In a lot of countries around the world, medical bills are becoming a huge problem. Some countries have found a solution like Spain and Australia. Others, such as the UK are paying for the treatments but under a system that is billions of pounds in debt. America continues to try to plug the hole it dug with a new system that is not quite working. It’s a big problem and as the population continues to grow it will only get worse. People are already dying because they cannot afford the medical treatment for their illness. But is the situation so dire or can there be a light at the end of the tunnel?
HIV
Believe it or not, HIV is still a serious, common disease in all parts of the world. Many people believe that there should have been a cure by now and the lack of funding is the cause of this failure. You do not hear as much about HIV in the media anymore, and there is a reason for this. Journalists got bored of writing about it, and people got bored of reading about a story with no happy ending. Treatment for the disease currently costs an individual twenty-five thousand dollars per year. There are 1.2 million people in America living with HIV. Approximately twelve percent are unaware that they even have the disease. If they did, there is a good chance many would not be able to afford the treatment for it.
Cancer
One in three people will suffer from cancer at least once in their lifetime. It is hard to label Cancer as one disease because there are so many different kinds. Some are more treatable than others. For instance, treatment for testicular cancer has an excellent success rate if the disease is caught early enough. Other forms of treatment for diseases such as pancreatic cancer have smaller chances of success. The average person with cancer will spend forty-nine thousand dollars on treatment each year. That does not include the cost of treatment if the cancer spreads and leads to other problems.
Hemophilia
Hemophilia is a congenital condition. You are born with it from birth, and there are about twenty thousand people with the condition in the United States, alone. Although there is no cure, it can be managed with several treatments such as gene therapy. The treatment in the USA costs a person sixty-two thousand dollars annually. That is a huge amount for something that can not be cured and can not be prevented. It certainly puts into perspective the amount the average person spends each year on meds, particularly if they have a pharmacy card.
Respiratory Failure On A Ventilator
The most expensive hospital treatment is needing a ventilator after you are left unable to breathe. The treatment will cost a massive three hundred and fourteen thousand per year.
It seems clear then that the situation of medical care still needs improving. Many people try to reduce the cost of medicine by limited how many meds they use or how often they get treatment. But, if you have a serious condition and you do this you can end up in a worse state and needing to pay a lot more.