The doctor is in. Pills are more prevalent than ever. There’s a lot you need to know about ‘em. That’s where Dr. Pill steps in.
The doctor is in. Pills are more prevalent than ever. There’s a lot you need to know about ‘em. That’s where Dr. Pill steps in.
January 30th, 2010 at 1:07 am
Really good graphics and content. Thanks for keeping the public informed.
February 18th, 2010 at 12:46 am
Here are some of the comments from our latest episode of “Dr.Pill.”
I really love my pharms where I shop here in Visalia, anytime I need help or have a health question, they are willing to share their knowledge and expertise. Sometimes helps when I don’t want to go to the doctor for every little thing that bothers me! Also, they are never embarrassed of any topic and so I’m not feeling embarrassed when I’m speaking to them about a private health issue, big impression! Teresa
Which means it’s worth the money saved to visit your local pharm rather than go thru mail order….especially if you encounter side effects from a drug. The key is to find a pharm who cares about you as a person and doesn’t treat you like a number. Teresa
I’m really glad to hear that you have that relationship with your pharmacist. The insurance companies are trying to dictate who you get your meds from and alot of the time it is mail order. We need to have choices. Stacy
February 22nd, 2010 at 1:18 am
Remember, just because the medication is in a pill, capsule, or syrup, does not mean that it is not dangerous. Yes, you may have been on the medications for a while, but it is always better to have a good relationship with your pharmacist. A mail order or specialty mail order pharmacy cannot see you, nor do they know your needs at home. Take the time to talk with your pharmacist, Know your medicines, Know your Pharmacist.
February 24th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Recently, a friend of mine had on his facebook a link to a video showing Michele Bachmann, 6th Congressional District Minnesota, talking about the problems with Japan’s healthcare system. I want to make it perfectly clear, I am not advocating her position one way or the other. But the discussions that followed on his comments section of facebook were great! The link to this video is at http://www.japanprobe.com/2010/02/04/american-politician-healthcare-in-japan-sucks/ After viewing, please give me your feedback. Here is an example of some of the discussions on the facbook comments: Very interesting statment from Michele Bachmann. I don’t know if what she says is true in Japan. I know that you have a positive experience with the system, but you and your family are also young and healthy. Healthcare costs are afordable for the the healthy even in the US, but when they are truly ill, thats when the healthcare costs and “lists” start to take place whether under our current US system or Japan’s. I have spoken to my friend in Canada, who used to love the Canadian system, until his brother came down with cancer. That’s when everything that you hear about starts to happen and unravel. Comment Made by Jeff Shinoda
February 26th, 2010 at 10:08 am
We dropped our provider at work due to a 39%…yeah, almost double…premium hike. So now we have a provider I’ve never heard of before that is only a 20% jump from before, only now I get about half the coverage. I’ll take Tripp Palin’s socialized healthcare plan, thank you very much!
February 26th, 2010 at 10:08 am
My coverage went up and premiums went down and i doubt any of that had to do with our present government. Obama still rocks!
February 26th, 2010 at 10:14 am
It is always easy to blame the last administration for this or that. When we look at the healthcare in America, It is broken, or soon to be bankrupt do to our aging population etc. Please don’t think I am bashing on Japan’s healthcare. I think they have a great attitude, and quite frankly that is the altruistic… See More way we all aspire to practice healthcare. The real problem is the costs associated with the very sick, the newer therapies, etc. The biggest problem is that most people want “free” healthcare for everyone, but no one wants to get stuck with the “bill” not even the Federal Govt. No one wants a tax increase, and as a provider of healthcare I cannot afford anymore cutbacks in payment. Most healthcare providers are barely hanging on, many have filed bankruptcy…yet the fat cat insurance companies continue to raise premiums to patients, but continue to cut what they will pay us to provide quality services to our patients.
February 26th, 2010 at 10:18 am
That’s a relevant point and although I think it’s hard to talk about the Katrina disaster without mentioning a hurricane, I agree…time to move forward. Obama is in a tough spot, I’m not sure any president has had it any tougher. The Fox news people think he’s (at best) a socialist who is anti-business, and fact checking people are starting to think he’s a corporate sellout trying to appease a delusional/mislead conservative base. I try to stay up on as many sides of the story as possible, and I maintain that it’s true, conservatives are being mislead as they have been so many times in history. Remember, they fought to keep slavery, continue discrimination, prevent women from voting, and prevent interracial marriage, all in the name of the Bible (but really, money). This was of course, very, very wrong, but at the time, conservatives stood together, bound by the will of the church. So, I’d like to ask the question, would Jesus support universal healthcare? The Jesus Christ I know, the essence of love, compassion, forgiveness and healing, would have no question in supporting people over money, even if the fed was running the show. You can argue that “socialized” healthcare would end up hurting more people, but it’s simply not true when compared to the best programs from other countries. I believe America can be at least as good as Singapore! Social justice, and a responsibility to less fortunate always comes with a price, so if it’s fiscal responsibility combined with compassion that we wish to achieve, how about not engaging in useless wars as a start? So again in all seriousness and sincerity, if Jesus Christ was ready to make the call what would he do?
February 26th, 2010 at 10:20 am
That’s the Singapore model! Yes, I agree. And I also think if we simply made the loser in a lawsuit responsible for everyone’s fees, there would be a heck of a lot less frivolous litigation.
February 26th, 2010 at 10:22 am
She should have the treatment, but the expense is ridiculous. Making profit in a situation like this is, in my opinion, ethically wrong. The industries involved with getting healthcare costs to this point need to collectively rethink their profit strategy, but they won’t (or can’t) because the bottom line speaks loudest, and many dependencies have been created to support a toxic infrastructure. Having a govt run agency as an option would restructure the competitive market, and private/govt healthcare could work in tandem, such as the case in Singapore.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Thats the funny part, under our current system their is no profit involved in this patient as well as many of my other existing patients. The costs I have given, is my actual cost that I have to front to give her treatment. Therefore as the healthcare provider, I am also acting as the bank for her, because I will pay this out, then bill Medicare. I will have to wait for Medicare to pay me back, meanwhile I carry the cost of the $40,000 dollars, and must take out loans to pay this, as well as pay rent, and pay my nurses, Lab Tech, and clerical staff. At the same time, I am fronting other patients the same way. Currently, do to our economic climate, the banks will only loan me $400,000 dollars for a “business” loan. The drug debts that I carry, per month are nearly the total amount that I am currently allowed to borrow. I am not unique to this situation. This is why more healthcare providers are currently filing bankruptcy and closing their doors. This is how Medicare runs, which is a government run system. It is currently going bankrupt, as well as our government run state Medi-Cal. These two systems which are government run, dictate how much they will reimburse for the medication, which often is cost, or less than cost thereby putting a further strain on the provider (hence they file bankruptcy). The private insurance use Medicare as a “barometer” and follow suit in their payment structure.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Which then brings me to the cultural difference between Japan and the US. Casey, you will understand especially with all the budo training, but Japanese believe in the quality of life, not the quantity of life. Meaning it is not how long of a life you live, but how well you live your life. Hence, as we become old and frail and ultimately die,the acceptance of the death is part of the culture, thereby if this were a 91 year old in Japan, they would not want any treatment, and would rather live what life is left to the fullest. Hence the quality of life is more important than the quantity of life.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:27 am
Real quick: What would that same treatment cost in Singapore, I wonder? Medicare needs reform, no question. The Congressional Budget Office is providing the best numbers for the new plan, and it’s a realistic goal to have it paid for, as Obama has presented. No guarantees, because they just don’t exist, but it’s equally possible that the plan will do better or worse than projected. Standing around doing nothing is a guarantee things will get worse. We need to look at all the successful systems in place elsewhere in the civilized world, and have confidence that we can do just as well. I reject the notion that America can’t stand the moral high-ground based on obsolete business practices that do us no good at all.
Secondly, believe it or not, my Grandmother was treated for cancer, right around the age of 90! She did have complications, but they cleared up, and she lived for another six years. She loved watching sports and could talk up a storm on baseball/basketball until the day she died. She was also the drummer in the FIRST all girl swing band, back in the 30′s-40′s
February 26th, 2010 at 11:30 am
So, of course, I would advocate the same treatment again, without question. Your ethical question Jeff is reminiscent of Sarah Palin’s “death panels”, and please correct me if I’m wrong, but as I understand it, her version states that, in the future, if govt controls your healthcare, you may be deemed unworthy of treatment based on your value to society. Of course, this is fear-based science fiction no better than any other dystopian sci-fi fantasy, and a real slap in the face to those facing the REAL death panels (rejected for pre-existing conditions or refusal to treat for any reason, including lack of ins).
Anyway, my larger point is, no one should ever go broke because they get sick. Ever. Period. It’s wrong.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:31 am
I agree with you whole heartedly, no-one should go broke because they get sick. As far as Sarah Palin’s “death Panels” I do believe that is her version. Where she got that I have no idea, and it does not hold any validity. And yes this is a fear based science fiction. As for your Grandmother, that is so cool about her history with the swing band. As far as her being 90 with cancer, her type of cancer may have been worth the treatment based on the outcomes. Remember the word cancer is a generic word. There are various types, cell types, and specific organs involved. This patient that is 91 her type of cancer, and the treatment outcomes do not offer her any cure or quantity of life. She will get the treatment and it will not improve her survival based on all the current literature and studies.
Michael, thank you for all the stimulating posts
February 26th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Like said at the beginning I initially shared this with the physicians here to guide discussion and show how silly the health care reform debate can get in the States – how politicians spread disinformation, etc. Two of the guys had lived there about a year, one as a high school student and the other more recently (he practiced at John Hopkins and moved back to Japan a few years ago). Thus they’ve experienced American culture firsthand but are still learning what makes us tick, so to speak.
As we were talking over the problems there one of them asked me “What is good about America”. He was asking in the context of health care, reforming it, etc. So a big thanks to you guys for giving me an excellent example of what I love about us. We won’t have time to read through this whole thing but I’m going to print it out and show them how, while many will just repeat talking points and remain ignorantly partisan, more and more of us will take the time to research and debate, learn and share facts and experiences, and work together to find solutions. And we’ll do this with total strangers, at a party or on a fb page. Very American, I love it! This is what an informed citizenry, one responsible of democracy, looks like in my opinion.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Jeff thanks for sharing the patient example (new stuff I’ve not read up on must read more about businesses going under thanks) and for sharing the link, will take a look and post myself or by all means feel free to share any of this. And Michael lots of good stuff, being the lay student of religious traditions that I am I like how you tied the moral argument in with religion back there.
When discussing future problems for Japanese health care with its aging population and all I asked one of the guys what the solution is, to which he says “Those with money will have to pay more”. While class difference here aren’t nearly as pronounced as there, I think it fair to say he’s upper middle class, or rich. He drives a BMW, has a nice house, etc. So I ask if he’s okay with that, paying more so others have the same health care he’s got, to which he answers “well duh yeah you idiot” (I’m paraphrasing, but a definite yes). No doubt the demographics between US and Japan are different, immigration problems and such. But scores here receive some form of social welfare too so there are similarities. Anyhow this guy is Buddhist and of course compassion is as much a precept of Buddhism as it is of Christianity, but based on what gets said you’d never know what religion he practices (I’ve a big interesting in comparative religion so I ask). It’s just interesting to me how, especially with our politicians, those who play the religion card the most seem to completely miss the fact that this guy whose name their claiming was a champion of the unclean, the sick, the poor, i.e. those without health care. Anyhow that’s an aside, just something that stands out to me, maybe a politics and religon geek expat perspective or something?
February 26th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Oh so many things to say….. I just don’t think America is the same machine as Japan. America was built on freedom from government reign along with other freedoms. It seems like we are out of control on both sides of capitalism and social reform. What happened to the middle road? I don’t agree with socialized health care but I certainly believe we need reform. I want people to be well cared for. But here in America we have the highest obesity rates and diabetes rates per capita. Worse yet, having been in healthcare for over 6 years on the preventative side and now clinical I agree with Dr. Jeff more and more. The cost of the uninsured is costing hospitals, insurances, and businesses who provide health care so much money. I want people to have coverage, but the current plan fines businesses for not offering the govt. option and worse fines doctors for patients if the are multiple admits. Well the problem with that is, in critical care, most patients are re-admits for CVD, renal disease, and poorly managed diabetes. A lot of times these patients don’t have to worry about who is paying for it because the govt. and hospital picks up the tab, then the govt. again. They lack motivation to try and depend entirely on the govt. for their care. I have a problem with that when they are ultimately responsible for their health. Unlike the Japanese, who have a socialized view point and not only take pride in their health, they care for their brother; we as a society are self motivated and protect our own heritage (I don’t like this, but that is the way it is). What is even more frustrating is that this current bill is so intoxicated with fees, kickbacks, and more control to special interest groups that it doesn’t care about the community at large anymore but it does care about the interest of those in Washington. That has been our failing this entire time, across party lines. I am tired of hearing about parties, I just want the best for patients but protecting those in healthcare service. Govt. control is not the answer. Govt. support and accountability is, but defining pay scales and defining who does and does not get priority coverage is not. Nor is defining what is covered. That is out of control politics. I have read a lot of the bill that was issued last year and it is filled with this language. It just grieves my heart. I can’t even think about how much debt we are going to incur if this goes through. This cost will cripple America to the point where we will no longer have a international voice. We will owe to many countries to much money to argue if they want to take us over. This goes much further than health care for everyone. We need to be careful with our actions.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Wow this is powerful insight from the inside. That’s what the system has done to the masses. Employer required health care eliminates the reality of coverage. People have no clue how much anything costs because it’s taken from their check before they see it and when the insurance is used it usually shows up as paid statement. Most often patients are insulated from the insurance and medical providers money dance. So there’s no real sense of costs for a majority of patients. People need affordable health care but there has to be a better way. A way to stop the “medical madness” of ridiculous insurance pay hikes and enormous economic risk by providers. It becomes their war; the patient is a pawn and doesn’t even know it. That needs to get fixed.
February 26th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
This has all been interesting to read. American medicine is so different than Canadian medicine. I am an Oncology nurse, I know that there are cancer drugs available here that are not available in Canada. My thoughts would be 1) because of the cost but 2) because these drugs in studies show only 1-2 months progression free survival data and cost thousands of dollars more than the standard care. We do this because this is what the public demands and buying time so that a person can live long enough to see a granchild born or their son graduate does seem the right thing to do. However the cost incurred is depriving many other americans from basic medical care. I recently read that depending on what state you live in the last 6 months of you life may medically cost 10,000-35,000. It all seems to depend on how many doctors, specialists and available ICU beds are available in the area you live.