Posted on 04/10/2013 3:50:13 AM PDT by Biggirl
A new government study released Tuesday reveals that many Americans, especially those under the age of 65, are skipping their prescription medications to save money.
(Excerpt) Read more at counselheal.com ...
This a CDC ‘study’.
As is their personal right to make that decision. What business is it of anyone else? I'm guessing that this so-called "study" is part of the drum roll for further attempts at getting the government even deeper in the tax and spend mode. Run away spending is destroying this country, and it isn't individuals who are doing the spending, but rapacious wastrel governments at all levels.
I see patients every day who “can’t afford my meds”, who smoke a couple of packs a day and drink.
they’re off their meds, what will we do? A lot of this “medicine” is worse than the cure
I am over 60. A while back my doctor prescribe a medicine that turned out was going to cost me a lot of money over $600 a month. I told him that was way more than I could afford and I was not going to get it.
His answer, okay, try this (a lot less expensive medication, which I could afford)
‘under age 65’
That means they are probably paying out-of-pocket.
One of my generic prescriptions is $30 per month. The doctor has me on 4 prescriptions. Years ago, another doctor had me on 3 name-brand prescriptions, and I was paying about $200 per month out-of-pocket for them. I am on the mandatory Medicare Prescription Drug plan, so my actual out-of-pocket is much less.
The Walmart $4 generics program was one of the greatest things for many common generic drugs. However, name brand drugs could easily cost hundreds of dollars per month. The average Social Security income is around $1200 per month.
I do the same thing. I had some medicine once that was $4/pill once a day....it also turned out there was generic that could be had for under $10.
You have to realize these doctors are constantly besieged by pharm reps that give them samples, up-to-date information and sometimes other benefits not specific. They get in the habit of prescribing brand name stuff because that’s what they know and can tell the reps. Additionally, I think it is easier for them to remember a catchy name with a diagnosis and treatment and not have to remember all that other greek stuff (whatever it is).
And with HIPPA laws, how does the govt know this ?!?!?
Tyrant Kim Un Hussein must be very pleased that his efforts to “FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” are progressing so easily.
“they’re off their meds, what will we do? A lot of this “medicine” is worse than the cure...”
...worse than the cure...many often prescribed meds have fatal side effects. If you find that hard to believe, just watch the ads on TV and pay attention to the side effects they have to list. But that is understandable. The FDA is in the business of protecting the pharmaceutical companies, not ‘we the people’.
At the same time, the FDA goes out of its way to persecute CAM providers. No one is allowed to say why an herbal product is good, yet herbal products are generally very safe w/o side effects. And they work better than any of the patent protected, very expensive, high profit products being pawned off on the unsuspecting public.
I am in my late 70’s and I am on no prescription meds. My doctor and I agree that I do not need any. I do use a few natural things and take things like D3, A, E (mixed tocopherols). We have concentrated hydrogen peroxide available, we have colloidal silver available. And we have only coconut oil in the kitchen for cooking. My wife and I use about a gallon of coconut oil a month. No corn, soy, canola in the house. The ‘essential’ Omega 6 fats in these oils are deadly.
I suggest that we all work with our doctors to stop the mad rush to ‘prescription meds’ that are designed to treat symptoms, or designed to treat side effects of some already prescribed meds. And as we have opportunity, help our doctors learn about alternative protocols that not only work, but treat the ‘dis-ease’, not just the symptoms. It is an approach that can be successful and lead to adding life to years. If your doctor ‘doesn’t want to know’ it is time to find one who does.
I had to give up auto insurance, yes thats right I felt compelled to be a scofflaw, a rebel, to take my chances against mandatory insurance laws.
I simply did not have the money to pay for it.
My kids come first. I’ll drive uninsured so the kids can have good clothes, good food.
I won’t take no stinking compassionate progressive liberal handouts either.
You can also find these folks pulling the lever arms at any local casino.
My doctor put me on some meds a few months ago. After taking it for a few weeks, I noticed there was some memory loss, leaving lights on when leaving a room, forgetting if I talked to someone on the phone, etc.
I looked up the medication on the net and found that memory loss was a side effect. He told me to stop taking it for a couple of months and see what happens. I've already noticed my memory improving back to what I had before the meds.
It is even easier...most now push buttons.
Good for you. But when patients with COPD, Diabetes, or Hypertension roll into the ER with a complication from not controlling their blood sugar, blood pressure et be cause they can’t afford etc etc don’t expect a miracle.
Fasting works wonders.
You mean Bush throwing billions at the problem didn’t solve it?
“...when patients with COPD, Diabetes, or Hypertension roll into the ER with a complication from not controlling their blood sugar, blood pressure et be cause they can’t afford etc etc don’t expect a miracle.”
That was not the point of my comments. Patients with serious COPD, Diabetes, Hypertension are not suddenly sick...as you know it is the result in many cases of life-style choices.
Take COPD...I suspect you have seen the lung tissue of heavy smokers, either in surgeries or autopsies. They aren’t pretty, and smoking is the leading cause of COPD.
Diabetes, or insulin resistance too is often the result of life-style choices. And following the ‘Food Pyramid’ for eating choices can lead to this...it is based on eating large quantities of bread, cereal, rice, pasta...all the wrong things for any of us, and certainly the wrong things for a diabetic. The ‘Food Pyramid’ is upside down. Add to this the huge intake of sugar from various sources, not the least of which is beverages, especially soft drinks, in the American diet. Excessive carbohydrate consumption from all sources can cause insulin resistance and obesity, and these two often go hand in hand. Lifestyle, and all because gov’t teaches the wrong stuff. Other factors are having the wrong fats in the diet. Polyunsaturated fats, Omega 6’s, make us fat and contribute to insulin resistance.
Turning the Food Pyramid upside down, eliminating grains and carbs, get the polyunsaturated fats out and coconut oil in at higher levels creates ketosis conditions that can reverse diabetes, and this has also been shown to control Alzheimer’s Disease (which some have called Diabetes Type III).
Hypertension goes hand in hand with COPD (or other breathing problems) and insulin resistance/obesity. Often the result of lifestyle choices.
Disease symptoms like these require treatment. In emergiencies drugs may be required to relieve symptoms. In many cases lifestyle changes can reverse insulin resistance and hypertension. There are lifestyle choices that will help prevent the development of insulin resistance and hypertension. These same choices can be used to reverse these diseases and remove the accompanying disability and dependence on prescription meds. Education is required, both at the ‘we the people’ and patient level, and for medical professionals (like yourself, if my guess is correct).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.