Hospitals make it notoriously difficult to know the price prior to a service. Prices are hard to obtain and often meaningless when disclosed. Indeed, there isn’t one price but many prices depending upon who the payer is. There is a different price for BlueCross, Aetna, Cigna and most other health plans. There is the chargemaster…
Author: Devon Herrick
Why Fentanyl Can Kill So Easily
Hardly a day goes by but what I read about a fentanyl overdose. I’ve also noticed an increased number of news articles about people from the entertainment industry dying unexpectedly. I always assume unexpected deaths among otherwise healthy people are drug related. According to the National Safety Council, more than 67,000 people died of fentanyl overdoses in 2021.
Conspiracy Between Drug Companies and PBMs Inhibit Generic Competition
Last year the state of Tennessee health plan paid $62,000 apiece for 775 patients who were on the biologic drug Humira. Humira is used for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and others. All told Tennessee spent nearly $50 million on one drug. This is a lot of money for only 775 patients. What is even more amazing is that nine (9) different new drugs biosimilar to Humira just hit the market. The lowest price for a generic copy is $994 a month. That is shy of $12,000 a year, or about $50,000 a year cheaper than Humira.
Why Are More Poor Kids Fat than Rich Kids?
Obesity is a bigger problem than hunger in the United States. Among the poor obesity is especially a bigger problem than hunger. When hunger occurs it’s not hunger that is the problem, rather hunger is a symptom of other problems. The problems that lead to hunger are child neglect, dementia, infirmity, elder abuse, drug abuse, etc.