oH-oh. It's your turn on the griddle, Doc.

In re things like needymeds com, "Unfortunately, these programs are a pain in the butt for physicians and their staff."

Gee, I turn suicidal without my meds but getting them is a problem for you.

I've had doctors refuse to get involved even when I offered to do as much of the paperwork as I was capable and pay a stipend to get a signature. On the other hand, I must admit these same docs were willing to give me a month's worth of samples.

OK, the process could certainly be simpler, but please do not ignore it for those patients who are in a real financial bind.

I do not ignore the programs, but they are a pain in the butt. Unlike lawyers who would bill for the time involved (do not ever call a lawyer, the meter is ticking), doctors currently only charge for visits. That is why patients like telephone conversations, email and forms. We fill out forms at OUR COST. In the indigent clinic that we run, we have a pharmacist who fills out all the forms, which I then sign each week. We make the effort, but it is difficult and requires a major time committment from someone. What I am arguing for is a standard simple form to increase access to these important programs.

OK, I got over-heated. And I agree that the time and effort involved is ridiculous. Especially since, while there two sites I know on the net, both basically point to individual companies and tell you to contact them. One charges a $5 fee for this...

I suppose if the companies got together to establish a single clearing point, it would be seen as collusion and/or monopoly. And having the patient get the forms, fill out what they can (come on, they do know their names; but then, I admit some cannot read/write) and carry it to their doctor...

Come to that, why should it be any more difficult than the normal prescription process? If a doctor can call in a prescription to a drugstore, why not to a service for the indigent?

Of course, that last would have its own bureaucratic pitfalls. One program I tried to get into needed proof that my income wss less than a specified, with pay stubs and bank accounts. I had no income; how do you prove that?

Perhaps we could set up a central clearing system. You would only have to qualify one time for these programs, then the physician would write a presciption to send to the clearing house. The multiple complex forms are the problem (for both patients and physicians).

you know, db, i am starting to wonder: just what (really) *is the population who can't afford their drugs? for whom, and how many, is it "drugs or food"?

exclude your indigent clinic: we know they're in trouble, and medicaid (in my state) picks up their prescriptions.

but, to put it nastily, are there not a fair number out there who would rather pay their money for the (lots of) gas for their winnebagos, than for their drugs? after all, they can probably bully a subsidy from the government for the drugs that they can never get for recreation. (see kinsley)

among the problems with the "compromise" recently gone down in the senate, the expenditure considered "catastrophic" was too *low for many of us. a *lot of us can afford $4000 for something as important as drugs, even if we put aside some luxury to pay it.

and for others of us, $4000 *is catastrophic. you've just got to draw the borders much differently than they're contemplating.

if i have to hear one more time about dick gephardt's mother not being able to afford her timoptic without his help, i will have to ask him why, in heaven's name, someone making his money, in his position, should *not pay for his own mother's drugs?

First, the indigent clinic we run is for the working poor and those who do not qualify for medicaid.

The biggest group who cannot buy their medicines have Medicare (which currently does not pay for medicines). They live on fixed incomes and really are choosing between food and medications. I believe this is truly a major problem - that is what my personal experience with patients tells me.