I was just reading that two major medical associations are trying to help their oncologists be able to discuss treatment costs with patients. For the first time ever, cost is being evaluated in cancer treatments along with effectiveness. Some socialized medical proponents are up in arms because they feel when you bring the patient's treatment expense into the picture, poor people won't get or pick the best treatment.
Co-pays are a huge portion of expense in cancer treatments, both with Medicare, Medicaid and private Insurance. As a patient, would I like to know how much such and such treatment is going to be versus another? For me, I think I would want to know and it may affect my decision - just what the socialized crowd is against. If X treatment was 45% effective and cost $3K a month in copays and Y treatment was 40% effective and cost $1K a month, I'd pick Y. (and No, I don't think 'society - aka people's taxes' should have to pay the difference in the drugs for me.) It is my right to know expense and perhaps if everyone did, X would have to lower it's cost to even have any business at all. I don't agree that we as a society should shoulder the burden of saving every life no matter the cost. Cost / Benefit analysis is the basis of important decisions. Some say that if Oncologists bring up expenses with welfare patients - then they will have conflicting duties (to minimize expenses for society vs. best possible care for patient). Well, that may be so, but doesn't the patient deserve to know?
So maybe people wouldn't pick the 'best' drug out there if they knew the cost - I believe that market competition would kick in and at some point the 'best' drug out there will become cheaper both for society and the individual. I'm tired of people trying to 'protect' others from all the facts and knowledge. I welcome bringing cost into treatment discussions. Let the people decide and the markets will follow. Just because one pharmaceutical says their drug is $200 a pill, doesn't mean it will stay that high if no one buys it. One last thought... if money suddenly had a place at the table in discussing options, perhaps overlooked and cheap alternatives can be brought out. My dad was mentioning that some type of Tea has the same benefits as an expense heart medicine but because it is 'unpatentable' no one brings it up to patients.
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