Treating seniors in pain as if they were drug-abusing children
The May 3 story by the Review-Journal’s Jessie Bekker about pain meds, and the suffering caused by legislators treating seniors as if they were 18 instead of 81, was right on target in so many ways. It failed to mention, however, that the law now requires the patient to visit the doctor at least once a month to get needed medication. Has anyone ever assessed the ultimate impact of increased visitation on insuring agencies such as Medicare? Or even the cost to the patient/taxpayer? Has anyone assessed the personal costs of making medicine dependency skid perilously close to lawbreaking?
Recently I spent almost 2½ hours awaiting my pain doctor without completing the intended purpose of my appointment — a not-unusual occurrence. I then decided to seek alternative solutions to the dehumanizing treatment accorded legitimate sufferers of chronic pain. Fortunately, with some pain I can bear the additional costs, a privilege likely denied others.
I have written my representatives asking for the list of anyone who signed or openly supported the drug legislation. I encourage others to take similar action. I intend to vote against anyone complicit in its passage.
