When Drug Costs Soar Beyond Reach

The New York Times
Author: Unknown
April 15, 2008

Patients are paying thousands of dollars a month in drugs to maintain their health. This article reflects the article by Gina Kolata about the number patients who have "recently been hit with a huge increase in their insurance co-payments for high-priced prescription drugs." It explains that instead of patients just paying a ten to thirty dollar co-payment, the ones that need the more costly drugs are having to pay twenty to thiry three percent of them that cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The insurance companies are making the sicker people pay more for their drugs because they are priced so high so they can keep the premium down for the healtheir ones. The author of this article believes that the health care companies are not the ones to blame. The drug companies, the author says, are the root of this problem. He clearly describes what he/she thinks should be done about this problem while explaining why. He also blames employers, including the Federal Goverment, for this dramatic price of drugs because they been trying to reduce their cost for these drugs which makes it more expensive for the patients. The author used many facts thoughout this article that made me understand and agree with his/her point along with using emotion: "Another patient found that his co-payment for a newly prescribed leukemia drug would exceed $4,000 for a 90-day supply, so he has deferred buying it." Some readers may be able to relate to this patient, and even if they can not, this statement still sets a toll on your thoughts about this topic. The author finally states at the end of the article his solution to the problem, "Congress needs to probe hard to find out how many patients are facing enormous drug bills and how best to protect them from medical and financial disaster."