Comments for VT For Single Payer http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:27:40 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 Comment on Dr. Hsiao Lays the Groundwork for his Designs by John Bloch http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/2010/08/dr-hsiao-lays-the-groundwork-for-his-designs/comment-page-1/#comment-1301 John Bloch Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:27:40 +0000 http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/?p=475#comment-1301 Ethan your recounting of the Health Care Commission meeting of August 5 is very interesting in your very pithy comment that even after all this work by Dr.Hsiao, the legislator may not adopt any health plan. I have but this to say to any and all legislators: Currently we are spending about 5.2 Billion a year for all of our health services in the state, and the state produces about 22 billion a year in goods and services. Each day we are seeing health costs rise by at least 1 million dollars. I leave the math to others, however one can see we are on the edge of bankruptcy, driven there by health care costs. Ethan your recounting of the Health Care Commission meeting of August 5 is very interesting in your very pithy comment that even after all this work by Dr.Hsiao, the legislator may not adopt any health plan. I have but this to say to any and all legislators: Currently we are spending about 5.2 Billion a year for all of our health services in the state, and the state produces about 22 billion a year in goods and services. Each day we are seeing health costs rise by at least 1 million dollars. I leave the math to others, however one can see we are on the edge of bankruptcy, driven there by health care costs.

]]> Comment on Pharmaceutical Sampling by MJD http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/2010/05/pharmaceutical-sampling/comment-page-1/#comment-1201 MJD Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:29:40 +0000 http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/?p=446#comment-1201 A few points. First, Pharmaceutical Samples, aka "starters" are meant to provide Physicians and other prescribers with a means to evaluate a therapy for a specific patient. If that therapy works for that patient, the patient can then be prescribed that therapy, hopefully, with a desirable result. Rx Samples are NOT, meant to be used to indigent care or as patient assistance programs. Just about every Pharma Company has existing programs (often referred to as Patient Assistance Programs) for such patients, at little or no cost to the patient. Rx Samples are a tachtic employed by Pharma to 1) educate Prescribers on the potential benefit (and yes, risk) of a particular Rx therapy for patients, and 2) provide a no=cost means for Prescribers and patients to evaluate that therapy. Sometimes a therapy works, sometimes it doesn't. The comments pertaining single payor heatlhcare are somewhat relevant in a tangental way, but the matter at hand is really VT's policies towards sampling in general. A few points. First, Pharmaceutical Samples, aka “starters” are meant to provide Physicians and other prescribers with a means to evaluate a therapy for a specific patient. If that therapy works for that patient, the patient can then be prescribed that therapy, hopefully, with a desirable result. Rx Samples are NOT, meant to be used to indigent care or as patient assistance programs. Just about every Pharma Company has existing programs (often referred to as Patient Assistance Programs) for such patients, at little or no cost to the patient. Rx Samples are a tachtic employed by Pharma to 1) educate Prescribers on the potential benefit (and yes, risk) of a particular Rx therapy for patients, and 2) provide a no=cost means for Prescribers and patients to evaluate that therapy. Sometimes a therapy works, sometimes it doesn’t.

The comments pertaining single payor heatlhcare are somewhat relevant in a tangental way, but the matter at hand is really VT’s policies towards sampling in general.

]]> Comment on House vs Senate Version of S.88 by conference call services http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/2010/04/house-vs-senate-version-of-s-88/comment-page-1/#comment-1192 conference call services Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:59:26 +0000 http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/?p=436#comment-1192 Nice! It’s a rare find for a nice web site like this. I enjoyed it. Kudos to you. Have a very nice day! Nice! It’s a rare find for a nice web site like this. I enjoyed it. Kudos to you. Have a very nice day!

]]> Comment on Public Hearing on Health Care Announced by Manual Tietjen http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/2009/12/public-hearing-on-health-care-announced/comment-page-1/#comment-1090 Manual Tietjen Wed, 19 May 2010 07:02:38 +0000 http://development.vermontforsinglepayer.com/blog/?p=46#comment-1090 This unique is 1 of the finest post on the blog that I have study till date on this important field. Highly wide-ranging yet to the point without the need for almost any filler. This unique is 1 of the finest post on the blog that I have study till date on this important field. Highly wide-ranging yet to the point without the need for almost any filler.

]]> Comment on Pharmaceutical Sampling by FaRied http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/2010/05/pharmaceutical-sampling/comment-page-1/#comment-1059 FaRied Sun, 09 May 2010 19:37:57 +0000 http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/?p=446#comment-1059 Thanks for your responses, Ellen and Dr. Deb. I hope you are right that the bill is very likely to pass. I guess we'll all find out in the next couple of days. Thanks for your responses, Ellen and Dr. Deb. I hope you are right that the bill is very likely to pass. I guess we’ll all find out in the next couple of days.

]]> Comment on Pharmaceutical Sampling by DrDeb http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/2010/05/pharmaceutical-sampling/comment-page-1/#comment-1058 DrDeb Sun, 09 May 2010 02:28:48 +0000 http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/?p=446#comment-1058 Dear FaReid: Just to be clear- We have been working for reputable studies to be done to ensure legitimate designs that will allow the public and the legislature to make comparison of various health care systems that would cover all Vermonters in an affordable health care system. We have been very public in our support for the Senate language of S88. The bill is very likely to pass and then we can all work together to make sure that the designs are done in an honest and reputable manner. Dear FaReid:

Just to be clear- We have been working for reputable studies to be done to ensure legitimate designs that will allow the public and the legislature to make comparison of various health care systems that would cover all Vermonters in an affordable health care system.

We have been very public in our support for the Senate language of S88. The bill is very likely to pass and then we can all work together to make sure that the designs are done in an honest and reputable manner.

]]> Comment on Pharmaceutical Sampling by Ellen Oxfeld http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/2010/05/pharmaceutical-sampling/comment-page-1/#comment-1057 Ellen Oxfeld Sun, 09 May 2010 01:02:23 +0000 http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/?p=446#comment-1057 Dear FaRied, I just wanted to let you know that Senator Sanders has never endorsed S.88, but has endorsed the idea of a single payer bill for Vermont. He said last week, that if a single payer bill passed in this state, he would work hard to get waivers so we could get a single payer system here. Keep in mind, S.88 is not a single payer bill. However, Vermont for Single Payer has never said it wants S.88 to fail. After all, there are studies contained in the bill which might help provide evidence in favor of single payer. Vermont for Single Payer has published some blogs that are critical of some of the amendments to S.88. But whatever happens to the entire bill, I am pretty sure that the studies will be conducted because there is broad support for them in the House and Senate. Best wishes, Ellen Ellen Dear FaRied,

I just wanted to let you know that Senator Sanders has never endorsed S.88, but has endorsed the idea of a single payer bill for Vermont. He said last week, that if a single payer bill passed in this state, he would work hard to get waivers so we could get a single payer system here.

Keep in mind, S.88 is not a single payer bill. However, Vermont for Single Payer has never said it wants S.88 to fail. After all, there are studies contained in the bill which might help provide evidence in favor of single payer.

Vermont for Single Payer has published some blogs that are critical of some of the amendments to S.88. But whatever happens to the entire bill, I am pretty sure that the studies will be conducted because there is broad support for them in the House and Senate.

Best wishes,
Ellen
Ellen

]]> Comment on Pharmaceutical Sampling by FaRied http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/2010/05/pharmaceutical-sampling/comment-page-1/#comment-1056 FaRied Sat, 08 May 2010 19:57:25 +0000 http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/?p=446#comment-1056 Thanks, Ellen, You can have a single payer system that is not affordable, not universal, not equitable, and (very importantly) not transparent. While S.88 will help us get a single payer system, more importantly it will put forward our values that health care should be recognized as a human right and should be implemented in line with principles of affordability, universality, equitability, and transparency. Since the Federal legislation will require drug sample reporting (which meets the 'transparency' principle) anyways, I don't know why this provision by the House would be such a big deal that it threatens to sink S.88 and cause Dr. Richter to work against S.88 being passed this legislative season. Sen. Sanders has stated that he needs us to pass S.88. It would give him very strong support for Vermont's case to receive a waiver and become the first state in the nation to implement a truly universal, single payer system. We are so close! Thanks, Ellen,

You can have a single payer system that is not affordable, not universal, not equitable, and (very importantly) not transparent. While S.88 will help us get a single payer system, more importantly it will put forward our values that health care should be recognized as a human right and should be implemented in line with principles of affordability, universality, equitability, and transparency.

Since the Federal legislation will require drug sample reporting (which meets the ‘transparency’ principle) anyways, I don’t know why this provision by the House would be such a big deal that it threatens to sink S.88 and cause Dr. Richter to work against S.88 being passed this legislative season.

Sen. Sanders has stated that he needs us to pass S.88. It would give him very strong support for Vermont’s case to receive a waiver and become the first state in the nation to implement a truly universal, single payer system. We are so close!

]]> Comment on Pharmaceutical Sampling by Ellen Oxfeld http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/2010/05/pharmaceutical-sampling/comment-page-1/#comment-1055 Ellen Oxfeld Sat, 08 May 2010 15:20:17 +0000 http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/?p=446#comment-1055 Dear FaRied, Just to clarify, S.88 is not a single payer bill that would make sure we implement a single payer system. If it was, the sample issue would not even be relevant, because physicians would not have patients who couldn't afford their drugs. However, S.88 does create funding for three studies -- and one of those would be a single payer study. There is a lot of commitment from both Senate and House to these studies. Frequently, when the Senate and House have a stalemate over a big bill, they usually find a way to put at least some non-controversial parts of the bill that they all agree to in some other piece of legislation so it doesn't get held up. I am just guessing, but I would be surprised if they don't find a way to allocate money for the studies, because that is not controversial and everyone wants to get it done. They might even find a way to get some of the other things done as well. Again, that is just my guess, but they will look bad if it doesn't happen, and they are politicians so I am sure they will find a way. From our standpoint as supporters of single payer what we all want to see happen is the studies. Best wishes, Ellen Dear FaRied,

Just to clarify, S.88 is not a single payer bill that would make sure we implement a single payer system. If it was, the sample issue would not even be relevant, because physicians would not have patients who couldn’t afford their drugs. However, S.88 does create funding for three studies — and one of those would be a single payer study. There is a lot of commitment from both Senate and House to these studies.

Frequently, when the Senate and House have a stalemate over a big bill, they usually find a way to put at least some non-controversial parts of the bill that they all agree to in some other piece of legislation so it doesn’t get held up.

I am just guessing, but I would be surprised if they don’t find a way to allocate money for the studies, because that is not controversial and everyone wants to get it done. They might even find a way to get some of the other things done as well. Again, that is just my guess, but they will look bad if it doesn’t happen, and they are politicians so I am sure they will find a way.

From our standpoint as supporters of single payer what we all want to see happen is the studies.

Best wishes,
Ellen

]]> Comment on Pharmaceutical Sampling by FaRied http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/2010/05/pharmaceutical-sampling/comment-page-1/#comment-1050 FaRied Fri, 07 May 2010 04:04:22 +0000 http://vermontforsinglepayer.org/blog/?p=446#comment-1050 So, you are willing to help the senate kill S.88, because somehow this free samples disclosure is more important than making sure we start implementing single-payer, universal healthcare system? So, you are willing to help the senate kill S.88, because somehow this free samples disclosure is more important than making sure we start implementing single-payer, universal healthcare system?

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