Initial reply to Niesha Brown

I agree that the ethical dilemma would be that a cost is being placed on someone’s life. We are
asking people to decide what the cost of living would be worth to them. Some people are sharing
that they do not think that coverage should be extended to these individuals in need of the costly
medication. Others are debating that their last days of life are worth every penny. How can we
say for certain that one specific answer is correct? Everyone is bringing their own personal
beliefs to the table. We also do now know how it would feel to be that patient in dying need of
the medication that could keep them with their families months longer than expected.

I feel that the quality of healthcare that is provided to patients needs to improve across the board.
I do not think that quality of care should ever be compromised, but unfortunately, this is what we
are witnessing. There is no denying that cost is a driving factor in the care that is being provided
to patients. If cost was not an issue, we would never have a dilemma in place when it comes to
insurance coverage and the care that is being exchanged. Medication costs continue to climb, and
we are left at the mercy of the insurance company that may or may not provide coverage to the
patient in need.

I agree that the message is quite contradicting when it comes to cost and care provided. We are
spending more and more money on development of new medications and treatments, but patients
are then unable to afford them once they are approved and released. Medication should not be
held aside for only those with the luxury of being able to afford them. Patients should not expect
less effective care in return for health care affordability. Providing formal regulation for cost
would be an effective way to maintain structure to this ever-growing dilemma. Modifications and
adjustments should be made to the costs that are being presented to patients, but the issue is that
we do not know where these be implemented.

Providing a set amount for each patient diagnosis is a possible step towards cost regulation. I
believe that some situations may make this a difficult resolution, but I think that you are onto a
great start. I wonder if we could regulate costs for services across the board for a certain patient
diagnosis. Or even if we developed a cost cap for treatments provided for cancer patients that
have maintained adequate health coverage. We must find a way to balance out the extremes in
our healthcare system.