Hi Izzy:
You are right. Cost is very high, and it depends on who is picking up the tab. Generally, manage care and insurance will try to do anything not to pay, and when they have to, they kick the patient out, and they end up, very sick, in public assistance.
In FY 95-96 Fla Mcaid spent in Dade County alone, on ~3700 patients,over $86 mill, the highest costs were hosp ~$18000/pt, and Home care ~$19000/pt.
If you consider that 50% of those patients did not have an office visit & CD4, and that 95% of them did not have a viral load (all this in one year). You realize, that the main problem with AIDS/HIV is the lack of good care.
Drug levels only in research so far.
JLL |
