Each year, the Lown Institute, a health care think tank, names the ten most shocking examples of greed and dysfunction in American health care. They call these the “Shkreli Awards,” a nod to Martin Shkreli, who infamously raised the price of a critical medication from $13 to $750.
Shkreli, often labeled “the pharma bro,” became a symbol of rampant greed when his company took over the production of Daraprim, a drug crucial for treating certain health conditions. The Lown Institute showcases the worst of the worst in health care, highlighting problems that need urgent fixing.
This year’s event featured Vikas Saini, the Institute’s president, discussing the troubling state of the health care system. He emphasized that many of the dishonorable practices are shockingly legal. “These stories illustrate a health care system longing for change,” he mentioned, pointing to Shkreli’s actions as a benchmark of the system’s flaws.
During the recent ceremony, Saini introduced the ten top examples of misconduct. The awards, however, aren’t just about naming and shaming. They’re about shedding light on systemic issues, often uncovered by diligent journalists.
The ceremony highlighted cases like a Texas medical school selling body parts without consent and doctors performing unnecessary procedures solely for profit. For instance, it was revealed that some health practitioners were aggressively promoting surgeries for tongue ties despite little evidence of their effectiveness, simply because they were profitable.
Another shocking story centered on a drug manufacturer, Amgen, which was pushing a high-dose cancer medication that had cheaper alternatives with fewer side effects. The company was profiting immensely—over $180,000 per patient per year—by marketing the higher, less effective dose.
The awards also threw light on troubling billing practices, where suppliers were racking up thousands of dollars in Medicare charges for catheters, some for patients who had never received them. This raises serious questions about oversight in the health care industry, where such fraud may not be uncommon.
As more examples of greed and inefficiency emerged, it became evident that the financial incentives within the system often overshadow patient care. Saini cautioned against viewing health care merely as a product to be sold. Instead, he argued that the focus should be on health and wellness, not just on meeting revenue targets.
In conclusion, the Shkreli Awards serve as a powerful reminder of the need for reform in the health care system. They highlight that patients often get lost in the pursuit of profit, with the real-world impact of these practices being devastating. The hope is that by exposing these issues, meaningful change can be achieved, restoring dignity and care to the health care process.
Check out this related article: Urgent Call to Action: Health Community Demands Clean Air Solutions Ahead of WHO Conference
Source linkHealth Care, Baby, Cancer, Catheters, Charity, Doctor, Drugs, Headache, Healthcare, Hearing, HIV, Honey, Medical School, Medicare, Medicine, Pneumonia, Research, Software, Speech, Tongue, Toxoplasmosis
