United States – Health Care Woes

Padmini Arhant

I share this communication from a distressed mother apparently battling with her son’s life and death situation. The details elaborate the plight not only experienced by her family but also endured by hundreds of families in similar scenario.

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Padmini —

My son, Wesley, received a life-saving liver transplant at the age of two. Since then, Wesley relies on chemotherapy and immunosuppressive medications every 12 hours to prevent his body from fighting off his transplanted liver. One hot day, Wesley’s medication was delivered via mail-order pharmacy without an ice-pack in 102-degree weather – against the manufacturer’s guidelines. The medication had lost potency, and it sent Wesley into liver rejection. My son almost died.

After that day, I vowed to never again risk his life with mail order pharmacy. But I soon learned that I didn’t have a choice. The only way to receive insurance coverage on my son’s medication is by using a  mail-order pharmacy.

More and more families like mine are being forced by insurance companies to get their prescriptions through the mail. But mail-order pharmacies aren’t regulated by the FDA, and therefore are not required to follow FDA guidelines for proper storage and shipping.

Since launching my petition, I’ve heard hundreds of stories of late deliveries and destroyed medication. Patients are at the mercy of mail-order pharmacies for sensitive, life-saving medications, and these pharmacies aren’t doing their jobs. 

Mail-order pharmacies are also causing huge financial burdens to families like mine. While the cost of prescription medication may be lower, the effect of a compromised drug can lead to an increased cost to the health plan itself. My son’s liver rejection was thousands of dollars. If his liver would have fully failed, the cost of his liver transplant would have cost over a million dollars – or his life

Only allowing mail-order pharmacy for coverage is unethical and irresponsible. Families like mine have suffered because of this lack of choice.

Your support will save lives. 

Thank you for taking action,

Loretta Boesing

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My response.

Dear Loretta Boesing,

First and foremost, I empathize with your son’s health condition and the strenuous process you have to deal with as his mother and caretaker in the family. 

Health insurance subscription is expected to be a life saver and not pose unnecessary preventable issues such as in your son’s case and several other families in the same boat. 

United States just celebrated fourth of July commemorating independence in the past week. 

What is independence?

As one would understand, independence is freedom which in turn involves choices and options rather than impositions on matter especially something critical as health, education and myriad biological as well as social categories.

I reiterate any business or industry survival and sustainability is dependent on delivering proper care and quality service to customer satisfaction.

Health care being vital, the insurance companies and pharmaceutical industry are obligatory to meet such requirements in ensuring safe standards in terms of storage and appropriate packaging preserving drugs and medications potency reaching patients anywhere. 

Health insurance industry on their part providing options to consumers like your family and others to purchase life saving medicines from a pharmacy near you rather than mandatory mail-in-pharmacy would define health insurance companies commitment to protecting lives beyond profitability. 

Importantly, markets determine price in a true market company buoyant with healthy competition. Likewise, consumers represented markets need to drive policy facilitating alternatives for buyers to pick the best available sources conforming to regulated or unregulated FDA guidelines. 

Though FDA regulation on mail-in-pharmacy appears to be the need of the hour considering the lapses you have faced with mail-in-pharmacy. The insurance companies are also responsible to enforce the norm on their recommended mail-in-pharmacy. 

Consumers ultimately possess the power to bring about positive changes in any industry and system. 

In this regard, dealing with health insurance and health care industry in general might be a struggle for consumers due to monopoly that has not attracted lawmakers attention on anti-trust environment currently only targeted against technology giants in the upcoming United States Congressional hearing. 

Health Care reform – Affordable Care Act (ACA) initially launched as ObamaCare and known like so omission on such issues exacerbate patient’s ordeal and arguably subject to legal challenges until today.

Health insurance and Health Care industry including Big Pharma encompassing all facets of health related woes addressing minor to major problems of health care subscribers offering healthy choices is imperative for mutual benefits and success.

Consumers are also at liberty to approach insurance companies catering diverse plans with choices other than mail-in-pharmacy.

The consumer preferences to suit affordability and convenience would create competitiveness and meaningful effects on all things concerning humanity. 

I urge the health care industry and lawmakers to prioritize people’s lives and their well being transcending barriers confronting healthy existence in society. 

I extend my support to you and several others petition on this worthy cause aimed at saving and healing patients from life threatening illnesses nationwide.

Thank you.

Warm Regards.

Padmini Arhant 

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