Comments on: Aetna demostrates insurance industry callousness about the medical needs of their “members”

By: C R

C R — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:48:04 +0000

Tim:
Re: refrigeration requirement for your medicine:
Check with a pharmacist re refrigeration requirements for Travatan Z. It may not need refrigeration. True, it’s cousin medicine, Xalatan, does require refrigeration, but only UNTIL opening the bottle, not after.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:34:48 +0000

I share your indignation as well, and I know you know this, but keep in mind not only the millions of uninsured (which I’m sure you know), but the even larger numbers of the UNDERinsured. My employer just moved to a 3,000 deductible ($6k for family). Single parents working at this company are basically getting the price break associated with being a member of the covered group (up to 90% for some services — have you checked out the drop in price between what the lab wanted to charge you and what the insurance company allowed them to charge you????), but they aren’t really getting any financial coverage at all. And we’re lucky. Small businesses, with their smaller covered group, are routinely are subjected to >25% annual premium increases — we also lost a pension plan in order to accommodate the insurance plan we elected to keep.

But hey, I still have a job (and the benefits that come with it), so I’m still better off than a lot of people.

I guess my comment boils down to…

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You’re on the Titanic and you’re complaining that the bartender spilled your drink.

By: Priya Lynn

Priya Lynn — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:52:43 +0000

My sympathies go out to Americans who are forced to live on the edge of disaster because of privatized health care. It makes me so angry that Republicans stand in the way of health care for everyone for no rational reason – its just insane.

By: wister

wister — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:21:36 +0000

While I share your indignation at least you’re not paying for your insurance yourself. Mine has gone from $2,000 a year in 01 to over $8,000 today. And then I have co-pays and drug costs on top of that. And no real long-term care provision.

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:41:31 +0000

Thanks, Steve.

But yes, Travatan Z is refrigerated.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:09:58 +0000

I share your anger with these behemoth insurance companies. I deal with them every day as a physician. So much for competition.
Please remember that one proposal in the new health plan was to subject these companies to anti-trust regulations just like other industries. That has fallen by the wayside. In my state, two major insurance companies control over 90% of the market. Good luck in trying to make a complaint to the insurance commissioner. I agree that their profits are obscene as are the salaries of these executives who are always trying to improve their “loss ratio”.

Also remember to thank smug Joe Lieberman who derailed any hope for reform when it comes to mega insurance companies. I hope he is sleeping well and enjoying the campaign contributions from major insurers in his state. He is a sanctimonious mealy mouthed politician who symbolizes arrogance, corruption, and the inability to get out of the grip of these special interests that are corrupting health care.

Finally, the drug companies are also to blame. The high prices of so many drugs are also obscene when you look at what others pay outside the U.S.. The endless TV ads for this drug or that and the creation of a perceived need to treat something with their drug is ridiculous. I am not suggesting that this applies to your eye. In general, this direct consumer advertising has driven up drug prices.

You might want to see if you could get the eye drops from Canada over the Internet if that is feasible. Some drops need to be refrigerated, so that might not work. Just a thought.

By: Ray

Ray — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:20:48 +0000

I certainly hope you HAVE informed the Insurance Commissioner. I think the IC is the place to start since advocacy is their freaking job!