The new "health czar" in the U.S.

I was just reading some excerpts of Tom Daschle's book "Critical:The health care crisis and what we can do about it".  Since Daschle has been appointed by Obama to be in charge of health care policy in the new administration, it may be a good idea for everyone who has a chronic illness to read this book.

He talks about how doctors and patients should not be allowed to make treatment decisions.  He wants to leave it up to a government advisory board who will set policiy and determine what procedures will be done.  And he also recommends telling the private sector of health insurance (Blue Cross, Aetna etc) that employers will lose the tax deduction for health insurance unless they sign up to go along with the government advisory board.  

He specifically mentions how treatment decisions should be made on the basis of whether or not the person will actually get better, and criticizes diagnostic imaging like angiograms,and using machines to deternine how much cancer has spread.  He thinks it is too costly.

He also talks about making all of this vague to the public, and the specifics to be left out.  He says that if the president can get it passed in the first few months of his office when he is popular, then the public won't demand the specific details of the cost cutting measures to be done.

I saw Obama's comments where he said he supports Daschle's opinions on health care changes.  I also remember how many forum members were happy with the election results.  

It appears that treatment of "expensive" diseases (and MS is one of them) will be put under immense scrutiny and "changes" in treatment.  So vigilance is key.

Just wanted to let you all know.  Reading Daschle's book would be a good way to be informed.  It is advance warning.

Elaine

[essdipity]

Holy moley, this is not good. I'll be following this carefully and I'm sure many others will too. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Got the pumpkin pie in the oven and gotta start the apple one. Mmmmmmmm.

ess

[saveone]

I am horrified.  maybe we should all send letters saying the policy the book outlines is .....brain fog....help me out here

terry

[monotreme]

Yes, as I was sitting in the endoscopy center waiting room, I saw Obama's news conference and he was saying that cost cutting is essential and there should no longer be "business as usual" in America.  And he then went on to say that the health care costs are positively too high and that Daschle's job would be to get changes going very soon after he gets in office.

Also, Daschle is on the board of the Mayo Clinic, whose position is to not treat early MS, since the drugs are so costly and may not always be beneficial.

Having a chronic disease would be quite scary in more ways than one.
Elaine

[doni54]

Elaine,

Thank you so much for giving us a heads up.  This is extremely scary news, I've been afraid of any health changes that this administration would come up with.  Now it seems I had good reason.  

I will buy the book on Sat., and thanks again for the info.

Happy Thanksgiving
doni

[LATW]

This is Terrible news for people with disabilities!  Especially those who are born with conditions like Down Syndrome!

LA

[doni54]

bump..................this is information everyone should know!!!

[hbananas]

He also wants everyone to have health insurance as good as that of members of congress, which is fantastic coverage.

[sllowe]

Nice, tie the Drs hands tighter.  I better not comment and further, this is not reform. And we may have to all pitch in and fight a good battle in a settling where we can be heard.  I'll stay posted on this that is for sure and thank you for letting us know about this Elaine.

-Shell

[monotreme]

Unfortunately, Daschle does not want all of us to have the same coverage as members of congress.  He wants us under a government health advisory board which will dictate treatment guidelines.  Members of congress will not be under the board's guidelines.  

Elaine

[doni54]

There is so much I want to say about this, but I want to wait until I read Daschle's book.

Being one who doesn't have health ins, making it possible to obtain affordable health coverage would be heaven sent for me.  

BUT, just as we seek knowledge here on this forum to help us with our health issues, it would be irresponsible for us not to look closely at the health ins issue.  

Just jumping in and agreeing to something without being completely informed about what the final guidelines would be might be detrimental for all effected.

No matter what health ins you have and how good it's coverage, if the government decides what we can be treated for and what we can't, what good would it be.

I will do my best to keep us informed on this subject, I'm sure it will be one of the first things coming up after Jan 20th.

Take care all,
doni

[Quixotic1]

I also need to read the book , before I decide what's what.  I hope, rather than focusing on the dr-patient end that they also focus on the "free market" pricing of goods, services and meds.

Ex.  There are supposedly about 400,000 people with MS in the US.  About 60% are on DMDs = 240,000

Say there are 40,000 people on Avonex at $1,500 a month (let's make it a conservative number.  My cost is $1,780)

In one month they charge/take in $60,000,000

This translates to $820,000,000 a year.  Uh, do you think that in the 12 years that it has been approved they have made up their R & D costs and paid plenty forward to future research?  Ya, think?  I'm all for profit and wealth, but Come On!!!!

Why do they charge so much?  BECAUSE THEY CAN!  Yes, we need pharmaceutical research, but at any price they choose?  Why do doctors get hamstrung and patients get squeezed and the Robber Barons get whatever they wish?

Quix

[essdipity]

I agree with Quix's comments and sentiments, but I'm wondering about one part. I wonder if prescription insurance companies actually pay the drug manufacturers the supposed retail price for a given prescription. I'm betting they don't. Maybe they each negotiate a price, much like health services insurance negotiates what it will pay doctors who accept them, regardless of the dollar amount on the bill. Does anyone know?

If a cost is negotiated, then the only patients who would pay the full freight would be the ones without prescription insurance. Since almost no one can afford to do this in the case of the DMDs, that would leave almost no one paying the 'advertised' cost. Either insurance covers it or most of it, or the patient does without, or the drug company supplies it gratis.

That would not mean they aren't money-hungry exploiters, of course. They're in a poorly-concealed conspiracy with some other aspects of health care provision to squeeze every last drop out of either consumers (directly or through sky-high insurance premiums) or the government, which ultimately means us too.

ess

[monotreme]

Yes, ess, I think each insurance company negotiates a price they will pay for each drug.  For example, I see on my drug receipt a "retail price" and the price I pay with insurance.

And now, in 2009, every time we get a prescription filled, it will be 40 dollars.  That's the new "negotiated" price Craig's employer set up so that the company's employees can get "weaned off" (their words) good prescription coverage.  

Of course, the 40 dollars is a minimum amount required to pay.  The Copaxone will be much more.,

Elaine

[summer63]

I work with many people that tell me there is no way the federal government is going to be able to provide the "average american" with the same type of health coverage that Congressmen/woman receives.  Apparently what they receive is superior to what us "average federal employee" receives.  

What I can tell you is from my experience as a federal employee, there is no way that I want the federal government having full control over the health care industry.  When it comes to administratively running anything, the federal government doesn't care how effecient they are or how cost effective they are.  They just don't care how they waste the taxpayers money.  You see this over and over again in every federal agency.  

If it costs a private company $1,000 to do something, it will cost the government $10,000 to do the same thing. Everyone always says, oh free health care for everyone sounds great.  There is no such thing as free health care!! So the thought of the government getting so deeply involved in the health care industry scares me to death.

We already complain that the insurance company interjects too much in the decisions that are made.  Can you imagine what is going to happen when the government gets involved?  

I know that health care industry has a lot of problems to be solved, and I have not a clue how to solve those problems but I know that more and more government involvement is not the answer.  

Sorry to ramble on about this subject but I work in this ineffecint waste of taxpayers money everyday and it is very frustrating!!!!

[patientx]

Are you sure that members of Congress receive a form of healthcare that  is superior to average federal worker's?  From what I have read, members of Congress are covered under the same plan as all federal government employees.

[monotreme]

The members of Congress have to be under a different plan. Have you ever noticed that they get to stay in the hospital for days even if they break an ankle?  Or how they are freely admitted for "observation"??

There is no way that a member of Congress would tolerate being discharged early from a hospital or being sent home from an emergency room.  Just no way.  They think they are better than that.

Elaine

[patientx]

I don't know about these things; members of Congress might get admitted more readily because they are obviously more important than everyone else.

However, they are still covered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), which covers all federal employees.

[summer63]

I don't know for sure.  I was just told from people that I work with that they have a different health plan than us "regular federal employees".  The co-workers that I spoke with are co-workers that used to work at the white house so I assume they would know but again, I can't say for sure.