Visual PROOF: What the BIG PHARMA Bastards are doing so people have to eat dogfood.

[Mira]

A neighbor who is a Medicare recipient has blood pressure medicine she has to take every day. She brought me these slips to show me how the co-pays are creeping up, the percentage is astronomical, and how they reach into your wallet and rob you to increase their profits.

She said:
It's not a lot, but I wanted you to see what they do

I said:
Like hell it isn't
To many it is food for several days.


It's so sinful I want to just spit.




edited to cover up name

[pfitz59]

1. This sucks

poeple are being nickled and dimed to death!

[Mira]

3. Yeah, but look at the percentages. That's increases of 50 -60 percent

in a three month span.
This is so very wrong and so rude. It is being done to the ones who are helpless and without recourse.
Like just about all of us.
I am livid to see this.

[uppityperson]

8. PRICE is the same, INSURANCE co is who sets copay and is the issue here

Look at the cost, each month is $90. Rant about the INSURANCE COMPANIES as THEY are the problem here since the amount for the Rx is the SAME.

[appal_jack]

9. Impossible!

My Tee-Vee tells me that there is no inflation, and that the recession is over. Also, that big gub-mint is not the solution to health care. And Obama is a muslin.

Clearly, these receipts are forgeries.

:sarcasm:

In all seriousness, that rate of increase in a few months' time is outrageous.

-app

EDIT to add a note for Mira - the blacking-out of the name is is off-set in the second receipt down, so I can read the name. Can you edit it? I would hate for this thread to die, but I'm sure you want to protect your friend's privacy too.

[Mira]

14. Some nice person sent me an IM - so I hurried to fix it.

Now I will look who that was and thank him/her a whole lot.

[avaistheone1]

2. It is a lot when you are on a fixed income. Her price went up well over

300% in 9 months. And this is just for one medication. Most seniors are on multiple medications.

GREED, GREED, GREED!!

[Echo In Light]

4. Uniquely American!

[Why Syzygy]

5. That's her insurance company, not the pharmco.

She has Part D Medicare to pay her prescriptions, right?

[Bozita]

6. If she's got food to eat, she has more money than she needs. Some insurance company needs it more.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

10. INDIAN COMPANY

[uppityperson]

7. That would be INSURANCE company as THEY set copays, PRICE stays the same

Good grief, LOOK at the price on each. $90, right? It is the INSURANCE COMPANY that is jacking her around.

[NMMNG]

11. It's not "Big Pharma" that's fucking with her

It's Big Insurance

The Cash Price of the medication remains unchanged over time ($209.54 each time). The co-pay, which is determined by her insurance company is what is increasing. Blame those greedy bastards, not the pharmaceutical companies.

[Lars39]

13. Nope, Big Pharma's charging her more than they do for the same drug

in other countries. We're just used to outrageous amounts being charged here for medicines.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. Is that for a generic or a name brand?

[Mira]

15. Does it matter? It's the identical thing each time. I did not ask N/T

[uppityperson]

16. Cost is the same, copay is increasing, rant about the INSURANCE company instead

THEY are the ones jacking up the cost to the recipient. It is a good rant, and something that needs to be known, but please, rant at the right place. This is insurance co doing it and the cost otherwise stays the same.

[Mira]

17. OKAY -

I believe headers can't be changed, so it has to stay. People who read your comment will hopefully think it through as to who the culprit is.
In the larger picture between the Insurance Companies and Big Pharma their profit pictures tell me that one way or another we are getting screwed by both of them.
So, for now, I am not apologizing to Big Pharma.

[uppityperson]

18. I just hate to see a good rant go to waste. I hate insurance companies.

[Mira]

19. Thanks for helping, I don't think

too much is going to waste.

[RC]

20. The Health Insurance Companies have to recoup the

$263.4 million of the premium money we've paid to fund the six lobbyists per each of the 535 Congress critters. Some critters have higher prices than others and are harder to buy off. Hence the increase of the co-pay.

[sl8]

21. Walmart?

I see that her Rx is for DILTIAZEM 240 MG CAPS. The DILTIAZEM 120MG TAB is on Walmart's $4/$10 (#30/#90)list. It's half the dosage and no "CD" suffix, but it might be worth discussing with her doctor.

http://www.walmart.com/4prescriptions

[Mira]

22. I will pass it on to her, thank you. n/t