TO ALL: AIDS TREATMENT NEEDS SOMETHING LIKE ANDROVIR
Front page, Sunday, New York Times article Expense Means Many Can't Get Drugs for AIDS
Summary--Though new drugs show great promise many pts cannot get medicines because of restrictions imposed by hmo's and state programs assisting those with low incomes. Many hmo's limit coverage to $3000 while cocktails with new protease inhibitors and old anti-virals easily cost $10,000 - 15,000 a year. Success of the cocktails created demand surpassing the expectations of drug manufacturers, private health plans, and Federal and state drug assistance programs. This also foreshadows costly tradeoffs coming with development of costly treatments for cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases.
Many states are moving to impose limits ranging from $3000 to 12,000. States and hmo's with no limits fear they will get disproportionate numbers of AIDS pts. Pre-authorization and caps on prescription drugs are becoming a significant problem for people with AIDS. People with AIDS spend huge amounts of time trying to keep their drugs covered by insurance or by government programs. "It can be a major pre-occupation, a full-time job." Further problematic is that it is extremely important for people with AIDS to take the drugs exactly as prescribed. Interruption of the therapy can promote the emergence of resistant strains of HIV and some patients end up being covered for only part of each year. On the other hand, overall the drugs may cut cost of treatment by reducing the need for hospital care, home health care, and other services.
Do you think some enterprising hmo's (not that I have any affection for hmo's) might consider paying for an effective, relatively inexpensive dietary supplement?
Larry |
