More People Skipping Meds

October 22, 2008 · Filed Under Health Care, Health Care Debate 

     More people now than ever are skipping or finding ways to stretch their medications because they simply can’t afford them anymore.  This includes the elderly which have hit the “donut hole” in their medicare coverage. The so-called “donut hole” remember is the point at which they have reached the payout limit and must pay the next few thousand out of their pockets. Add in the 47 million who are uninsured and you’ve got people, myself included, that are stretching their meds by cutting pills or skipping days. One woman is even considering taking her elderly mother off of her Alzheimers medicine because it totals one fifth of her income and she simply cannot afford it without cutting back on other essentials like groceries, and gas.

The drug companies are starting to feel it now too by losing profits. So sorry for them, but the main concern is the person who needs a medication to live and has to risk their lives by having to choose between food and meds. I don’t have the answer but someone needs to come up with something. I think everyone has a responsibility to take care of their own health matters, however there are so many who have done everything right and the way they were supposed to but have now fallen through the cracks, unable to help themselves any longer.

There is a lot of talk lately about whether medical care and medications are a right or a responsibility. I believe that a person who fufilled their responsibilities throughout life, now has a right to at least the minimum of care.

Comments

Leave a Reply