Yay, For-Profit Healthcare Industry!!!

[ChoppinBroccoli]

I just found out that one of my sons may have a hormone deficiency that will prevent him from growing at a normal rate. The growth hormone is known as IGF 1 and is produced in the liver (as opposed to the other type of growth hormone that is produced in the pituitary gland). Normally, the treatment for this type of hormone deficiency is to start introducing more of the IGF 1 into his system. Here's the problem. Only one company in the world (Tercica Pharmaceuticals) manufactures IGF 1, and they stopped making it. Why? Say it with me, now. So few people are IGF 1 deficient that........they weren't making enough MONEY off of it. Profits over people. God forbid that you actually HELP someone.

Want an even bigger laugh? Go to their website (tercica.com) and read all the "we just want to help people" platitudes on the front page. Yeah, we just want to help people...........but not if it means we only make $49 billion in profits instead of $50 billion. Hey, assholes: Jonas Salk GAVE AWAY the polio vaccine.

Oh, but the story just gets better. If the endocrinologist suspects that he really does have a growth hormone deficiency, the only way to know for sure is to go get some test that requires my son to stay in the hospital for something like 5 days. And my wife, who works for the State of Ohio and has United Healthcare through her employment, just found out that........again, say it with me..........United Healthcare won't cover it. So we get to pay for that 5-day hospital stay and all the other testing, etc., that goes along with it out of our own pockets. A 5-day hospital stay shouldn't be THAT expensive, should it? (rolling eyes)

Yay, for-profit healthcare industry!!! Best in the world!!!

[Skittles]

1. CB, I would definitely get a second opinion

[Blecht]

2. That's horrible

I really wish we could wrest control of the health care industry from these fucking parasites.

[Maraya1969]

3. Can this wait until after Jan 1st? Because maybe after the 1st they will have to cover the hospital

stay or you could change to a better plan through the exchange that will cover the stay.

The fact that they are telling you about the hospital stay says to me that they are going to make the medicine available to your son somehow. I mean what is the point of definitively proving that he has this specific deficiency and only to say "we can't help you"

I'm sure you can get a bunch of the willing here to torment that company enough that they would seriously want to start making that medicine again. I know I can pester the Hell out of companies and if it is for the sake of a child I'll do it.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

8. My Friend Actually Suggested.........

...........that it might be worth looking into whether or not Obamacare covers this type of thing. It's a good idea. I may just do that.

We have plenty of time, because the endocrinologist wants to see my son again in February to see if this type of testing/treatment will even be necessary. I will probably wait until this initial rush starts to die down and then try to get on the healthcare.gov website just to see if I might be able to find a better option.

[a2liberal]

4. What's more, it looks like they stopped a competitor from making it

with patent threats. I'm so sorry about your situation. It sucks.

Do you have it on good word that they've gotten out of the business completely? (Their public-facing site claims that it's production issues, but I know that those sorts of statements are sometimes lies...)

[ChoppinBroccoli]

7. They May Start Making It Again

According to our endocrinologist, the main reason IGF 1 is not being made is because athletes have been using it as a "natural" steroid replacement, so it's been banned as a performance-enhancing drugs. It's apparently still legal to use for children who have this specific hormone deficiency, but that condition is very rare and thus not profitable. He did say, however, that they're not making it NOW because of the PED thing, but that there's a chance they may start making it again in the future, so there's still hope there.

Also, it looks like Tercica Pharmaceuticals has either been bought by or has become another company. So we're not completely out of the game yet, but it's just frustrating to hear a Big Pharma company essentially tell you that treating your 6-year-old son isn't profitable enough for them to give a shit.

I always thought the vast majority of people INITIALLY got into the healthcare field because of a desire (or at least with the stated purpose) to HELP people. But just like everything else, once you introduce money and profits into the system, it taints everything.

As I've been saying for years with regard to the health insurance industry, if you give a CEO whose only consideration is profitability power over your healthcare decisions, and it becomes obvious that your death would be more cost effective than your continued survival, guess what's going to happen.

[cantbeserious]

5. Welcome To The World Of Corporate Monopoly And Servitude In Service Of Capitalism

eom

[Laelth]

6. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth