Posted on 05/23/2015 5:49:57 AM PDT by artichokegrower
Covered California board members voted Thursday to become the first state health care exchange in the nation to impose price caps on high-cost specialty drugs to treat conditions such as hepatitis C and HIV.
The four board members unanimously agreed to impose $250 monthly limits on out-of-pocket prescription costs for most patients, creating a precedent that other government health exchanges could follow.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Cost shifting is the untold story of Obamacare. The cost of these high price specialty will be shifted to rest of the policy holders. That's why individual and group plans are going up 30% to 50% this year. That's why my wife's trip to the local emergency room for a nose bleed that wouldn't stop on its own costs $5,000. There is no free lunch.
I thought one of the big come-ons of Obamacare was the elimination of caps.
Of course, it can be argued that this is a drug-cap rather than a medical services cap, but if you’re sick, WTF is the difference?
That’s not to say I don’t understand the need (if expressly disclosed) of some high-level cap, but $250/month is ridiculously low. It’s as if (could it be?) the insurance companies and the drug companies are fighting over some scraps here.
That would mean the pharmaceutical companies can charge whatever they want for the drugs, and only those who can afford their $250/month part of the cost can use it. It sounds like a lose-lose for the the consumer and a win for the pharmaceutical and insurance industry.
Bad link to source.
It’s not a lose for the consumer who needs Sovaldi but can’t afford its true cost of $1,000 a pill with a total treatment cost of $84,000.
Government imposed prices always work great. Just look at toilet paper in Venezuela.
It’s a loss for the consumer in the long run because the pharmaceutical company has no incentive to come up with a cheaper drug or lower the costs on the existing one. The insurance companies don’t lose (they never do) because they get to raise the rates on everyone, even people who don’t use pharmaceuticals.
From someone who has suffered from multiple severe nose bleeds. Apply a Qtip soaked in Clorox bleach to the inside of the nose. Burns really bad, but will stop just about anything shy of a vein bleed. Use only as a last resort and see your regular Doc in the morning.
Oh, don’t use the scented Clorox if you can avoid it. That stuff burns even worse.
Here's an interesting tidbit I just located re: hep C cases in California...
A total of 501,664 confirmed chronic HCV infections were reported from 1994-2011.This does not represent the total number of people living with chronic hepatitis C in California. Additional analysis is needed to determine how many chronic hepatitis C cases are currently living.
Source: California Department of Public Health, STD Control Branch
You’re probably right, and I mis-read it.
Still $3000 extra annually for drug coverage co-pay is a new charge; and I bet it’s a “means-tested” charge which means anyone with any spare change left pays it, while those getting assisted don’t.
Obama’s goal seems to be to get almost everyone supported by the government in some way or other by raising prices to those outside of the government “club.” Kinda clever, in a diabolical way.
Price Controls!
That’s worked so well in the past.
Here is an idea. Why not charge more for gays who are at greater risk of HIV and hep c, like is done with smokers.
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