Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho
Unfortunately, the AIDS treatment comparison does not work well. It costs $250,000 for a lifetime AIDS treatment protocol. AIDS is a life-threatening illness. It has a huge push to make treatments available. Supporting AIDS has become a Politically Correct effort
mTBI does not have that PC push. Since it is not life threatening, just life changing, the limits to how much can and will be spent by health insurance companies will always be the biggest obstacle. The concept of 'medically necessary treatment' will always be getting in the way. A part of the medically necessary definition relates to effectiveness. If there are not studies to show wide spread effectiveness of a treatment, it is often considered experimental and not covered by insurance. If a prescribing doctor can not justify the treatment, it will be disallowed.
Until there is some sort of funding mechanism, new treatments will be limited to those with deep pockets.
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I beg to differ.
I think AIDS is an excellent example of what IS possible, when the will exists. As other posters have asserted, repeatedly, we need to work at focusing attention on TBI.
TBI does kill: some die in the immediate aftermath of the injury, a statistically significant number commit suicide and others have their lives shortened by an induced sedentary lifestyle, medication side effects, etc... TBI is the NUMBER ONE killer and serious disabler of Canadians under forty. Not cancer, not AIDS, not heart disease - TBI.
Even when TBI doesn't kill, it extracts an enormous societal cost in terms of lost productivity and long term medical expenses.
Is any of this easy? NO - but things will NEVER happen if we adopt a defeatist attitude.
I'm a realist - but not a pessimist. I would rather try, and fail, then sit about with my thumb up my bum. I applaud all of those who work for a better future, while making the best of a difficult present. That's courage.