sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I can easily decide if I want to spend the money for a house on the beach - but my LIFE does not depend upon me living on the beach. Some things should not be all about profit.

Sandrea

Part of the problem originates with the concept of MEDICAL school where much of the course work is based on learning medicine not HEALTH. There is less money for the pharmaceutical companies and doctors to learn what the basis of the condition is and to correct that condition. Medical students still are taught almost nothing about nutrition, laugh at vitamins and supplements and the pharmaceutical companies and the FDA do what they can to keep effective natural products off the market.

Before the AMA and medical schools were the only game in town, there were schools that taught health and natural healing. Homeopathy has also been effective for well over a hundred years but is considered a joke my most today and the medical business makes sure it stays that way.

I am 74, my husband 73. We take no prescription drugs. My only operation was a tubal ligation at 30 years, my husband had a cataract removed in one eye a couple years ago and a kidney stone broken up last year. Our bill for vitamins and supplements for the two of us is about $200/month but hearing the cost of drugs for many, I will consider myself lucky. Another expense is about $150/year for health newsletters. Among other things they taught me was to decline the Statins my DR wanted me to take. I had to show her the studies that showed that the drug weaken the heart and other muscles, can damage the liver and thyroid and that people with low cholesterol die younger than those with high cholesterol. I don't know if the information effected how she treats other patients.

canarywood1 Loc: Sarasota,Florida

Not to worry everyone, when the Donald get's wind of this, things WILL change, Yeah right.

Cykdelic Loc: Now outside of Chiraq & Santa Fe, NM

I wondered how long before one of you crybabies tried to bring Trump into it! Simply out, Obama did Nada for 8 years, so Trump can't do worse. Come on, man....buck up and move on.

RonKoris Loc: St. Helena Island, SC

In my youth I was a sales rep. For a Veterinary Supply Company. We received a new drug from Parke Davis called amoxicillin. Our product was the same as what was being sold to the human market, same label, etc. Parke Davis sold this direct to the drug stores and we bought it as a wholesaler. At the price we purchased this from the company we could have doubled our price and sold it to the drug stores for less than they where paying to purchase direct from Parke Davis.

RonKoris Loc: St. Helena Island, SC

In my youth I was a sales rep. For a Veterinary Supply Company. We received a new drug from Parke Davis called amoxicillin. Our product was the same as what was being sold to the human market, same label, etc. Parke Davis sold this direct to the drug stores and we bought it as a wholesaler. At the price we purchased this from the company we could have doubled our price and sold it to the drug stores for less than they where paying to purchase direct from Parke Davis.

RonKoris Loc: St. Helena Island, SC

By the way my wife has Epi-pin's for allergic reactions. They costs over 600.00 for two pins that have less than one dollar of epineprine in them. Go figure who's making the money.

Cykdelic Loc: Now outside of Chiraq & Santa Fe, NM

You guys are begging the comment......if you're so outraged, start a pharmacy company and u deduct everyone and make a bazillion bucks if it's that easy.

Please don't attack.......I'm just making the point that as with everything it's just a little more complex than a couple of CEOs making too much money.

Flyerace Loc: Mt Pleasant, WI

The big thing affecting the charges of a hospital MRI vs an independent MRI is simple. The hospital probably has an ER. So many patients (even on Medicaid) do not have a physician and they use the ER. They don't pay anything, but they use over 80% of the ER services in the course of a year. The exorbitant charges made by the hospital go to funding the ER. I have been in the ER with a broken arm and people are being seen because they have a cold. The walk in clinic was in the next building, but they still came to the ER. There is a "no turn away" policy in this hospital, but they could certainly transport them over to the walk in clinic where they could be seen.

brucebc Loc: Tooele, Utah

Sure is!

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

It goes a bit deeper than that. Most people will pay whatever they can for whatever they Want. Products and/or services that people Need, and that are Needed by every citizen, should be in a different category.

Costs for things like food, medicine, utilities, transportation, and a few others should be regulated by the government - Yes, I said government. Capitalism is a wonderful economic system and competition is good; however, the primary focus of capitalism is to eliminate the competition so as to create a monopoly or at least an oligopoly. Government has a responsibility to protect its citizens against harm, e.g., war, economic depression, and monopolies concerning things they Need.

If you object to Tom Brady making $30 Mil/Year, stop going to the Patriot's games, and stop buying the products they advertise.

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

You talk like a man who believes everything he hears.

The example you give is merely a symptom, not a cause.

And, why pick on old Bill Clinton. His outrageous greed pales compared to the the upper 5%

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Glad this has gotten people talking!

Another example of how "big pharma" effects us: Marijuana.

THIRTY years ago the FDA approved synthetic THC as a "safe and effective" medication, and I can prescribe you capsules of THC - which will set you back about $800 for 60 capsules of the now-generic dronabinol.

And yet if you want to use the natural product, you can go to jail! Go figure.

AlColter Loc: Michigan

There is no mystery here, the pharmaceutical companies have their butt boys in congress which give us two things. 1) Free market rip off due to greed and these same guys are members of the 1% ers. They don't care about people they care about their fellow 1% ers.

fotonut

Ok... Here's a good one. I needed eye drops before surgery. I was given Restasus ( not sure of spelling). Anyhow, my Dr said that these eyedrops go for $800. to $1000.00 for a MONTHS supply! I get them through the VA for...now get this...$9.00 Go figure