Don't Get Sick

One of Bodhie's colleagues recently caught a severe case of sticker shock.  In spite of having supplemental coverage for Medicare Part D, the very high deductible for that policy forced him to pay $236.99 for a 30-capsule, 30-day supply of the anti-cholesterol drug Zetia.

That's right - about $8.00 per capsule.  Why so costly?  Because Merck charges outlandishly for this drug.

These facts make the Republican Congress's rush to force through a Koch-  and  Mercer-friendly "tax cut for the middle class" even more hypocritical.  That cut relies on, among other things toxic to the interests of workers, eliminating the individual mandate from the Affordable Care Act.  As a result, as many as 16 million more Americans might join the ranks of the un- or under-insured.  That in turn might cause them to share expenses like those outl8ined below with my friend.

Drug	Treats	Retail Cost per dose / capsule
atorvastatin	High cholesterol	$6.00
fenofibrate	High cholesterol	$3.00
zetia	High cholesterol; risk of stroke	$8.00

Let's do the arithmetic.  For a 30-capsule, 30-daqy supply of all three of these drugs, you'd pay ($17.00 * 30), or $510.00.

All the meds in the table are commonly prescribed, and among those my friend currently takes.  The costs shown are from a single web site, and are specific to southeastern PA.

I'm reminded of a statement by former Representative Alan Grayson (D) Florida ...