"Expensive". (The Last Word).Expensive characterized char·ac·ter·ize tr.v. character·ized, character·iz·ing, character·iz·es 1. To describe the qualities or peculiarities of: characterized the warden as ruthless. 2. by high price or cost that sometimes exceeds ... a prospective buyer's financial resources. Webster's Third New International Dictionary The FDA's approval of Rebif brings yet another choice for people with MS in an expanding menu of treatment options. But for most of us the word that comes to mind is not options, but expensive. We can argue that the expense is an illusion. The corporations that sell these medications offer people outstanding--and expensive support: telephone hotlines, training in injection technique, publications, educational conferences, savvy counseling about getting the most from insurance or pharmacy pharmacy, art of compounding and dispensing drugs and medication. The term is also applied to an establishment used for such purposes. Until modern times medication was prepared and dispensed by the physician himself. In the 18th cent. assistance programs, and limited financial assistance to the underinsured un·der·in·sure tr.v. un·der·in·sured, un·der·in·sur·ing, un·der·in·sures To insure under a policy that provides inadequate benefits: Be certain that you are not underinsured against catastrophic illness. and overwhelmed o·ver·whelm tr.v. o·ver·whelmed, o·ver·whelm·ing, o·ver·whelms 1. To surge over and submerge; engulf: waves overwhelming the rocky shoreline. 2. a. . Even so, we have an expensive truth: the high cost of these drugs is part of a pattern that terrifies taxpayers, insurance companies, and the business community. We are in a national health-care financing crisis as all the costs of health care rise. Remedies all too often target prescription drugs prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, . Some insurance plans have no drug coverage, some plans are reducing coverage, and some are shifting more costs to patients. The players include private insurance plans and public plans governed by the federal government or the states. To get fair treatment for people with expensive illnesses we need all the influence we can muster TO MUSTER, mar. law. By this term is understood to collect together and exhibit soldiers and their arms; it also signifies to employ recruits and put their names down in a book to enroll them. . I invite everyone to join us in advocating for: * Federal legislation adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. * State legislation to retain coverage and fair co-payments for all effective MS treatments by Medicaid. * State legislation for drug assistance programs. (Programs for low-income seniors exist in 32 states; only nine also cover low-income people of any age with disabilities.) * Pair coverage of MS treatments by private insurance companies and health maintenance organizations. I urge all of you to tell your stories to your doctor and your Society chapter. Find out what your chapter is doing about these issues. Working together, we can modify what expensive means as we continue our fight against this devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. disease. |
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