My wife receives treatment for a rather uncommon type of cancer. Although we have insurance, the medicine is very expensive and, for that reason, we monitor the hospital bills and explanations of benefits closely.
The medication consists of two cancer fighting injections in a month, both administered on the same day. Each dose costs over six thousand dollars for a total cost well over twelve thousand dollars every month. I can fathom no other explanation for the exorbitant cost of the medication than Big Pharma's greed. On top of that, the stuff is very particular about how it is handled. If not handled properly, the medication sets up like glue in the injection needle and cannot be administered.
Because of the rarity of patients with this disease along with turnover at the Oncology Center in the hospital, the same person never administers the medication. Each month is a learning experience. In April, a nurse assisting the nurse who was administering the medication mishandled one of the syringes. The medication set like concrete. My wife waited as the nurse had to send to the pharmacy for another dosage. Ultimately, my wife did get two injections that day.
When we reviewed the bills, we discovered the hospital billed our insurance for three doses at six thousand dollars per dose! My wife received only two. Rather than hold the nurse accountable, the hospital passed the expense of her mistake on to the insurance company.
Big pharma makes money, the hospital makes money, and the nurse makes money, despite her lack of competence. The insurance passes the cost to the policy holders.
Every conservative-authored plan ostensibly enacting health care reform does nothing to reign in the exorbitant, sometimes fraudulent, overcharging by doctors and hospitals. If we are to control health care costs, we should hold the medical institutions and medical professionals accountable for their performance. The old saying that doctors bury their mistakes should be amended to add that they then bill for the bungling.
