Health Insurace

[XOXO]

I wish they would just let us write the new health care plan. It seems to me that too many decision makers have their hands in the pockets of the insuance companies and drug companies.

[jmq]

I wish they would just let us write the new health care plan. It seems to me that too many decision makers have their hands in the pockets of the insuance companies and drug companies.

Got that right. The pharmaceutical industry is spending $600,000 a day lobbying Washington on healthcare reform.

[soxfan22]

I wish they would just let us write the new health care plan. It seems to me that too many decision makers have their hands in the pockets of the insurance companies and drug companies.

Got that right. The pharmaceutical industry is spending $600,000 a day lobbying Washington on healthcare reform.

PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America) spent $7 million on lobbying from July through September. That brings their total for the year 2009 to $20 million.

The Chamber of Commerce, on the other hand, has spent $35 million in the 3rd quarter alone on issues such as healthcare and cap & trade (in opposition of both bills).

AARP and the American Medical Association are both on record supporting this most recent healthcare bill. Between the two organizations, they have spent $17 million since August in lobbying in favor of Obama's healthcare proposal.

Nobody ever talks about the other groups who spend substantial money lobbying their interests.

I'd be interested to see how much the Trial Lawyers Association has spend lobbying healthcare this year.

To choose to highlight only pharmaceutical companies in your post is shortsighted, JMQ.

[jmq]

sox- For the record, I was specifically replying to XOXO's post that ONLY mentioned insurance and drug companies, and, I happened to see an article the other day that had that $600k figure as a headline for the Rx industry. If I had a fresh $ number in my head for the insurance industry, I wouldve mentioned it. Simple as that.

If your point is that you almost cant single out any one special interest group because they all pay, of course that’s true. Do not lose sight that I live in NJ - THE "pay to play" state where you learn at an early age that all politicians are beholden to the biggest donors (legal and otherwise) and most powerful lobbies first and foremost, not to the people or ideology. Washington is no different.

In fact, I think all elected officials should wear NASCAR like jumpsuits with the names of all their “sponsors” plastered all over them. The biggest political donors would get the biggest logos right there on the upper chest so any head shot would have the name of that organization right there, so when they started talking about a piece of legislation that might affect that industry, it would help put it in immediate context.

[XOXO]

In fact, I think all elected officials should wear NASCAR like jumpsuits with the names of all their “sponsors” plastered all over them. The biggest political donors would get the biggest logos right there on the upper chest so any head shot would have the name of that organization right there, so when they started talking about a piece of legislation that might affect that industry, it would help put it in immediate context.

That would be great. Lobbyist and special interests are ruining any chance we have of fair uncomplicated legislation.

Sox, you are right but in the context of the health care bill I can see that we aren't going to see a change that will help American's. I feel the real reason behind it is lobbyists and special interest groups for health care and drug companies. And more importantly the congressmen who think with their bank accounts.

I see the writing on the wall. Americans like Connie's daughter are not going to get help from this administration or any other if we cannot keep special interests and lobbyists out of the conversation. And frankly it makes me see red.

GG

[soxfan22]

In fact, I think all elected officials should wear NASCAR like jumpsuits with the names of all their “sponsors” plastered all over them.

I saw Jesse Ventura say this on Larry King Tuesday night as well.

You know, I just don't understand all of this hatred and vitriol aimed at Pharma companies. It seems to me to be a little of the "biting the hand that feeds you"...We all want to live longer, healthier lives, and thanks in large part to the Pharma/Biotech companies that are heavily into R&D, we are doing so. Granted there are some companies that are only into license and acquisition, and have no research department to speak of - but for the most part, the advances in modern medicine are due to the pharma industry...Certainly not government.

Do you want a cure for diabetes in the next 12-15 years (because that is the projected track based on work they are now doing with the beta cell in the pancreas)...Do you want new cancer treatments that are safer and more tolerable than chemo...Do you want treatments for things like Lupus, ALS, MS, etc?

Somewhere along the line, we became of the notion that these treatments should come at no or very little cost to the patient and to the system. You just can't have it both ways.

Throw in all of the litigation that these companies face on a daily basis...All of the FDA regulation - half of which makes absolutely no clinical sense

Do you all think these treatments magically appear?

If so, I promise you the magic of new treatments will come to an end if government continues to wrestle more control of the healthcare industry away from the private sector.

We already cannot get American companies to produce vaccines due to all of the regulation and litigation associated with them...It has simply become not worth it to them.

As for insurance companies...I'll bet you all thought their profits were through the roof - because the media told you so, right?

Did you see the article stating that the profit margin for the entire health insurance industry last year was a whopping...2.2%!

That's right...The definition of "obscene profits", right?

How much do lawyers make per hour?

[sailorgirl]

How much do lawyers make per hour?

You might be surprised to learn that it varies widely. Many, I dare say most of us do not earn the multi million dollar salaries that seem to fill the headlines. Many work in public service, Many, like myself in small solo practices. While lawyers are frequently demonized, but we are the first call often made when soemthing goes wrong.

[soxfan22]

Sailorgirl...I in no way mean to denigrate your profession. I have a problem with frivolous lawsuits.

In fact, here's another one of my personal stories..My parents had never sued anybody over the course of their lives...That was, until my dad passed away. My mom brought litigation against his physician at the urging of my dad's family. My pops was a diabetic, weighed 300 lbs (eh, maybe a bit less), and worked in a high stress job...He never went to the doc (other than his six month, but not for being "sick"), in fact, he feared going like many men. However, on July 30 1993, he called his physician and said he needed to be seen. This was my dad's PCP...he was his doc for 20 years...For the week leading up to this, my dad had to sleep in the living room, sitting up against the couch because he had a hard time breathing laying down (he had never had any of these problems prior...he worked 50 hrs/week until the day before he died)...Anyway, at the docs office, he told his physician that he "thought he was having a heart attack"...The doc sent him away with a diagnosis of bronchitis...No EKG...No sending him down the street to the Cardio for an Echo...Nothing...Not even bloodwork to check protein levels...Sent him home. That was Friday...My dad died on Monday of an MI.

It was then discovered in the docs SOAP notes from back in April that he had written that during his next scheduled visit, he had to work him up for CAD (coronary artery disease). Why did he not do so when my dad presented like he did? Ah, the question that went unanswered.

We lost at trial. The jury said we held the physician to "to high a standard of care". Our lawyers were great, and for 5 or 6 years after, they kept in touch with us.

I have nothing against lawyers...It just seems that nobody ever asks how certains sectors of the economy are doing financially...It is always BIG Pharma...BIG Oil...BIG Box...BIG Whatever...Anything perceived as BIG in this society is demonized...

Yet, when does anybody ever ask why the cost of a college education has increased exponentially over the past 15 years? Some of these schools have endowments that make the Saudi Royal Family look like All in the Family...Ok, that's extreme...But you get my point...

We as a society don't like profit. I'm not sure when that became the norm, but it is not American.

[XOXO]

Sox: I am really sorry about your Dad. I can't imagine how frustrated your family is that when you Dad asked for help he did not get it.

I will answer your question about drug companies. You are probably right about research. I would bet that there are many people employeed by drug companies to do research that do it the right reasons. It is the CEO sitting behind his desk that bothers me. I see a conflict of interests between the big drug companies, the lobbyists hired by the CEO's, the Doctors who get free lunches from the drug reps who are hired by the CEO's, and government who get money from the lobbyists. Their entangled relationships make me question their interests. Are any of them interested in the American patients and what is best for them?

Maybe the researchers are interested in finding cures but the CEO's are hired to look at the bottom line.

GG

[XOXO]

If so, I promise you the magic of new treatments will come to an end if government continues to wrestle more control of the healthcare industry away from the private sector.

I agree.

[soxfan22]

the Doctors who get free lunches from the drug reps who are hired by the CEO's, and government who get money from the lobbyists. Their entangled relationships make me question their interests. Are any of them interested in the American patients and what is best for them?
GG

I am one of them.

However, it would probably surprise you to know that in many cases, I often advocate using less of the biologic that I sell.

Because the biologic that I carry has been on the market for nearly 20 years, most of what I do is reimbursement...Ensuring patient access to the medicine whether they have public insurance (medicare/medicaid), private insurance, or need patient assistance. In the biotech world, it is no longer as simple as writing a prescription and paying the co-pay.

I assure you that I can sleep at night, knowing that I am advocating for proper treatment, only to those patients/LTC residents who have a real clinical need. The product I carry is very expensive, but it's alternative is nearly 3x's as expensive and carries much more risk (blood transfusions).

We are not all bad people, I can assure you. There certainly are bad folks who will do and say anything to get to where they think they need to be - but they don't last long.

As for the lunches, etc...Absolutely zero impact on prescriptions. Much of that really has been regulated away anyhow, for instance we can no longer take physicians or staff out to dinner...

However, the one thing that actually does impact business is grant money for research that is given to medical practices (generally specialist who engage in research of their own in their field of expertise)...Many companies do give large amounts of money to these physicians under the heading "research"...That impacts business, and it is wrong. A $90.00 lunch for the girls up front does nothing to move business. Believe me.

[XOXO]

I am one of them.

I know that Sox. I am certain that you are not included in "bad people". I am sure of that but I wonder if you could see what I was talking about. I bet in your own company you see examples of what I am talking about. I just wish there were less incentives and more honesty.

Do you think that you are an exception or do you think most reps are like you?

I was pretty happy about the limitations on gifting to doctors and clinics from drug reps. Was that about 10 years ago? But it appears there are loopholes--go figure. About two months ago a doctor friend was asking me about Kauai. He told me that he had a timeshare for a week and just had to pay for the airfare. Guess who's timeshare he is using . . . another friend of mine who is a drug rep.

Even with all of that said I still don't think the drug reps and doctors are the problem. The real problem is the people who are hiring them and telling them to offer incentives. The real problem is also the people who hire lobbyists to give incentives to congressmen to have laws that protect their interests.

Actually, it isn't even the lobbyists--it is the people who hire them and the people who accept the money to vote a certain way.

The whole thing frustrates me. It makes me feel like our best interests are immaterial--secondary at best.

I respect you Sox and do not mean to disrespect what you do. There are good and bad people in every single industry. I just feel the set up in the pharmaceutical industry and health insurance industry lends itself to corruption. Do I want to inhibit research? Not for a second. I donate money for research for cancer, MS, and heart disease. I just wish I could trust them to have our interests as the focus. I don't. That is all I am trying to say.

Edited to say: AND SOX! If you ever get in my area I want you to stop by my office and buy me a $90 lunch. K?!!

GG

[sherban]

If you look at the economic downturn coupled with rising probability of a viral/biological "outbreak"...them combine that with what insurance companies have learned in the past ten years...it is easy to understand rising healthcare costs..it sucks but I get it.

My company is making big changes in 2010...none to benefit my family..but, hey I know where the door is...right?

It feels like a free for all to me....

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[soxfan22]

Edited to say: AND SOX! If you ever get in my area I want you to stop by my office and buy me a $90 lunch. K?!!

GG

That would be $90.00 for about 15 people...total. It's a 1/2 sandwich and a bag of chips from Panera. Maybe an apple.

As for the timeshare issue...The timeshare belongs to the rep, right? Not sanctioned by the company. That is far different than what used to happen when doc went on all expenses paid trips to Hawaii on the company. That ended at least 10 years ago, probably 15.

Trust me when I tell you, this is NOT the gig it once was. In fact, I've only been in the industry six years, and for me at least, it has never been that type of gig.

A nice job? Sure.