Sacrifice, my butt.

KevenMD blogging about patient sacrifice required to reign in costs in abstract terms...

What if the pricey blue pill is actually better than the cheaper red one? What if it’s better but just a little bit? What happens when a yellow pill comes along, costing twice as much as the blue? What happens if there’s a new procedure that cures the ailment, but at an even bigger cost?

You healthy folks have the luxury of discussing this abstractly, but let's cut to the chase. Will I or won't I have to give up my no-side-effects Humira ($1600/month) and end up on Prednisone* ($16/month) instead? I've got a great GI that has kept me off that mess so far. What if in the long run prednisone and ostomies for prove to be cheaper than Humira for All? And if I make this sacrifice, what for? So someone else can get $30 off their next well baby visit?

Just sayin'

Nasty steroid side effects: high blood pressure, headache and muscle weakness. Prednisone also can cause puffiness of the face (moon face), growth of facial hair, thinning and easy bruising of the skin, impaired wound healing, glaucoma, cataracts, ulcers in the stomach and duodenum, worsening of diabetes, irregular menses, rounding of the upper back ("buffalo hump"), obesity, retardation of growth in children, convulsions, and psychiatric disturbances. The psychiatric disturbances include depression, euphoria, insomnia, mood swings, personality changes, and even psychotic behavior.