Healthcare costs continue to be a concern, despite efforts underway to reduce them through healthcare reform initiatives. One area, in particular, is worrying patients and physicians alike: specialty drugs or biologics. An article in Workforce Management reports that specialty drugs “make up about 17% of employers’ total drug costs, even though just 1% of the workforce takes them.” Reuters reports that “approximately 57 million Americans rely on specialty drugs,” with the average prescription costing $1,766.00 in 2011. “Specialty drugs are high-cost drugs used to treat complex or rare conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis C and hemophilia. The […]
Health Insurance at 26 : What Are My Options?
The passing of the Affordable Care Act has implemented a number of changes to American healthcare. Many of these changes directly affect families, the elderly, and people with pre-existing conditions, leaving many of 20-somethings wondering “What does this mean for me?” One major impact of the new law is that young adults can stay on their parents’ healthcare plan until age 26. Before the passing of the Affordable Care Act children could only stay on their parents’ insurance up to age 19, with exceptions for full-time students. Since the law has been enacted, over 3 million young adults have gained […]
Why do kids have unfilled prescriptions?
You take your sick child to the doctor. An exam is done, a diagnosis made, a prescription written, and instructions given to the parent. The next step: a trip to the pharmacy to have the prescription filled so the child can start the medicine as soon as possible. Right? Why, then, did a recent study reveal that up to 25% of children’s prescriptions remain unfilled? Investigators are currently examining whether electronic prescriptions are filled more often (because the patient does not have the opportunity to lose or misplace it), or if, in fact a written prescription serves as a tangible […]
To Vaccinate, Or Not?
The development of vaccines to protect against potentially killer diseases likes polio, measles and pertussis (whooping cough) has been widely hailed as one of the crowning achievements of medicine in the 20th century. As the table below shows, the incidence of these, and other diseases, decreased by between 95-100% once vaccines were given. Many of us can likely remember hearing stories of family members who died from these diseases, or who were otherwise seriously and permanently affected from having suffered from these diseases. But are we taking this standard of care for granted? According to a recent study reported by […]
Your Good Health: Medication Adherence
Last month, many of us made New Year’s resolutions and we were being deluged with advice about how to eat sensibly, how to exercise our way to fitness, and how to develop and keep healthy habits. But let’s get down to basics: how well do you follow your doctor’s advice? Doctors will be increasingly held accountable for your overall health and wellness, and your progress towards sustained good health, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA aims to increase the quality of care given and reduce the costs, thereby ensuring that the right care is given in the right […]