[Regina]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

Who hasn't used the term OHIP???

No need to get your panties in a knot. We all used the term OHIP when we had OHIP cards. Do you see the word OHIP on your card now?

[BeaverFever]

It's not on the card, but it's still called that.

[Regina]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

What's the hell are you trying to say Bart? That if this person had been in the US, the US public program would have paid for her drug therapy???? Because I don't think that's the case.

Because he despises his current government polarity, he's implying that his country will fall into a healthcare poverty if their system is changed into anything that resembles ours by highlighting perceived flaws in our provincially layered healthcare delivery system.
Then Obama will personally operate a drone over his house, hack his computer, tap his phone, take away all his guns..........then level his house with Hellfire missiles fired from the Obama drone.

[BartSimpson]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

What's the hell are you trying to say Bart? That if this person had been in the US, the US public program would have paid for her drug therapy???? Because I don't think that's the case.

I've no idea what Obamacare would do although it's looking like it won't do much. As to private insurers in the USA Federal Law requires them to staff bio ethics committees that do hear appeals from their insured and they frequently end up covering things that are otherwise excluded.

Case in point: ME.

My knee was shot out and the VA proposed amputating my leg above the knee since their assertion was that a replacement was 'impossible'.

I merely mentioned this to my Kaiser Permanente doctor and his reaction was along the lines of 'Oh, HELL no!' and he started a process to get me looked at by an orthopedic surgeon and I thought the process would be weeks or months and instead I saw the surgeon later that same day.

A few phone calls were made, some paperwork was done, and the next day I was in surgery getting a new, state of the art knee.

Kaiser absolutely did not have to do this and the combat injury was absolutely not their responsibility. Yet they did this for me because the alternative was to let the VA amputate my leg.

Kaiser has now replaced my knee three times (including the first time) and all I've had to pay (aside from my premiums) was the usual co-pay of $10 or $15.

As to the 'US public program' there is no such thing. There are numerous county health programs for the indigent and then a myriad of private hospitals also provide free care for qualified individuals in their communities. Worst case scenario is the person's friends would do a fundraiser to buy the medicines - and the usual result of that is that once the pharma company finds out about the fundraiser they find a way to discount the medication for the person.

No, our system is not perfect and people do fall through the cracks. But the alternative is a system that deliberately excludes people from care because they don't meet certain criteria.

IMHO someone who is 75 deserves the same care as someone who isn't. We have a Constitutional Amendment that promises equal protection under the law and I imagine that the lawsuits to enforce this will be forthcoming as Obamacare proceeds.

[saturn_656]

Knowing Bart I'm sure his house is fully fitted out to operate as a SAM site. Fear drones he does not.

[BartSimpson]

Regina Regina:

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

What's the hell are you trying to say Bart? That if this person had been in the US, the US public program would have paid for her drug therapy???? Because I don't think that's the case.

Because he despises his current government polarity, he's implying that his country will fall into a healthcare poverty if their system is changed into anything that resembles ours by highlighting perceived flaws in our provincially layered healthcare delivery system.
Then Obama will personally operate a drone over his house, hack his computer, tap his phone, take away all his guns..........then level his house with Hellfire missiles fired from the Obama drone.

I feel so special getting trolled by a site admin.

You stay classy!

[Regina]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

It's not on the card, but it's still called that.

I know it's not on the card. I would guess that most under the age of 35 would have no idea what an OHIP card is.

[BartSimpson]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

Knowing Bart I'm sure his house is fully fitted out to operate as a SAM site. Fear drones he does not.

[Regina]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Regina Regina:

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

What's the hell are you trying to say Bart? That if this person had been in the US, the US public program would have paid for her drug therapy???? Because I don't think that's the case.

Because he despises his current government polarity, he's implying that his country will fall into a healthcare poverty if their system is changed into anything that resembles ours by highlighting perceived flaws in our provincially layered healthcare delivery system.
Then Obama will personally operate a drone over his house, hack his computer, tap his phone, take away all his guns..........then level his house with Hellfire missiles fired from the Obama drone.

I feel so special getting trolled by a site admin.

You stay classy!

I'm not trolling at all. Just making fun of your bias.
Your fear of our "social" medicine is fairly common with Americans because they don't understand the layers and patch work of multiple provincially run healthcare delivery systems and how it ingrates with private insurance plans. The same fear runs through Canadians who think we are going to a system like yours. Both fears are based on a lack of knowledge. I've worked in both systems and can argue both sides.

[llama66]

Bart,

Coverage for the drug is denied because there is no proof that it actually does work as claimed. Its not only denied in Ontario, its also denied in the UK and several other jurisdictions.

[BeaverFever]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

What's the hell are you trying to say Bart? That if this person had been in the US, the US public program would have paid for her drug therapy???? Because I don't think that's the case.

I've no idea what Obamacare would do although it's looking like it won't do much. As to private insurers in the USA Federal Law requires them to staff bio ethics committees that do hear appeals from their insured and they frequently end up covering things that are otherwise excluded.

Case in point: ME.

My knee was shot out and the VA proposed amputating my leg above the knee since their assertion was that a replacement was 'impossible'.

I merely mentioned this to my Kaiser Permanente doctor and his reaction was along the lines of 'Oh, HELL no!' and he started a process to get me looked at by an orthopedic surgeon and I thought the process would be weeks or months and instead I saw the surgeon later that same day.

A few phone calls were made, some paperwork was done, and the next day I was in surgery getting a new, state of the art knee.

Kaiser absolutely did not have to do this and the combat injury was absolutely not their responsibility. Yet they did this for me because the alternative was to let the VA amputate my leg.

Kaiser has now replaced my knee three times (including the first time) and all I've had to pay (aside from my premiums) was the usual co-pay of $10 or $15.

As to the 'US public program' there is no such thing. There are numerous county health programs for the indigent and then a myriad of private hospitals also provide free care for qualified individuals in their communities. Worst case scenario is the person's friends would do a fundraiser to buy the medicines - and the usual result of that is that once the pharma company finds out about the fundraiser they find a way to discount the medication for the person.

No, our system is not perfect and people do fall through the cracks. But the alternative is a system that deliberately excludes people from care because they don't meet certain criteria.

IMHO someone who is 75 deserves the same care as someone who isn't. We have a Constitutional Amendment that promises equal protection under the law and I imagine that the lawsuits to enforce this will be forthcoming as Obamacare proceeds.

None of what you post here relates to this story. The drug is available in Ontario, it's just that the public insurer (which barely even exists in the US as you mention)won't pay for the bills; patients have to pay for it themselves like in the US system. OHIP went Uncle Sam on her ass. There is an appeals process but it didn't overturn the decision in this individual's case.


It's funny when Americans point to events like this, where the Canadian public system behaves like the US system, as an example of problems with the Canadian system.

[Zipperfish]

And if you want to get further into the issue, you could ask why the drug costs $100,000 a year. Because the pharmaceutical companies have to spend billions on testing to bring the thing to market.

A little more risk-optimization (as opposed to risk aversion) in the medical reserach community would substantially lower the cost of a lot of drugs (while increasing a little the risk of a "thalidomide" scenario).

[Regina]

Billions is high for drug development, millions for sure though. Also included in their cost of bringing their product to market (R&D) is the "marketing" costs, i.e.: advertising and marketing strategies targeting doctors.

[saturn_656]

www.globalnews.ca/news/927721/milton-mo ... treatment/

$1:

Fletcher was told by her doctors the cancer drug Bevacizumab, which goes under the trade name Avastin, could potentially extend her life by a year or even longer. But six months of treatment costs roughly $48,000 and is not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) in cases of brain cancer.

Roche, the pharmaceutical company behind Avastin, has offered 20 per cent of the cost.

If she lived in British Columbia, Saskatchewan or Manitoba the entire cost of the treatments would be covered by provincial health insurance.

Her husband, Scott, is furious with the Ontario government and OHIP’s refusal to cover a drug that could give his wife more time with their family.

“It’s infuriating. You hear about a crazy amount of spending on power plants. Yet drugs aren’t covered? It’s unacceptable,” he said.

Between the discount offered by the drug company and her crowd funding (almost 66K so far still climbing) Kimm seems well on her way to getting the treatment she needs, thanks in large part to the generosity of others.

No thanks to OHIP.

[housewife]

Ok I'm going to go all BTB but OHIP just can't cover everything. There isn't near enough money to cover everything. No system in the world is perfect they all have faults. Ontarios seems to have more faults of late than not


I know this is Canada but really we have to step back and realize that the world is not nice or fair. We have to stop trying to make it fair and just deal with reality. Bad things happen usually to good people... but that is only preception as when bad things happen to nasty people every one says "karma or some such thing"