The BG Health Care Thread: Decreasing the Surplus Population

[Tymon]

My grandma's been on coumadin for like 18 years now. She's turned down numerous other "experimental" alternatives to treat her condition (a.fib) because the coumadin works, isn't very expensive, and can be reversed whenever she needs to have a procedure. If I was in the same scenario I'd do the same. And I might be eventually, since a.fib apparently runs in my family.

[kuronosan]

That sounds like horse shit. Warfarin is the longest term cheap anticoagulant they can give you. I'm surprised they didn't try Eliquis.

[mallister]

Yeah fellas, I dunno. "Why the hell aren't I back on the coumadin" has been high on my list of things to ask, but this is what the hematologist recommended and I wasn't expecting the lovenox to just stop working (or the pradaxa, for that matter).

I have an appointment with hematology/oncology on monday.

[Melena]

i'm in california, i'll take a look at what my options are. my eye is still twitching over this news.

If you are in Alameda county, PM me, I got some phone numbers you can call for assistance as one of the program's I support helps people that are immigrant, low income or have pre existing conditions like you get on the state sponsored health care

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[Tyche]

That sounds like horse shit. Warfarin is the longest term cheap anticoagulant they can give you. I'm surprised they didn't try Eliquis.

It's too god damned expensive. Probably couldn't get PA.

[mallister]

If you are in Alameda county, PM me, I got some phone numbers you can call for assistance as one of the program's I support helps people that are immigrant, low income or have pre existing conditions like you get on the state sponsored health care

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I'm in the Fresno area. Thanks everyone. I really do appreciate it.

I didnt post this to bitch, but to illustrate a point. Employer based health insurance is fucking bullshit. I have what is widely regarded as some of the best insurance available, and in a month I am likely to be in some serious fucking trouble, because they are going to stop carrying me. And I'm lucky because I have options through the VA. I'm literally best-case.

Edited for clarity and fucking autocorrect

[Rooney]

Unfortunately, once you're into FMLA territory all bets are off. I had to use it last year, and dealing with HR for it was one of the worst experiences I've had in an office setting.

[Boyiee]

And here I am loving FMLA because I'm taking 6 weeks off staring Sept 30th for bonding time with my 9month old.

[mallister]

yeah it's great for stuff like that.

just don't, you know. get a chronic illness because you're straight fucked.

[Cail]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...e-census-says/

The proportion of Americans without health insurance grew significantly last year for the first time this decade, even as the economy’s strength pushed down the poverty level to its lowest point since 2001, according to federal data released Tuesday.


The finding that 27.5 million U.S. residents lacked coverage in 2018, based on a large U.S. Census Bureau survey, reverses the trend that began when the Affordable Care Act expanded opportunities for poor and some middle-income people to get insurance.


Taken together, the census numbers paint a portrait of an economy pulled in different directions, with the falling poverty rate coinciding with high inequality and the growing cadre of people at financial risk because they do not have health coverage.

[6souls]

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/03/fda-...infection.html
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/pres...d-hiv-epidemic

The FDA has approved a new HIV prevention drug.

Descovy is a PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis drug, which means the drug is taken daily to lower the risk of getting HIV among people who don’t have the disease but are at risk.

“PrEP drugs are highly effective when taken as indicated in the drug labeling and can prevent HIV infection,” said Jeffrey Murray, M.D., deputy director of the Antiviral products division at the FDA.

Descovy was developed by Gilead Sciences and first approved by the FDA in 2016. The HIV drug’s trial was conducted among a randomized, double-blind multinational group of 5,387 HIV-negative sexually active men and transgender women at risk of HIV infection who were followed for 48 to 96 weeks.

It’s effectiveness was then compared to Truvada, another PrEP drug by Gilead, and found to have similar preventative measures, with the only common side effect being diarrhea.

Currently it's not available for women because there hasn't been a study conducted for it's effectiveness with vaginal sex.

[kuronosan]

That's three unfortunate limitation of silly research. Those two drugs have been around forever, and it's a CYA statement at the least. There's no reason it wouldn't be effective for vaginal intercourse.

[archibaldcrane]

Wonder how many women currently take PrEP.

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[Rooney]

I actually know someone that was in that study. He claimed to feel better on Descovy compared to Truvada. It would have to be the drastically lower secondary dosage, but I couldn't find anything to support that.

[kuronosan]

I actually know someone that was in that study. He claimed to feel better on Descovy compared to Truvada. It would have to be the drastically lower secondary dosage, but I couldn't find anything to support that.

It's promising. My preceptors said side effects were the main reason folks discontinued it.

[Rooney]

Assuming it's as effective, I'm sure everyone would be happier with less side effects and a smaller pill.

[6souls]

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/1...ghed-up-25-865

A throat swab for a typical head hold doctor visit ended up with a bill for $28,395.50 after the doctor sent the swab to an out-of-network lab partially owned by the said doctor instead of the in-network lab connected to the patient's insurer.

Kasdan visited her primary care physician, Roya Fathollahi, at Manhattan Specialty Care, just off Park Avenue South and not far from tony Gramercy Park.

The visit was quick. Kasdan got her throat swabbed, gave a tube of blood and was sent out the door with a prescription for antibiotics.

The news was that her insurance company was mailing her family a check — for more than $25,000 — to cover some out-of-network lab tests. The actual bill was $28,395.50, but the doctor's office said it would waive her portion of the bill: $2,530.26.

The doctor's office kept assuring Kasdan by phone and by email that the tests and charges were perfectly normal. The office sent a courier to her house to pick up the check.

Kasdan's bill shows that the lab service was provided by Manhattan Gastroenterology, which has the same phone number and locations as her doctor's office.

Manhattan Gastroenterology is registered as a professional corporation with the state of New York, which means it is owned by doctors. It may be the parent company of Manhattan Specialty Care, but that is not clear in its filings with the state.

Had the doctors office used the in-network lab, the bill would have been $653.

[Zealot]

Everything about that is stupid and makes me mad.

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[Salodin]

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/1...ghed-up-25-865

A throat swab for a typical head hold doctor visit ended up with a bill for $28,395.50 after the doctor sent the swab to an out-of-network lab partially owned by the said doctor instead of the in-network lab connected to the patient's insurer.



Had the doctors office used the in-network lab, the bill would have been $653.

A toxicology lab I used to work for would do similar schemes, but with rehab centers. Bill the patient based on their insurance and the state they'd get the most payout from, fast forward a few years, and suddenly you're making tens of million a year.

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[kuronosan]

That pisses me off.