The Safe Patient Project is a Consumers Union campaign focused on eliminating medical harm, improving FDA oversight of prescription drugs and promoting disclosure laws that give information to consumers about health care safety and quality.
Patient has to pay for contracting hospital infection
I had a cyst operation in April, 2008. I was given pre-op antibiotics. In May I started to feel horrible. I got a fever, was throwing up and had chronic diarrhea. I called my sister who is a nurse and she looked up my symptoms and told me she thought I had C-Diff. I had an appointment with the surgeon and told him what was happening. I also told him I thought I had C-Diff.
It was confirmed that I had developed C. Diff. I was put on Flagyl for 10 days. The minute I got off I had the bug again. I am presently on Vancomycin, which I will be on for the rest of my life. In addition when I went to Medicare prescription plan and put in the only pill I was taking- I was told the monthly fee would be $500.00 from the five companies that would provide this. That does not include the co-pay which would probably be $200.00. I am now down to one pill every other day for the rest of my life and I get them from Canada at a cost of $455.00 for 40 pills. Costco sells this for $692.00 for 40 pills.
So you do the math – Medicare drug coverage for $6000.00 a year plus $2400.00 for co pay. It now costs me $2100.00 from Canada to keep me alive.