have constantly been moving the acceptable BP numbers down over my life, was that from medical research for patients or to sell more meds for big pharma?

When an industry squanders their respect to gain money, respect that was earned over years of painstaking care…

 

[NyleRN]

As others have said, I was speaking metaphorically there. Not saying it was a poor choice of metaphor, but at the time I didn't consider how easy it would be, given the context of the conversation, to take it literally. Trying to make the point that none of these CEOs, whether from Pharma, or Tech seem to have reason to be nervous in front of Congress.

I apologize for not picking up the sarcasm. I agree about big pharma. It's a money racket. So is the medical industry as a whole. I've seen it first hand

 

[bobzilla]

That's not how it reads, at least to me. He made a direct statement that he believes B/P and heart health has improved over time

here;s the actual quote:

I could be wrong, but if the data existed, I'd go out on a limb and bet my mortgage that the blood pressure and heart rate of people being "grilled" by congress would show a steady decline over the decades.

Being grilled by congress, in other words those that have the power don't even swear lying to congress because they have most of them in their pockets already.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I found great example of that brokenness of our system yesterday.

I get my scripts from Meijer. One of my meds is only covered if I use my insurance’s mail order pharmacy.

For 90 day refills:
Through anthem mail order: $45
Meijer price submitting to insurance: $99 (not covered)
Run through the Meijer discount card $8.

And what sucks is they cant note that one script to go to the discount card. It always has to be sent for insurance, then I have to ask to run against the card at pickup. Which can add up to 5 minutes to the transaction.

 

[NyleRN]

They have constantly been moving the acceptable BP numbers down over my life, was that from medical research for patients or to sell more meds for big pharma?

I understand what you're saying but there's more than just a systolic number and a diastolic number that goes into what's considered acceptable for a particular patient. Textbooks love to stick with hard numbers that everyone remembers.

 

[phylodog]

I was threatened with going on BP medicine for 15 years. My Father had been on it since he was a teenager and my younger brother made it to 23 before he had to. 15 years I heard about how my borderline high bp could kill me and I really, really, really needed to be on bp meds. Finally hit a stretch where the numbers got a little higher and I agreed to take them.

Strangely, not one single nurse or doctor since that moment has ever asked if I'd like to stop taking it, or should stop, or need it. 15 years of dedicated coercion and once the goal was reached, well that mountain was tackled and another lifelong customer was born. I cut my own dose in half over a year ago, test my bp regularly and saw no increase at all. I'm likely going to dump it all together and will likely do the same for the cholesterol meds and I'm trying to find trustworthy data to get off of the thyroid medication I apparently cannot live without now.

The older I get the more I come to understand that we as a species don't know half of what we claim we do but that never stops a salesman.

 

[firecadet613]

I found great example of that brokenness of our system yesterday.

I get my scripts from Meijer. One of my meds is only covered if I use my insurance’s mail order pharmacy.

For 90 day refills:
Through anthem mail order: $45
Meijer price submitting to insurance: $99 (not covered)
Run through the Meijer discount card $8.

And what sucks is they cant note that one script to go to the discount card. It always has to be sent for insurance, then I have to ask to run against the card at pickup. Which can add up to 5 minutes to the transaction.

I may have one better.

I got the EOB from a dental visit earlier in the week.

Total Charge: $167
Insurance Pays: $97
Patient Responsibility: $10

So, being a preferred provider/insurance discount knocked off $70.

I dropped in yesterday to pick up my new retainer ($62.50 was my portion of it) and told her to add in the $10 I owe from my cleaning. She replied I don't owe it. They always bill it to insurance, and if insurance doesn't cover it, they never charge the patient...