The Pharmacy Chick

Comment by The Candid Pharmacist

January 9, 2013 @ 11:59 am

We are pharmacists not insurance brokers!

If patients took more responsibility for the financial aspects of their health care instead of expecting it all to be paid for in advance by a third party our health care system would be much more efficient and overall costs would be lowered.

No chance of that happening in our entitlement society.

Comment by Pharmacy Jim

January 9, 2013 @ 9:12 pm

Most patients don’t know and/or don’t care about their insurance until the pookie hits the fan. Then it’s our fault. For those of you who do take responsibility, let me say a hearty THANK YOU!

Comment by Jade

January 14, 2013 @ 3:33 pm

I don’t get the whole bit about entitlement and political correctness.

It is disingenuous to say that all our patients are members of an entitlement society. I am 55 years old. I have been working as a pharmacist for 25 years and in health care for 35 years, starting as a hospital volunteer in high school and then as a geriatric nurse aide in a nursing home.

Both my parents served in the military. They received educational benefits from their service under the G.I. Bill. True.

My father had a pension from his retirement from the city as well as professionally negotiated Teachers Union retirement package.

My father was conscientious about maintaining a healthy lifestyle (no alcohol, tobacco, diabetes, and plenty of exercise) and if anything he tried to minimize use of medical, and dental services.

When he was dying in his 80s, (might I say that there was less than six months between his acute illness and his death) and he paid his own way for health care from money he had contributed monthly to the insurance from his prior to retirement as well as what his wife contributed to negotiated group insurance program as she continued to work.

It was no question that my father had been ‘gypped’ so to speak for the long-term input of money to the healthcare industry for what he ‘got out of it’. And, even, utilization of the VA health system was minimal due mainly to the rapidity of his final illness.

Now, my mother in her mid-80s feels reluctant to use the VA services when she needs in-home assistance, and consistent medical care.

“But, Mom, you cannot afford the outrageous (and arbitrary) costs and pricing of drugs and the warfarin monitoring. Don’t feel about about asking for help from the VA. You made your contribution for 4 years in the Air Force at the peak of your energy, and you have always tried to contribute. Now, it is time for you to ask for help. Your kids have your grandkids’ school costs, and other living expenses, and we cannot help you (like we would want). And, if anyone deserves help, you and Father, have done your best all these years to provide well-educated, self-sufficient, healthy citizens to society.”

I do not get why people carry on and on about ‘entitlements’. Of course, our military, and our retirees, and our elders, and those unable to help themselves are ‘entitled’.

Especially, when those with money arbitrarily drive up healthcare costs forcing companies to maximize profits to the stockholders.

The bottom line. People who are not sick, nor have any previous reason to think like a sick person, do not know, and cannot fathom why ill people are surprised at the hoops and obstacles and complexity in negotiating for services they’ve been contributing all their life and up to the point of being ill, have never needed to use.this post wasn’t about entitlements, but your comment was well written. In my opinion that which you wrote about were all earned benefits from the service they provided.