The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

[DrDemento]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

Yeah, the generic/brand thing is an absolute scam. I have recently come to find out the medication I take had a "generic equivalent" approved. It hardly worked. I could actually feel the difference between the two. It was incredible. The off was sudden and dramatic. It lasted a few hours less than the brand I had been taking.

I came to find out the actual medication was therapeutically equivalent but the delivery mechanism wasn't. And it wasn't even close. The generics available for this medication are simply not equivalent and after months of suffering through the lower cost but relatively ineffective medicine, I've decided to pay the penalties. It's not worth having my daily life impacted despite doubling my costs.

All because the FDA and insurance companies, people who have no personal experience and no medical understanding of the drug have made a decision (and an incorrect one at that) with a great financial impact to me.

What you have posted about generic medications is so unbelievably common. Many of the large generic drug companies have had multiple problems-quality control, foreign substances found in the medications, deliberate misrepresentation of the ingredients. This year Ranbaxy-in India-one of the largest of the generic purveyors had to recall all it's generic Lipitor-small bits of glass were found in many batches. When my dad was alive, his pharmacist switched his hypertension medicine to a new generic form of Aldomet-it took us a while to figure out why his BP began to fluctuate and was not adequately controled.
For some medications-it makes very little difference-if the generic is not working as well as a branded drug-you could just take an extra dose. But with some medications where the titration dose is critical-blood thinners, diabetes meds, antihypertensives, and in some cases antibiotics-there can be a major difference and serious complications.
Do drugs cost too much? In many cases absolutely. Are generics cheaper? Often but not always. We wrote for a psoriasis ointment Dovonex for many years-it was extremely expensive. it is now a generic(Calcipotriene marketed by Taro pharmaceuticals). They are the ONLY generic maker of the drug and they charge as much as the brand drug used to cost (over $300 per 60gm tube which lasts the average patient a couple weeks).
Would I take generics-sure, for conditions that i am not too concerned about absolute treatment or control. I would take a generic tylenol, aspirin, pain med like hydrocodone, anti spasmodic, proton pump inhibitor, etc. If it did not work as well, i would probably just pop an extra one. But for treating conditions where dosage is critical to maintain a steady state, or with medications that have more severe complications and side effects-NO WAY.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

What you have posted about generic medications is so unbelievably common. Many of the large generic drug companies have had multiple problems-quality control, foreign substances found in the medications, deliberate misrepresentation of the ingredients. This year Ranbaxy-in India-one of the largest of the generic purveyors had to recall all it's generic Lipitor-small bits of glass were found in many batches. When my dad was alive, his pharmacist switched his hypertension medicine to a new generic form of Aldomet-it took us a while to figure out why his BP began to fluctuate and was not adequately controled.
For some medications-it makes very little difference-if the generic is not working as well as a branded drug-you could just take an extra dose. But with some medications where the titration dose is critical-blood thinners, diabetes meds, antihypertensives, and in some cases antibiotics-there can be a major difference and serious complications.
Do drugs cost too much? In many cases absolutely. Are generics cheaper? Often but not always. We wrote for a psoriasis ointment Dovonex for many years-it was extremely expensive. it is now a generic(Calcipotriene marketed by Taro pharmaceuticals). They are the ONLY generic maker of the drug and they charge as much as the brand drug used to cost (over $300 per 60gm tube which lasts the average patient a couple weeks).
Would I take generics-sure, for conditions that i am not too concerned about absolute treatment or control. I would take a generic tylenol, aspirin, pain med like hydrocodone, anti spasmodic, proton pump inhibitor, etc. If it did not work as well, i would probably just pop an extra one. But for treating conditions where dosage is critical to maintain a steady state, or with medications that have more severe complications and side effects-NO WAY.

Last month, I found out the hard way that there's a double-standard among insurance companies when it comes to "name brand" scripts. PA prescribed a relatively new acne cream called Acanya, and gave me a coupon so that the first bottle would be "free". Went to pick it up, and was told it would be $80. Mentioned that I thought the highest co-pay for scripts on my company's plan was $40 (and that is supposed to be for custom meds, name brands are supposed to be $20, and generics $10). Pharmacist mentioned that there are "preferred name brands" vs. "non-preferred name brands". Had never heard of such a thing until then. Good thing I remembered the coupon, and that a bottle should last a few months. Sheesh.

[Old Pio]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

Wasn't just him. 99% of what Obama did to prevent it Bush was already doing before he left. As for the recession that continues give John Boner a call and ask him about JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. See what he says.

He's say: "There's' no such thing as a shovel ready job." But Neville spent a trillion dollars to create some anyway. The unions were happy, though.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

So now the messiah dictator didn't lie, he "misspoke". I didn't know teleprompters could misspeak. I'm Ron Burgundy?

[SteveP]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

So now the messiah dictator didn't lie, he "misspoke". I didn't know teleprompters could misspeak. I'm Ron Burgundy?

Burgundy is almost as big a narcissist as the Sun King.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

He's say: "There's' no such thing as a shovel ready job." But Neville spent a trillion dollars to create some anyway. The unions were happy, though.

Uh, huh. That's a great excuse for Mr. Jobs Jobs Jobs. Never created one, never passed a law that created one. Doesn't have a real job himself.

[Old Pio]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

Uh, huh. That's a great excuse for Mr. Jobs Jobs Jobs. Never created one, never passed a law that created one. Doesn't have a real job himself.

Whereas "Mr. Cheap Suit Chicago Community Organizer" is Horatio Alger writ large. He's never so much as had a paper route. Or sold "Grit." Like so many *******s, his understanding about free enterprise and working for a living comes from books and PBS and scary stories told around campfires.

Incidentally, Boehner's claim to the "legitimacy" of his job is exactly the same as it was for Pelosi. I'm assuming you didn't claim she "didn't have a real job." Such flexibility is admirable in Cirque du Soleil, but not here.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

Whereas "Mr. Cheap Suit Chicago Community Organizer" is Horatio Alger writ large. He's never so much as had a paper route. Or sold "Grit." Like so many *******s, his understanding about free enterprise and working for a living comes from books and PBS.

He isn't running around Washington chanting jobs, jobs, jobs while voting on the latest anti-abortion legislation. But, I guess you don't know that.

[Old Pio]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

He isn't running around Washington chanting jobs, jobs, jobs while voting on the latest anti-abortion legislation. But, I guess you don't know that.

This is your brain. This is your brain on *******. You "pro choice" monomaniacs are funny. You can work that sh*t into any conversation, can't you? Only you guys can turn a fat, 30-year old co-ed into a heroine because she can afford 60K tuition at Georgetown law but wants somebody else to pay for her birth control pills at Target. "What the h*ll business of those G*d d*mn Catholics is it to have beliefs we disapprove of?"

[walrus]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

Uh, huh. That's a great excuse for Mr. Jobs Jobs Jobs. Never created one, never passed a law that created one. Doesn't have a real job himself.

Obama?, once again the 2 wrongs make a right excuse

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

Obama?, once again the 2 wrongs make a right excuse

Obama didn't run on jobs. Why do you all keep equating stuff to him that doesn't exist? He ran on the Affordable Care Act and won. Check out the news on the book Double Down and see how awful a showing the Republicans made in 2012 really was.

[Rover]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

Is there an outbreak of crybaby disease suddenly sweeping the country or something? What a bunch of whiners and no offense its either 1) old people in the their late 50s to mid 70's or 2) young people not getting laid. This is like a bad family reunion where your crabby uncle complains about how the Fed raised the money supply but he checked his bank account and it had the same amount of money in it. Don't you realize you come off as whiny idiots with zero solutions to anything? Occasiaonally there's a good point to be made but it gets lost in the din of people frustrated with their own lives and seeking to take it out on others via right wing politics.

I just got back from a weekend trip seeing my 90+ year old grandparents for their birthdays, and these people who saw a Depression and a World War and are now dealing with all kinds of aches and pains are for more positive than the righty losers polluting this thread. We're not laughing with you, we're laughing at you. Grow a pair and stop crying already.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

Appears I was right about one thing. The PPACA would have been much better with Republican support.

The Washington Post's tick-tock by Amy Goldstein and Juliet Eilperin on the decisions leading to the dysfunctional launch of healthcare.gov is cast in a familiar genre: an anatomy of politicized administrative incompetence. And the piece does capture some likely bad decisions.

But the narrative documents a more basic fact, not hidden but acknowledged only secondarily: sabotage works. More specifically: in a two-party system, if one party gives itself over with fanatic single-mindedness to sabotaging the enactment of a major reform, it will succeed in some degree.

http://xpostfactoid.blogspot.com/201...-disaster.html

Good job on the sabotage Boner. Your Constituents love you.

[jerphisch]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

My premium is increasing by 5% (less than previous years) and no change in coverage for me(for lower income workers they actually reduced the annual out of pocket maximum.) So it isn't all doom and gloom.

[walrus]

Re: The PPACA - Implementation Phase I

Obama didn't run on jobs. Why do you all keep equating stuff to him that doesn't exist? He ran on the Affordable Care Act and won. Check out the news on the book Double Down and see how awful a showing the Republicans made in 2012 really was.

In 08 he didn't run on jobs?