D&D and the rising pandemic

[Umbran]

Even without knowing the names of this drug, treatment or pharmaceutical, you are always free to ask “What other options are there?” Or to seek a second opinion.

You may be "free to ask", but asking isn't exactly free.

If you ask your GP, and they are discounting your experience, they may not give you a useful answer. If you want a second opinion, you need to seek out a new GP, and usually have a whole appointment related to intake of a new patient, and then schedule a second appointment just to talk about your actual problem.

Maybe a specialist? Well, they have to actually be somewhere near you, and if they are, you probably need a referral, and your insurance has to be on board with it. Oh, and once you convince your GP to give you that, you may need to wait months for the specialist to have an opening, if they are even open to new patients at all. And each appointment is a day off work that you may not be getting paid for, that you need to arrange childcare for, etc.

And that's just the traditional issues. Currently, the healthcare system it critically understaffed, so all those loops tend to take even longer.

Having the understanding that there are treatments, and the names of some of them, when you walk in the door can matter a great deal. At least, that's been my wife's lived experience. And she is far more knowledgeable about medicine than the average Joe on the street. YMMV.

In a better world, with a non-borked healthcare system, patients could walk into the doctor ignorant, and still get the best care. But, that's not really the case now.

 

[Zardnaar]

You may be "free to ask", but asking isn't exactly free.

If you ask your GP, and they are discounting your experience, they may not give you a useful answer. If you want a second opinion, you need to seek out a new GP, and usually have a whole appointment related to intake of a new patient, and then schedule a second appointment just to talk about your actual problem.

Maybe a specialist? Well, they have to actually be somewhere near you, and if they are, you probably need a referral, and your insurance has to be on board with it. Oh, and once you convince your GP to give you that, you may need to wait months for the specialist to have an opening, if they are even open to new patients at all. And each appointment is a day off work that you may not be getting paid for, that you need to arrange childcare for, etc.

And that's just the traditional issues. Currently, the healthcare system it critically understaffed, so all those loops tend to take even longer.

Having the understanding that there are treatments, and the names of some of them, when you walk in the door can matter a great deal. At least, that's been my wife's lived experience. And she is far more knowledgeable about medicine than the average Joe on the street. YMMV.

In a better world, with a non-borked healthcare system, patients could walk into the doctor ignorant, and still get the best care. But, that's not really the case now.

That's pretty much what I do just walk in the door and take whatever the doctor prescribes. If I don't like the side effects I'll stop taking stuff (had this with painkillers the pain was better than the side effects).

We didn't have any choices on vaccines early it was Pfizer that's it. Doctors aren't god they generally use a checklist if mist common symptoms and go from there afaik.

Can't sue then for negligence here. Prescriptions are $3 or you can't get some drugs I suppose.

One big difference here I noticed was no opiod epidemic. The painkillers Americans can get prescribed for fairly minor things you can only get here as a terminal cancer patient or something similar. You can't really request the good stuff (well you can the default answer is no).

 

[Umbran]

Can't sue then for negligence here. Prescriptions are $3 or you can't get some drugs I suppose.

Yeah. Meanwhile, here, there are some migraine treatments that are like $24,000 per year.

For the right kind of patient, those treatments are like magic! But folks frequently (usually?) need a combination of good insurance and a copay plan from the manufacturer to make it happen.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yeah. Meanwhile, here, there are some migraine treatments that are like $24,000 per year.

For the right kind of patient, those treatments are like magic! But folks frequently (usually?) need a combination of good insurance and a copay plan from the manufacturer to make it happen.

Idk if that medication at 24k is even available here. One can always fly to America and pay retail I suppose.

Unofficially if it costs more than XYZ it's unavailable I can't recall the exact amount. It's usually experimental drugs and niche type conditions.

 

[Thomas Shey]

And to that I say AGAIN that it was intended to be demonstrative, not an actual basis of policy.

I mean, that is if what I say actually matters at this point - I'm not sure it does.

Well, apparently what I say doesn't, so I'd say we're even there.

 

[Umbran]

Idk if that medication at 24k is even available here. One can always fly to America and pay retail I suppose.

Unofficially if it costs more than XYZ it's unavailable I can't recall the exact amount. It's usually experimental drugs and niche type conditions.

This is for chronic migraine, which is suffered by about 3% to 5% of the population.

You probably have a different framework for defining cost of drugs. In this case, in the US, if you have insurance, it will typically pick up half the cost. Then, the copay program picks up the rest, but only if you have insurance to start with.

I do not know how the copay program is funded, if, indeed, it is "funded", as it comes from the manufacturer. It may effectively be that they collect $12K/year from the insurance company, and write off the patient's portion.

 

[Zardnaar]

This is for chronic migraine, which is suffered by about 3% to 5% of the population.

You probably have a different framework for defining cost of drugs. In this case, in the US, if you have insurance, it will typically pick up half the cost. Then, the copay program picks up the rest, but only if you have insurance to start with.

I do not know how the copay program is funded, if, indeed, it is "funded", as it comes from the manufacturer. It may effectively be that they collect $12K/year from the insurance company, and write off the patient's portion.

In not sure exactly on how things work over there just that it's expensive.

American expats here do like being able to have kids here due to cost. I know it costs the US government/taxpayer more both up front and long term.

They're more into ambulance at top of cliff. They used to have health camps for kids which was kind of like an American summer camp but it involved dieting and exercising.

It's not perfect lots of complaining about various things, shortage of doctors, nurses etc.

Mates father is American (kiwi mum)he had to get cancer treatment here and didn't qualify for free healthcare. Cost him $8000 NZD ($4-5k USD).

Mum's cancer treatment they paid her (for travel costs and accomodation) and Father in Law is getting chemo atm. Can't complain about that but if I broke my arm might be in ED for up to 12 hours waiting no painkillers.

 

[Garthanos]

Yeah. Meanwhile, here, there are some migraine treatments that are like $24,000 per year.

I have only had 1 migraine in my life but based on that experience I can see why people could be induced to pay that.

 

[Mannahnin]

One big difference here I noticed was no opiod epidemic. The painkillers Americans can get prescribed for fairly minor things you can only get here as a terminal cancer patient or something similar. You can't really request the good stuff (well you can the default answer is no).

Americans haven't been able to get opioids for minor stuff in years. The roots of the opioid epidemic are in the '90s, more than two decades ago. Manufacturers pushed overprescribing and misled healthcare providers as to how addictive newer ones were.

Currently providers have overcorrected to not wanting to give out opioids even when they're very much needed, which is part of what's fueled heroin and now fentanyl problems. People resort to illegal stuff because the legal painkillers are now much harder to get.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

Me and my wife just got our fourth shot, in preparation for rising case numbers here in Sweden and what may pop out from the current China situation.