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Moral Code?


Jeff Matthews

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If you can afford a quarter mil you don't need the code?

 

“What we don’t want to see is that cost becomes a factor in people getting the best kind of care that’s available,”

 

Now that's hilarious.  I guess in his mind that hasn't happened before or even during his lifetime.

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FDA Approves Bristol-Myers’s Yervoy, Opdivo for Treatment of Melanoma Combination will cost more than $250,000 per patient in first year of treatment

 

This treatment is obviously aimed at those with Big Bucks or those with really good insurance.  Most insurance I've seen lately has a specific clause capping the treatment for cancer to $1 million lifetime.

Edited by wvu80
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FDA Approves Bristol-Myers’s Yervoy, Opdivo for Treatment of Melanoma Combination will cost more than $250,000 per patient in first year of treatment

 

This treatment is obviously aimed at those with Big Bucks or those with really good insurance.  Most insurance I've seen lately has a specific clause capping the treatment for cancer to $1 million lifetime.

 

 

I am not sure if there is any regulatory/legal connection between FDA approval and minimum insurance requirements.  Anybody have any idea?

 

As to the lifetime limit, I imagine you could reach it a lot more quickly with just this new medicine, alone.  What a dilemma.

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What we are avoiding though is the issue of a moral code versus the profit motive.  A better example would be a drug that could cure any cancer, or rather a better hypothetical example.  You could have kept this in the minimum wage thread....after all one question might be should minimum wage workers be able to have affordable access to such a drug?  Such a question ultimately affects us all.

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Nobody read The Billion Dollar Molecule by Werth? Look up Vertex Pharmaceuticals. They have two drugs, one for cystic fibrosis, I believe it runs 350,000 a year.

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If this drug is legit and does indeed work then the more popular it gets, hopefully the more affordable it gets. Lots of drugs start at extremely high price points but come down after a little time on the market. The best part is that (again if legit) this may pave the way for more research and a possible cure or containment for future use.

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Extreme capitalism is as bad as extreme communism, because neither system has any morals or heart.  Capitalism is all about profits, by any means necessary.  This is great for the capitalist himself or herself, but no so much for the workers that toil to generate his profits.

 

Communism starts with high ideals, but once the commune or the community becomes larger than about 20 to 50 members, someone usually decides that he's the leader that everyone needs, and then it turns into a medieval-style situation, with the "lord" or "great leader" being in charge, and his lackeys reacting to being oppressed by the lord by oppressing the unfortunates below them.

 

Both situations often claim to be democratic, but aren't really.  Producing maximum profits means tight control of the workers is necessary, but it's good to have the illusion of democracy, because it keeps the workers from revolting.

 

That's capitalism.  Communism (I'm describing "small-c" communism, the generic type, but when the "c-word" starts the sentence it's capitalized, so I wanted to make that clear) is not democratic, and I don't think it fools anyone in that regard, even with its show elections that have no real effects on things.  However, if it's combined with some kind of market economy that lets the citizens earn some money and feel that things have improved, the limited freedoms may be enough for people who used to suffer food shortages.

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It can be discussed still.

Where's the morality on profiteering on other peoples sickness.

Healthcare should be a human right- not a privilege to the wealthy.

I'm an atheist.... But for those of you who are some sort of abrahamic religion- Matthew 15:30

I see your point and that's a tough one. Though it doesn't seem right, we all profit from other's needs or wants. Another example would be food.

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