A Canadian physician writes: “54 year old woman. Diabetic, hypertensive, high cholesterol. On Atorvastatin, Ramipril, Metformin. Presents to me with HbA1C of 8.9 – I adjust Metformin. Next visit, HbA1c is better, closer to 7.8. But BP is 190/100. I adjust the Ramipril. Next visit A1C is 7, BP is 135/80. Patient tells me not to check cholesterol. Because, she finally admits, she can only afford 2 out of 3 medications at a time, and she’s picking and choosing which ones to take depending on how horrified I am at the visit. But the cholesterol drugs are so expensive and her heater broke, so she needs a new heater, and she doesn’t want to know my reaction if she stops her statin.”
Posted with permission from the across the border
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Well, that debunks the myth that single payer health care is all that great. The physician is obviously quite compassionate, but what can he do if the prices for his patient’s prescriptions are beyond her ability to pay? I read a lot about how Trump wants to negotiate drug prices down the way they do in Canada (really?) and other countries. Apparently there are gaps even in the most routine care needs of patients in single payer “paradise.”