But nobody else's will either.Heart disease, Celiac disease, Cancer, Alzheimer's and HIV/AIDS are diseases.
Obesity, drug addiction, alcoholism and erectile dysfunction are not.
How do pharmaceutical companies increase profits when their drugs have outlived their exclusivity?
By getting many ailments of choice or circumstance categorized a diseases.
Since these life style choices can now be categorized as diseases, the Health Maintenance Organizations and Preferred Provider Organizations are often obligated to cover the cost for treatment.
Add to the PPO's and HMO's their inherent bureaucracies - and we get to little coverage for too large a cost.
What ever happened to the days of plain old-fashioned insurance?
Or the even older idea of personal responsibility?
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
Obesity can be caused by a disease such as Thyroid issues, or it can be due to a genetic problem. Far too often it's the "eat too much" disease, but sometimes it isn't. I think that folks with documented medical conditions that are also obese, should be allowed treatment under the health care plan. Otherwise, no.
ReplyDeleteDrug addiction is a tough one. Many times, people don't recover. I feel like the government causes the drug problem, let them fix it. Private insurance shouldn't have to foot the whole bill.
Erectile dysfunction is actually a symptom of a bigger problem - usually heart disease. Studies have shown that ED comes about 2 years before a heart attack. Having trouble getting or keeping it up? Go get your heart checked.
I believe in the little blue pill for people who have had prostate cancer or something else that prevents them from getting an erection. Our insurance covers it, and I'm ok with that. It really isn't abused.
But to answer this question: "How do pharmaceutical companies increase profits when their drugs have outlived their exclusivity?"
The simple answer is they make new drugs. Add this, change that, and you have a new drug, new patent, new brand name, new $$.
That Obesety is CONSIDERED a disease in itself is my issue.
ReplyDeleteNot that some Obesety is caused by a disease.
Or even that Obesety can bring about other diseases.
Oh, I know that they make minor updates to the products for bigger profits.
But why do we always seem to have some NEW ailment that needs to be treated?