Bad medicine: People skimping on treatment
| Friday, Jun 19 2009 06:35 PM
Last Updated Friday, Jun 19 2009 06:35 PM
Loading Stories
Advertisement
Bakersfield waitress Rebecca Maitz knows what it's like to choose between buying groceries and paying for a doctor's prescription.
When she contracted a serious double infection last year, her doctor prescribed a super antibiotic. But when the clerk at her pharmacy rang up a bill for $365, Maitz's face fell.
"You can't afford this, can you?" the clerk asked.
Things are better now for the 28-year-old, who recently joined a limited-enrollment health care plan at Kern Medical Center.
But for many area residents and increasing numbers of Americans across the country, the faltering economy has forced them to delay health care decisions, skimp on prescriptions, or rely on over-the-counter drugs instead of going to see a doctor.
According to a Kaiser Family Foundation health tracking survey released this spring, a majority of Americans say they or someone in their household have put off health care for cost reasons over the course of the last year.
Experts say cutting corners can endanger your health and jack up long-term health costs.
'IT'S EVERY DAY'
Overall, nearly six in 10 respondents said they have taken steps to delay or skip care this past year.
The most common step -- taken by 42 percent -- is relying on home remedies or store-bought medicines rather than consulting a doctor.
Skipping dental care was also quite common, with more than one-third of survey respondents acknowledging they have resorted to that desperation tactic.
Other steps people take include not filling a prescription, skipping medical tests and cutting pills in half.
"This problem has been going on for a long time," said KMC Chief Executive Paul Hensler. "The difference is more people are finding themselves in that position.
"There are probably millions of American seniors who have to decide between food and medical care," he added.
Connie Roelofs, a pharmacy technician at Rufener's Drug, said it's becoming more common to encounter customers who find they can't afford their prescriptions.
"It's every day, and it isn't going to get better," Roelofs said.
Often the staff at Rufener's will call the customer's physician to ask if there's an option available -- a generic drug or another formulation.
But Roelofs worries that the health of some patients could suffer when they try to cut corners.
"You give some people a 30-day supply and it lasts 50 days," she said.
MED SALES DOWN
Gregg Gunner, the pharmacist and owner of Gregg's Pharmacy on 34th Street, said it can be dangerous when patients don't follow the regimen set by their doctor.
His business is still growing, Gunner said, but nationally, prescription sales are down and that's connected to price and the ability of patients to pay.
For millions of patients on Medicare Plan D, for example, problems can occur when they reach what is known as the "donut hole," Gunner said.
In a given year, the plan will cover most of the cost of prescriptions up to $2,250. But 100 percent of the next $2,850 must be borne by the patient -- and that's when some struggle to cover the cost.
But it's not just seniors who are are having a hard time.
Overall, one in four Americans say someone in their household has had trouble paying medical bills over the course of the past year, with uninsured Americans under age 65 reporting the most problems, the Kaiser study found.
Unfortunately, cutting corners may not cut costs in the long term.
SHORT-TERM CUTS, LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES
The problem with delaying medical treatments or skipping pills, said KMC's Hensler, is a controlled condition such as high blood pressure can quickly devolve into a chronic problem requiring even more expensive medical treatment or even hospitalization.
It's robbing Peter to pay Paul, Hensler said. Saving $50 today may cost $5,000 tomorrow.
Cutting pills in half or skipping doses, without checking with your doctor first, may make a medication ineffective, he said.
"Even worse, it could lead to more emergency room visits or endanger someone's health permanently," he said.
Betty Jo Frazier, 77, a longtime customer at Gregg's Pharmacy, takes more than a dozen prescription medications.
The cost doesn't leave much money left over at the end of the month, but Frazier considers herself fortunate compared to many fellow seniors and young working families.
With her American Indian heritage, Frazier has access to federal assistance to help pay the cost of prescriptions not covered by Medicare.
And as someone who lived in a tent during the Great Depression, she's thankful for what she has and compassionate toward those who cannot afford basic medical care.
"I have a living," she said. "I just don't have no extra."
