Medicare wastes our tax dollars in so many ways.
Same procedure under private insurance cost about a hundred bucks for the drug used VS over 2000 bucks for the drug used because Medicare will not allow off label use of a drug.
Just one example of many.
Originally Posted by The2Dogs
Many "generics" are not identical to the "brand" drug, and some people have "reactions" to them or they are not as effective. If you are thinking of utilizing particularly drugs for "other" conditions for which the original manufacturer did not intend the use, then in some instances it may be necessary for the patent to expire so the manufacturer does not have control of the usage and "purpose" of the drug and the original manufacturer can no longer be liable for injury or death from unintended consequences of unintended usages.
The primary reason so many physicians are getting out of the "Medicare" and "Medicaid" business is because the payments run late and are severely reduced from the originally billing, not to mention the increase paper work responsibilities. Those who stay in it are operating more like clinics and herding patients through like cattle ...
To make a profit the private insurance industry will begin to reduce benefits, demand generics (or substantially increase the copay on brands) and increase deductibles and copays for medical care ... reduce days in the hospital across the board for procedures. Many have changed the "care description" at hospitals to avoid the "in-patient" costs activated by admissions into the hospital and have redefined "emergency-short term" care to reduce the costs to the carrier, but increase the out of pocket expense to the insured. The mandatory requirements of ACA demand modification of coverage, benefits, copays, deductibles, and prescription practices for the carriers to get a profit.
It's just like taxes: either reduce spending or increase taxes.
Reduce care and benefits or increase premiums.
For many years providers "raided" the Medicare/Medicaid system with fraud and gouging .. the government did little if anything about it. Millions/Billions went out the barn door in fictitious billing, "code" manipulation, and out right lying about services rendered. No politician wants to take on the AMA and the politically connected major hospitals systems around the country, not to mention the major manufacturers of drugs. The only cure is to start sending people to prison for fraud, legislatively control costs, and emphasize cure as opposed to maintenance procedures by making certain procedures mandatory.
