The High Cost to Live

Two weeks ago my 90-year-old mother in law was diagnosed with lung cancer. According to her son/my husband, she never smoked a day in her life so this was surprising news. But that's not what this blog is all about.

This blog is about the prescription charges associated with treating this form of cancer. The doctor who treated her during her stay in the hospital wrote a prescription for a drug called Tarceva and told us the cost for a 30-day supply would be between $5,000 and $7000 depending on her insurance coverage. Medicare, we were told, doesn't cover the expense because it is an experimental drug. We were also told there was no guarantee with the medication. It might prolong her life for six months.

My first question is, what ingredients could be in a pill that would warrant charging that much money?

My mother in law is 90-years-old and spent her entire career as a nurse. If she is being used as a guinea pig, why isn't the drug FREE?

How can a drug company in good conscious charge such an outrageous price for medication knowing the average person who needs it can't afford it?

As caregivers, we don't want to be put in a position where we have decide to let our loved one die because we can't afford the meds.

There are literally thousands of baby boomers just like us who are caring for aging parents and are facing similar situations. Please let us hear from you

And as for those people who remain adamantly opposed to health care reform, may God save you from yourself.