DUmbass embraces her inner death panel bureaucrat

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

liberal N proud  (1000+ posts)        Mon Nov-08-10 11:09 PM
Original message
Review of prostate cancer drug Provenge renews medical cost-benefit debate
 

Federal officials are conducting an unusual review to determine whether the government should pay for an expensive new vaccine for treating prostate cancer, rekindling debate over whether some therapies are too costly.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which dictate what treatments the massive federal health-insurance program for the elderly will cover, is running a "national coverage analysis" of Provenge, the first vaccine approved for treating any cancer. The treatment costs $93,000 a patient and has been shown to extend patients' lives by about four months.

Although Medicare is not supposed to take cost into consideration when making such rulings, the decision to launch a formal examination has raised concerns among cancer experts, drug companies, lawmakers, prostate cancer patients and advocacy groups.

Provenge, which was approved for advanced prostate cancer in April, is the latest in a series of new high-priced cancer treatments that appear to eke out only a few more months of life, prompting alarm about their cost.

"This absolutely is the opening salvo in the drive to save money in the health-care system," said Skip Lockwood, who heads Zero - the Project to End Prostate Cancer, a Washington-based lobbying group. "If the cost wasn't a consideration, this wouldn't even be under discussion."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

Putting a dollar value on your life or death.

Dreamer Tatum (1000+ posts)        Mon Nov-08-10 11:22 PM
Response to Original message
1. It's not life or death. Utter strawman.
 It's someone circling the drain. Is it would $93,000 to give them four more months?

I don't think it is.

Remind me again why expense AIDS cocktails were supposed to be subsidized even though back in the day the death rate was 100%.

Dreamer Tatum (1000+ posts)        Mon Nov-08-10 11:54 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. You just said "ask the families,"
 yet you're saying let the doctors decide.

Which is silly, since no one would ever say no.

Someone, at some point, is going to have to deal with sticky issues like this, or healthcare will bankrupt us.

Flame away - don't care. There are some here who think no one should EARN $93,000 in a year, so why would we as
a society spend $93,000 for four months tacked onto a miserable existence?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9515325

[jukin]

Yes everybody in America except the media and progressivies knew what "Death Panels" were when Palin brought it up....and it was never about end of life conferencing.

[BattleHymn]

Flame away - don't care. There are some here who think no one should EARN $93,000 in a year, so why would we as
a society spend $93,000 for four months tacked onto a miserable existence?

I wouldn't sink 93¢ into four more years of your miserable existence.

[Ballygrl]

JoePhilly  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Mon Nov-08-10 07:10 PM
Response to Reply #6
9. Then, I hate to say it, but you are not paying attention ...
   
When you are very, very wealthy, you can get far better insurance coverage than the average American.

Let me give you an example. I technically, fall into the top 2% for income (my wife and I together based on income). We are not rich however. Our families were both lower middle class when we were young. So there is no trust fund, no inheritance. But, we do well. And so, as part of our health care, almost everything is covered.

A few years ago, I had a very serious injury to both legs. I had to have major surgery, and spent about 4 weeks in a rehab facility in a PRIVATE room. My insurance covered it all ... including about 20k for a replacement "donor tendon". Then, I was covered for a long set of physical therapy treatments.

Meanwhile, my sister, not making what I make, is in a car accident, severe broken bones, and her treatment was minimal in comparison. She now walks with a terrible limp. Her PT coverage was almost nil.

I'm a high paid employee, and I get "fixed" ... she isn't ... so screw her.

And trust me, Cheney, who has been "saved" over and over, gets better coverage than I do for sure.

Your coverage, sadly is tied to your "worth".

And that's what those two have to do with it.

And Obamacare is going to correct this disparity how?

[Ballygrl]

liberal N proud  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Mon Nov-08-10 06:38 PM
Response to Reply #1
4. Ask their families that question
   
One might think like you another might want as much time with their loved one as possible.

Who should make that call? Doctors, not insurance companies and the government.

That's what we've been saying all along.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

And Obamacare is going to correct this disparity how?

He'll have the same limp as his sister.

It'll suck but at least there will be an equality of outcome and THAT makes it fair.

[dutch508]

And Obamacare is going to correct this disparity how?

Nobody is gonna get fixed.

Well... not in the way they want, anyway.

( nut + )

[true_blood]

Dreamer Tatum (1000+ posts)        Mon Nov-08-10 11:54 PM
Response to Reply #4
Flame away - don't care. There are some here who think no one should EARN $93,000 in a year, so why would we as
a society spend $93,000 for four months tacked onto a miserable existence?

Who the **** are you? Because you make a third of that, if you're lucky, you want to bring the one that makes $93,000, down to "your" level?! Who are you to decide what someone makes a year?

[Tucker]

I've said this before and it bears repeating.

When a DUmmy/Atheist dies, it's the end. When a Christian dies, it's just the beginning.

[thundley4]

Who the **** are you? Because you make a third of that, if you're lucky, you want to bring the one that makes $93,000, down to "your" level?! Who are you to decide what someone makes a year?

Wait a minute. Be fair to Dreamer Tatum. In this case she was calling out those who don't think anyone should make $93K so why should society spend money on those that don't want anyone to make that much.

[Karin]

Precisely why we don't want government taking over healthcare.  There are too many private decisions, internal, personal ethical debates, and individual circumstances with ourselves and our families to have blanket, impersonal government ownership.  It's outrageous that any of this was even seriously entertained. 

Maybe one family wants to take out a second mortgage to pay for a $93K treatment for 4 months.  Me, I would want no such thing.  Let the good Lord take me and I'll see ya on the other side. 

Govt takeover means that maybe some lunatic like Alan Grayson is going to be deciding such things.  REPEAL. 

[TheSarge]

And Obamacare is going to correct this disparity how?

Next time he's in a serious accident he and his sister will have a matching limp.

[true_blood]

Wait a minute. Be fair to Dreamer Tatum. In this case she was calling out those who don't think anyone should make $93K so why should society spend money on those that don't want anyone to make that much.

I misread that. My bad. Thank you for clarifying.