How to save $5.8 Billion in health care costs

[Cancel 2016.2]

http://www.benefitspro.com/2011/11/...&utm_medium=eNL&utm_campaign=BenefitsPro_eNLs

But the single biggest expense comes from doctors prescribing brand-name drugs rather than their generic counterparts, accounting for $5.8 billion alone.

As most of you know, the defensive medicine practices described in the article irk me as they are a part of the problem our overly litigious society has created. That said, I doubt there are any of us on this board that are going to argue in favor of doctors going name brand over generic and costing the individuals (or more likely their insurance companies) about $5.8 Billion in extra expenses each year.

I would encourage every single person on this board to write both of their Senators as well as their Rep and say WTF?

Want a simple piece of legislation..... How about.... 'it is now mandatory that all doctors prescribing drugs give the name of a generic alternative to the medicine they are prescribing if one is available, with the costs difference (or approximation)'

 

[Bonestorm]

http://www.benefitspro.com/2011/11/...&utm_medium=eNL&utm_campaign=BenefitsPro_eNLs



As most of you know, the defensive medicine practices described in the article irk me as they are a part of the problem our overly litigious society has created. That said, I doubt there are any of us on this board that are going to argue in favor of doctors going name brand over generic and costing the individuals (or more likely their insurance companies) about $5.8 Billion in extra expenses each year.

I would encourage every single person on this board to write both of their Senators as well as their Rep and say WTF?

Want a simple piece of legislation..... How about.... 'it is now mandatory that all doctors prescribing drugs give the name of a generic alternative to the medicine they are prescribing if one is available, with the costs difference (or approximation)'

Most states have generic substitution laws already which allow for pharmacists to substitute generics unless the doctor specifies that the brand name is medically necessary (which it can be in some instances) or the patient specifies that he or she wants the brand name drug. Other states require pharmacists to use the generic unless the doctor specifies otherwise.

I think the latter is the way to go, but good luck getting that done. PhARMA ain't gonna let that happen under the auspices of "patient rights."

And, while every dollar is important, the $5.8 billion is about 2% of all prescription drug spending and a tiny fraction of total healthcare spending ($2.5T, roughly).

 

[Onceler]

Isn't that what we spent per hour in Iraq?

Not a bad suggestion, but it's not changing any budgets or lives. I suppose it's a start....

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

I was wrong... apparently there are those who would just belittle this waste.

Seriously.... fucking bringing Iraq into this? Don't ever bitch about health care costs if you are just going to pretend waste is ok if it is small relative to Iraq or to overall health care spending. I guess we have to lump every 'little' piece of waste together and give you two a big number so that you can start to care about it.

 

[Bonestorm]

I was wrong... apparently there are those who would just belittle this waste.

Seriously.... fucking bringing Iraq into this? Don't ever bitch about health care costs if you are just going to pretend waste is ok if it is small relative to Iraq or to overall health care spending. I guess we have to lump every 'little' piece of waste together and give you two a big number so that you can start to care about it.

So no one is permitted to bitch about healthcare costs if they aren't immediately concerned with measures designed to address the 0.02% of total healthcare spending that is wasteful? OK. That makes a lot of sense.

Pointing out that, even if this waste were fixed overnight, we'd still have a really really really big problem with healthcare costs isn't belittling anything. It's just putting it in its appropriate context. As I said in my original response, the best idea from my perspective is to require pharmacists to fill a prescription with the generic unless the doctor specifies that the brand is medically necessary.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

So no one is permitted to bitch about healthcare costs if they aren't immediately concerned with measures designed to address the 0.02% of total healthcare spending that is wasteful? OK. That makes a lot of sense.

Pointing out that, even if this waste were fixed overnight, we'd still have a really really really big problem with healthcare costs isn't belittling anything. It's just putting it in its appropriate context. As I said in my original response, the best idea from my perspective is to require pharmacists to fill a prescription with the generic unless the doctor specifies that the brand is medically necessary.

Most waste is going to be small relative to health care spending on the whole you dolt.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

Try doing the math just once Dung....

$5.8 billion.

Say the average cost of health insurance was $7k per person.

Cutting that waste is the equivalent amount of money to insure about 830k people.

 

[Billy the Great Khan]

Aren't Medicaid/Medicare the biggest purchasers of prescription drus? Wouldn't it make sense and be more cost effective if they could negotiate prices like the VA does?

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

Aren't Medicaid/Medicare the biggest purchasers of prescription drus? Wouldn't it make sense and be more cost effective if they could negotiate prices like the VA does?

and the way that evil corporation Wal Mart does? yeah, that would make sense.... which is precisely why the idiots in DC don't do it.

 

[Billy the Great Khan]

and the way that evil corporation Wal Mart does? yeah, that would make sense.... which is precisely why the idiots in DC don't do it.

Didn't know that about Wal-mart. Our local grocery chain, Krogers, gives me all my scrips for $10 and less. Generic bands usualy but some name brands as well.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

Didn't know that about Wal-mart. Our local grocery chain, Krogers, gives me all my scrips for $10 and less. Generic bands usualy but some name brands as well.

Wal Mart does most generics for $4. Target has the same program. Their name brand prescription (if you choose them) are also much cheaper than most pharmacies. The people at Wal Mart will also point out that there is no difference between generic and name brand (in most cases) and then point to the price difference. It is generally cheaper to buy the prescription out of pocket, than to pay the co-pay for a name brand.

 

[Bonestorm]

I really think patients should not have the option of requesting brand name drugs and pharmacies should be required to use generics, unless the prescribing doctor specifies that the brand name drug is medically necessary.