Exciting Times

I'm optimistic for results in the effort to pass legislation that causes quality, affordable health insurance for every American. There are so many people working to this end. I am so looking forward to 139 days from today to assess our progress.

Bayer, the company that now owns the patent on Interferon-B, the drug I use, has rolled out a "new" 30 gage needle for the injection. I think my first injections, 7 years ago when the price of 15 injections was only $960 per month, were with a 30 gage needle. Then the last company that owned the drug patent did a reformulation and designed a new system to "ready" the injection -- they sold 15 injections with a larger needle at a cost of about $1300 per month. No one asked for my opinion, but I prefered the $960 per month drug version because I had more control of the injection preparation process (and even though I'm insured, I prefer to not enrich an industry that spends twice as much on advertising than on research to find cures).

Now Bayer, in their brilliant greediness has reduced the number of "monthly" injections to 14, even though they kept the price of the drug, no more effective than when I started using it in 2001, at the private health insurance killing price of only $2360 per month. I'm sure if they can think of another way to squeeze another dollar out my insurance company, they'll figure it out.

Can you believe that their patent expired a couple years ago? And they have no competition?