Anyone on a Viramidine Study

[nauti754]

I am looking for anyone who may be on the Viramidine Study. I started pills last week(or a placebo0, and the Injetions using the Redipen start in about 3 more weeks. I know the information we share here my be somewhat limited, but I am looking to share the tx experience with others. If you are currently under way with tx, please share any sx info, or anything else you care to share. Best of luck and thanks.

[cougareyes]

I work for a company that I pay my portion of benefits. And everything comes out of my pocket. That's what paying for insurance is all about, when the day comes when you might need it. I'm only working 2 days a week now so I've been a little concerned of if they might cut me loose. COBRA would cost me about $400/mo. All the years I was self-employeed I did not have insurance, paid my far share of taxes; and thank God all those years never needed medical care other than simple things. That I paid for out of my own pocket.
I believe our taxes are paid so that when we need government help it is there, but's it's the abuse that is an ingredient in burdening the system. I collected unemployment once, yet I also paid for unemployment insurance alot of years.
That reference to the Bible about "if you don't work you don't eat" is from the Old Testement. And yes it could be taken out of context but it is what I have learned and has been referenced by more than one religious leader that I have been associated with. Not to be rude but as I said to Kalio, if you have a desire to disprove my statements do your own research. This is the internet and everything said here is our own interpretation of reality.     Peace

[Mister beagle bailey]

Did I miss some thing?  What did the Bible have to do with my post?  I was talking about the insurance co. dropping my co. after my son was very sick and I had to pay out of my own pocket.  Yes, you can buy ins. privatly, just do't get sick.

Please read all my posts on this thread and the thread above that relates to Insurance

I still don't understand how the Bible got in this. This is why our country was founded on for one thing .. ..separation of church and state.  Our consitution is a very powerful document and should be protected at all cost.  Our founding fathers were great men,who gave their wealth and life for this country to become what it has.  It' one of the marvel of the world how well it work.  

Peace,

BB

[NYgirl]

When your arguments fail on lack of merit, then throw in the Bible and God to cover you. Sheesh.

It's ok I've studied most of my life and graduated four years of bible school...when people do THIS they know they have no point and are desperate you are right.

And they can't even correctly take things out of context makes me laugh so hard I can't stand it. And you know as a born again Christian I dont EVER THROW THE BIBLE IN ANYBODY;s FACE or my FAITH - but here an agnostic/atheist/whatever that doesn't know the bible does.......how amusing is THAT?

Hey I don't speak Hebrew and I don't claim to.  I don't read Chinese either.  But certainly I know how to CUT AND PASTE and pretend it's making my point huh?

[NYgirl]

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.


Sorry but Jesus isn't talking about FOOD here he is talking about HIMSELF - Oh Lord give me a break you think He's talking about having a Yoohoo?  A diet coke?

It's about being hungry for the righteousness of GOD and being filled with the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.

That is the hardest biggest laugh I've ever had in my entire life Andy.  Please you sound a bit educated please dont take scripture out of context when you haven't a CLUE.  LOL MY GOD I AM still rolling. I have to walk away from my desk and get a tissue my eyes are running so BAD.

[cuteus]

yes cougar, and I would like to see how realistic it would be to restrict or deny health care to the person who ate him/herself to 300lbs and now wants a gastric bypass and bariatric care paid for by Medicaid. Plus, they are getting an aide to help with their laundry, shopping and house chores because their lifestyles put them where they now are. Or the heavy smoker still smoking through their tracheotomy. How about cutting all benefits and allowing them to gasp on their own? I would like to see some personal responsibility assigned there, but how realistic is that? the moment anyone tries, the Legal aid lawyers and the civil liberties orgs scream bloody murder and engage in litigation to force the senseless spending back. I guess we should start with the Legal system, since they seem to be the ones legislating everything with their lawsuits.
on that note:
I want to sue the local businesses who discriminate against me for being younger than 55, thus charging me more than the so called "senior". Now, that should make someone very popular.

[NYgirl]

Ah so glad the headache is done!  I started to pick that problem up again myself and it was like oh no PLEASE GO! I realize it was because I was sleeping and laying down WAY too much while I was on vacation so now that I'm back to work...oddly and backwards the headache is gone :)

I don't blame anyone except myself for where I am now.  Wait scratch that I don't really blame myself for it at all.   I also lived quite a rock star existence and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars improperly... :/  but I'm not looking for a hand out at all here. I have insurance and I work very hard for it.

I am really trying only to say that NOT everybody in the USA is in a position to either be supplied with either insurance through their job OR eligible via welfare.  Should they not be treated? And if they are treated and have to owe tens/hundreds of thousands of dollars...will they lose their homes and cars and everything they've worked for in their lives?

I think that insurance should be made available to ALL AMERICANS somehow with NO exceptions.  And it shouldn't be clinic only type insurance which CERTAINLY and UNDENIABLY is NOT as good as a doctor who specializes in the disease for which they are afflicted.  I believe that EVERYBODY should have a health insurance card that is equal to the next.

And that is just an I THINK situation.  

I just don't like to think of any single mom at home worrying because they don't have the insurance or the money to buy their child an inhaler for example. But believe me THAT HAPPENS because it HAS happened to me in the past.

It's not just about our livers or our hepatitis or our problems.  It's a countrywide problem that is not going away.

In the richest country in the world the fact that we have people dying for lack of medical treatment is just sad to me.  But it's not a perfect world for sure.

[Mister beagle bailey]

It's funny you said that, it's like we are twins.  By the way I have twins, boy and girl....

Another thing about this is every one is worried about paying for someone else.  But they fail to see that in all states, NEW YORK is one of the big ones, that we are paying for all State, Federal and city workers to have a pension and medical for life.  Where do they think this money comes from?  It all comes from the tax payers like us.  Our senators and congreemen or woman get the best medical in the world and there pension for life is their salary for the last year they work before they retire.  Now, where does this money come from?  The tax payers, but if all had the same coverage as the pulic ,see how fast they start screaming. They are pulic servants, they work for us and some where along the line they for got that.

By the way still feeling great, the headache is gone.  I hope this ride stays this way.

  BB

[cougareyes]

I don't know about you or anyone else but I'm not an innocent victim here. I enjoyed a rock star like excessive lifestyle for around 25 years. I contributed to the current status of my health and fliviously spent 10's of thousands of dollars on a good time. Now I live a modest middle class life and it's time to pay the piper.
Why should I have expectations that my medical care should now be taken care of by someone else. If I need a new liver I was the one that destroyed the original one, and could have paid for one if I had not decided to spend that money on a good time. Personally I have taken responsibility for my own health.  boo hoo     Peace

[NYgirl]

It's like having a twin...I am so glad you are around.  :)

I'd rather pay more for gas to help with insurance for all rather than pay $5.00 a gallon (which it went up to from the current NY price of $270) for FAKE gas crisis' like after Katrina and watch the companies post billion dollar profits.

Oh yeah isn't the current President's family rich oil men I wonder how they made out monetarily if the gas companies made a billion dollars telling us there was no oil available?

Sorry but how hypocritcal can one be?

[Mister beagle bailey]

You are right about Mario Cuomo's mom getting Medicaid and how the rich and political powerful one's abuse the system, sadly this is the case on both the left and right.  I have researched this and was amazed how the people who need it are turned down in most cases and the one's who can afford it get it because of who they know.

How ever, what most people in this country don't relize is that the European countries with national health care leave little chance for abuse,thus saving billions of dollars.  We all know Europe pays alot for gas, but the heavy taxes they pay pays for every one's complete medical care and also provides every one with a pension for life.  By doing so they don't need Unions for worker,who bleed companies dry as we see happening right now in the car industries, etc.

I don't know about any one else, but I would gladly pay extra taxes on gas to get the pension and medical care and weed out abuse.  The system we have leaves so much for abuse, and we do need change.

Peace,

BB

[2irish]

nauti - i do not know anything about this study.  i am already on #15/48 on my tx but am same stats as you & am very curious about your study.  could you fill me in?  do you take any ribavirin?  i have a child that may have to start tx in the next couple years.  thanks & best of luck.  are the sx suppose to be similar?

[Snookmiester]

Hmmmm, real humane to wait for patients to die before offering them the Healthcare they need?

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/3/21/101350.shtml

[cuteus]

The Medicaid costs have risen considerably in the last years and NYS is begining to address many loopholes that allow people with large resources(like Mario Cuomo's mom) to be eligible for MA.  That is one system that is taxing the taxpayers considerably with programs filled with so many holes, the ones they were intended for are the minority. Folks with mansions are elibible for MA and demanding things like home care, to help clean up their mansions, all paid for by MA.  You get a good share of fraud that drains more tax money and there are not enough investigators to catch them all.  If we want health care coverage to be available to those who truly needed, we got to start closing the holes where huge amounts of money are draining.  It is not free care, we are all paying for it.

[beamishboy]

we had all better agree to disagree..Politics is such a dirty business,and no one is going to win this debate;which,i feel Andy has conducted w/ considerable elan..Try to remember that it.doesn't make me an American basher to recognize truth about problems in our system..
Can we get on with informing and supporting fellow hep-c folks..?

[can-do-man]

Thats you right to believe what you want. But when andy or anyone else tells a flat out lie it does no one here any good at all. But i quess that doesn't matter to you.

[cougareyes]

Insurance is availabe to all, many companies have opened group policys up for the individual to join. When I was self employed I had a few options to insure myself. These policies were just as comparible to the insurance I have now. I opted to spend that money elsewhere as many other people are doing now. The money I excessively spent could have easily paid for a health insurance package. We all choose where we want to spend our money, if I choose to party 24/7 and not pay for a health insurance policy; why should someone else pay that for me. Even people that work at fast food resturants have the opportunity to be insured, but they would rather take that $15-20 a week and have a party.
There are people that honestly don't have the means and capabilities to do this on their on, and I'm for helping those. But the ones that make selfish decisions and then think the slack should be taken up by the government, charity groups, and others is just wrong. People must be held accountable for their own actions and bad decisions, society as a whole should not be responsible. Just one man's thoughts.   Peace

[andyarundel]

Snook if all you can find is very old references to individual problems with Canada

[Mister beagle bailey]

Guys you are missing the point, did any one read my post above this one?  We are paying for life benefits for goverment workers  who has the best in the world. Please read it.

As a business man who owned 2 businesses and payed medical for my employees and my family for years,I was up set when my son in his senior year of High school was very sick and his medical bills were very high.  On the renewal date a few months later the Insurance company decided to drop us. I contacted my lawyer and was informed that there is nothing I can do.  It appears that the insurance co. has more rights then I, because I owned a small  business only large companies were protected.  Mean while my son was still sick and much care which I paid out of my pockets.  This all because of the lobbist in Washington who are paid back for their contrabutions.

So you see I've been there and found out how the system works.

Peace,

BB

[strator]

I'm not sure I'm understanding what you mean. we don't deserve goverment help we paid for. Note I am certainly no brain child when it comes to laws, politics, and insurance. But my views...
I certainly agree with an earlier post of yours that the condition of our health is 100% effected by everything from genetics to lifestyle choices, good or bad, occupations etc., not just by hep c.. My penchant for toxic substances as well as occupation related choices-working  in insulated crawl spaces with no mask on for years for example, all effected my overall  health. Do I have a responsibility  in that, yes. Can I be responsible and work within the system available whether it

[NYgirl]

"This is the deal, the hospital must bill the patient for 120 days, if they receive nothing, they must send the person to collections, if they still receive nothing, then that money is put into a 'pool' which is submitted to Medicare who then pays the hospital! YES! You heard right! Most people don't know this and it is not advertised by the hospital since they actually want you to pay them first, the time it takes to wait for the pool payment takes a while and they would rather get the money faster, from the patient."


Hey C...is this just for people WITH Medicaid or without also?  When I was billed the $48,000 I filled out all of the paperwork to apply for everything and was DENIED because my unemployment wage put me too high to be eligible for anything (Really LOL how pathetic).  So...I have been paying them and will have to until death I am sure.

If I did not pay them...would this "pool" pay? or would my credit be blasted forever?  I obviously dont have $48,000 and am probably only down to $47,500 right now seriously.

You can email me at home or post in here and that would be great. Certainly I want to pay my way through society but if there is monies that are to be used towards this I would not mind knowing about it.

No I'm not lazy and I am FULLY insured now but at the time the government LOOPHOLES kept me from receiving any assistance - even though I consider at only receiving less than $400 a week with two minor children to sole support -myself to have been in the LOW INCOME LEVEL. But they did not.  A whopping $20,000 a year yowza thank GOD I was not on for too long. How can anyone live on that?

[strator]

I apologise-my previous post was in reply to your c31 post.
Don

[cquest]

The other thread was closed...Medicare is my specialty, I don't profess to know it all but I do know some things...I know that Medicare has a 'pool' fund for people that cannot pay their coinsurance days, deductible, etc (here in NY, maybe the same elsewhere). Medicare understands patient's are on fixed incomes and often cannot pay their out of pocket expenses.

This is the deal, the hospital must bill the patient for 120 days, if they receive nothing, they must send the person to collections, if they still receive nothing, then that money is put into a 'pool' which is submitted to Medicare who then pays the hospital! YES! You heard right! Most people don't know this and it is not advertised by the hospital since they actually want you to pay them first, the time it takes to wait for the pool payment takes a while and they would rather get the money faster, from the patient.

Also, keep in mind that every Medicare patient has what they call "Lifetime Reserve Days" = LTR, there are 60 of them, once they have been admitted into the hospital and have used up all their regular days (60) and co-days (30) they either have to use their LTR days or they are responsible for those days...and once you use them, they are gone forever...the patient has to ok their use, if you refuse to sign the paper, you are stuck with those days (if you are so unfortunate as to be in the hospital for so long, or to be readmitted). So, yes,a patient can rack up quite a bill, plus, don't forget the charity care every hospital that accepts federal or state funding must provide...ask about these things!

Also, many people on Medicare have Medicaid, if you know you are getting older,or sicker, start diverting funds! Start writing up living wills and transfer property to your kids! I believe it's a 3 year window that you have to provide proof of income if you want to get Medicaid...just learn how to play their game so you can beat them at it! Be a winner!
Cin

[cuteus]

I did not miss that point, I just tried to ignore it...shhh... I am now one of those workers, for the past 5 yrs, and yes, we do get everything, actually I work for the county so we get less than the police force here, which is the highest paid in the country and the most arrogant. But we do get a lot. No premiums and small copays, it is what allowed me to become free of hcv so that I can continue to pay taxes and FICA, so I guess I am sort of paying my way. I do resent people in the system to milk every thing they can, from all sides; providers and recipients. Now that I work for Medicaid, I see the big loopholes, the drain, and the lobbysts trying to secure their slice of the pie.  I also know what it is to try and live on 10,000 a yr with two kids, it is not pretty and the welfare system made it hard on me, especially when I tried to finish my bachelor's so that I could earn a decent living. They both helped and hindered me from advancing. But that is another story. My daughter was on the equivalent of Husky in NYS, CHIPS, even while I work for a health care provider, anything to keep the kids healthy. But CHIPS does not ask for repayment after things get better financially, I am surprised your insurance does. I think every one should be afforded the same opportunity to inexpensive, quality health care. I would pay more in taxes so that all can be eligible, if the abuse of benefits can be controlled.  I am very fortunate to have finished the BA (took 25 yrs) and now got the benefits I got. I would like to see a more balanced system, that is for sure.
good luck, and I am glad you have insurance available in CT for the kids, it is the least the states should offer.

[cougareyes]

If you believe in the Bible do you believe the part that says "if you don't work you don't eat" or "you reap what you sew"    Peace