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photo by steed media service
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who’s got your back?
Americans were bewildered
when President
Bush recently addressed a
crowd at the
InterContinental Hotel in
Cleveland, Ohio, and stated
among other things, “I
mean.people have
access to healthcare in
America. After all, you just
go to an emergency room.”
Ink could be wasted in
an attempt to debate the
preposterousness of such
a statement; however, it’s
just not worth the time.
One thing that must be
considered, though, is the
fact that an emergency
room visit can be up to ten
times higher than a scheduled
doctor’s visit.
Democratic Presidential
hopeful Barack Obama
remarks, “To most
Americans, [politicians]
seem completely disconnected
from the reality that
they’re living
everyday. Especially when we have a President who actually said, ‘I mean…just go
to an emergency room.’ That’s what passes for universal healthcare in the greatest,
wealthiest country on Earth-overcrowded, understaffed emergency rooms that
raise everyone’s premiums and cost taxpayers more money?”
While this seems to be the case for many Americans, help is here.
Thanks to organizations like Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), more
than four million individuals who lacked adequate healthcare, or worse, were uninsured,
were referred to programs that provide prescription medicines at a reduced
cost and in some cases, for free. Medicines are not limited to generic brands, but
include brand names as well and are available through more than 475 public and
private patient assistance programs.
“The PPA is continuing to make tremendous inroads by assisting struggling
Americans who need it most,” says Billy Tauzin, president and CEO of the
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). “We have
worked tirelessly to make sure patients across the country are aware of the help
available through the PPA, and we’ll continue to do so. In the coming months, the
PPA buses will be making stops in hundreds of cities, reaching out to even more
people who are either unaware of the program or need help enrolling.”
Even Publix Super Markets is making bold moves with their free prescription drug
program. They announced that they’re giving away a 14-day supply of seven commonly
used antibiotics with a doctor’s prescription. The antibiotics are amoxicillin,
cephalexin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP), ciprofloxacin (excluding
ciprofloxacin XR), penicillin VK, ampicillin and erythromycin (excluding Ery-Tab).
Also, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, has a program that offers consumers
generic prescription drugs for a flat $4. Their list includes more than fifty different
types of medications.
Affordability and accessibility are key to solving our healthcare crisis. It’s unclear
as to when the last time was that Bush looked over the stats, but the emergency
room happens to be the most expensive unit in a hospital.
