> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Andrew Crystall > Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 3:32 PM > To: Killer Bs Discussion > Subject: RE: U.S. health care > > On 23 May 2007 at 21:38, Dan Minette wrote: > > > > > > > > SImply put, the weakest area of the American health system is > > > preventative care. Poorer people with chronic conditions can end up > > > with repeated emergency hospital treatment for conditions which are > > > manageable with drugs which, while not cheap, are far cheaper than > > > repeated hospital admitance. > > > > OK, let's try to do an experimental test on this. Drug coverage was > just > > added to Medicare. To the extent that your hypothesis is true, we would > see > > a drop in hospital costs that correspond to the increase in prescription > > payments. > > But that doesn't prove anything. The barriers to seeing a doctor in > America in the first place are still there (there is no chance to the > philosophy of access, or of methods of treatment),
I'm not sure what you are getting at. With basic Medicare, one can chose any physician or hospital that takes Medicare (the overwhelming majority do). My mom can has her choice of many different physicians on Medicare. Are you talking about the co-pay (about $15.00 for an office visit), difficulties in getting to the physician or what? >and getting a prescription can be difficult for many drugs in the first >place. Well, it's true that some of the newest, most expensive drugs are not on the formulary, but I haven't heard a lot a squawk from the AARP (American Association of Retired People): the strongest lobby group in the US (by far). And, I haven't heard of any real restrictions on med from either my mom, or my sister (who's a geriatric nurse). Are you talking about differences in requirements for FDA vs. UK approval of drugs? I know the FDA is rather conservative that way...and that is a topic that can be discussed....but it's a tradeoff situation I think. If so, could you gave an estimate of the impact of quick approval of these drugs? If not, could you give examples of approved drugs that are widely prescribed and paid for under British National Health, but not on the Medicare formulary? Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
