It’s estimated that two-thirds of Americans do not take their prescription medications on-time or as directed, this non-compliance adds $300 billion to US healthcare costs. Technologies like pill bottle lids that alarm when it’s time to take medicine and automatic pill dispensers with smartphone reminders can help to ensure patient compliance. nnWould you support having programs like Medicare and Medicaid pay to provide these technologies to patients to increase medication compliance?
If a senior citizen decides they need a nanny call let them make arrangements. I prefer the Medicare company does not call into my home for reminders.
If a patient has compromised brain function then I can see where this would help. What happens when this fails? Do we have to go to the pharmacist everyday to take medication.
If an elderly person needs supervision with medications… a family member should supervise their meds and personal care.. families need to get more involved..
I am 68 years old with diabetes, asthma, and heart disease (5 stents). I take handfuls of pills twice daily. I laughed when I read there are pill bottles with alarms on them! LOL!It would be a cacophony of sound twice a day if all my pill bottle alarms went off!!! Hilarious! And OMG! I can only imagine the texts arriving each day along with all of the other advertising texts, political campaign texts, texts from my wife and kids and grandkids! Another hilarious idea!Yes, my life is busy, even in retirement, and occasionally so busy that I may forget to take my “morning pills” due to so many things I stay busy doing… But it’s rare, and I certainly don’t need more distractions going on from my pill bottles, or my phone, or G-d forbid, from my Google Home or all the other electronics in my life!
Because you don’t take your prescription on time adds $300 billion to health care. Who thought this BS up. The same people that claim Covid vaccines work. What a crock!
Complete nonsense!
Another Ploy to Invade Privacy, Medical Privacy, Raise Taxes and above all, For You To OBEY or BE PUNISHED for not taking YOUR medicine on time.
We do NOT need government meddling in our lives. We need less so much less interference and more freedom.
most of us also have some form of technology that can be set for reminders, like google, alexa, cell phones and computers or even more “archaic” an alarm clock! I personally also keep a log by my meds with the date and write the number countdown on my meds bottles and the time taken. It really makes it easier to remember and know if I did or did not take my meds. There are much less invasive and expensive ways to keep track of this. Big government just trying to find more ways to spend and perhaps help raise more for their big donor drug companies.
This is nonsense and just another means of control over the people! The left is doing all they can to ensure compliance and I am sure this idea came from the left! My vote is no way! Government stay out of my life!
What Medicare should do is cover dental & eye…why is it welfare recipients, politicians & illegals all get free healthcare coverage at taxpayer expense? [AND, the coverage is better than I can afford]
My opinion is at 82 I am capable of taking my pills on time daily. But many senior citizens are not and it certainly would be cost effective because a hospital stay would of course be much more costly.
Prove that $300 billion is wasted. More lies. In the long run, most people are better off avoiding big pharma drugs altogether. No way do I support this nonsense. It will be another way big pharma markets more drugs for profit instead of providing drugs that cure the root causes of disease. Government has never shown it benefits the slaves it wants to command.
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The buzzer would only remind Joe B. it’s time for recess and another ice cream!
Health care is not government’s responsibility. Besides, the Medicare/Medicaid program has enough problems staying solvent as it is without adding more demands on it.
Set alarms on the Smartphone you likely already have.
There are ways to remind ourselves already in place. I use them everyday at no expense to other people.
Technology has the possibility of failure, as does our memory. If we become fragile and forgetful, it is much preferred and safer that we have family members or medical helpers in assisted living facilities or nursing homes remind us to take our meds.
Technology is not and should not be considered a panacea.
I worked in a hospital where we would set up the follow up appointment at discharge, and even arrange for transportation to the appointment if needed. And the patients still would not show up for their appointments. So I don’t think having special equipment to take medications would make much of a difference.
My 27 year old son is on Medicare and Medicaid due to brain injuries he received in an accident. He has significant memory problems and has tremendous problems remembering to take his medicine (as well as what day it is or what time it is). Having some sort of technology to help him remember when to take his meds would be welcome. Perhaps such technology could be government funded for people who meet a certain criteria. It’s fine to say it is a personal responsibility to take your meds but some people just can’t no matter how hard they try.
This is just one more step to control people’s lives! I’m done with all this unnecessary “watching” over my life . We are certainly capable to take whatever meds are necessary (we are in our early 80’s and I take 1 natural med and my husband only uses eye drops, no meds needed as he has no problems!). Instead we have ramped up our natural supplements and vitamins are are perfectly healthy!
We purchased two devices as described above. One for each parent. They work to a point. However they are not the complete answer. My sister and I still had call or be present to make sure the meds were taken.
Forced medication compliance is a profound violation of individual rights to choose. Certainly, the idea sounds well intended. But even the schizophrenic who lives homeless in the streets has a right to avoid chronic medication regimens that cause tardive dyskinesia. And at the other extreme, parents and adults alike have the right to refuse vaccines, all of which have questionable risk-to-benefit ratios. I’m in utter disbelief about the “savings.” Pharmaceutical companies clearly profit when medicines are mandated or otherwise pushed on the public. And it is precisely this medical tyranny that is propping up the pharmaceutical industry. The unholy alliance between pharmaceutical companies, government, and technology has clearly lost its moral compass. We need to apply market principles. Drug companies should be free to manufacture any product they choose, as long as those companies assume liability for false claims and harm. Next, drug companies need to sell their products directly to consumers without necessity of medical prescriptions or government compulsion. If a drug works well with few side effects, people will buy it. Clearly, many drugs would go off the market. But perhaps our health will improve. Medicine needs a reset, by the people and for the people. The globalist reset needs to go away. We will not comply to authoritarian rule. Drink the poison; I will NOT.
Hi, I’m from the Government and I’m here to help! So now who’ll set the alarms and reminders? What about frequency and dose changes after a doctor’s visit. If not done correctly, you’re back to square one but with added expense. Face it, only the Feds (and maybe lawyers) would benefit. Then from the information you provide them and your IRS records there would be very little of your privacy remaining. NO, to this idea.
The reason i answered unsure is anytime the government gets involved in anything its going to cost the people more then enough for the program.
I think the availability of “reminder technology” would be a good thing. Again this would still be the patients responsibility to get it if they feel the need. This could also help caregivers assisting someone who might be “a little forgetful”. I would not support mandatory tech. though.
I agree totally with Tom (below). Where, who, and how does anyone come up with that $300B?
Another misdirection. I was taught personal responsibility when growing up. It sometimes seems today that personal responsibility is becoming a thing of the past.
I am so sad and surprised to see the results of this poll.
This RN Case manager works with people who get Medicaid and Medicare coverage.
I would be happy, releaved even, to see my, our, tax dollars used for this kind of wise, sustainable, reasonable use of the money, it supports decency, reminds and rewards responsible behavior in a compassionate way! I say that because our government, like others, can and too often does waste money on foolish, even evil stupidity.
Helping people take their medication as medically prescribed is a huge challenge in any population. For older people, who often take 10 or more pills a day, this can literally save a trip to the doctor and maybe even a life. In Florida, many of Medicaid’s members are children. I know, I care for some of the sickest, most medically fragile and vulnerable.
…and the technology is already available. Being used successfully by so many… I’d even be in favor of giving the company that can provide the service at a discount for these patients who are often on fixed and/or low incomes, a tax break. I’d rather see companies who are actually doing good get rewarded rather than bailing out CEOs for doing bad business practice!
Take your prescriptions or die…up to you, I am not your momma!
This is just another device to control or watch your every move from Marxist Democrats. Concentrate on getting our borders closed, instead of stupid things like this. Full scale invasion of our country for the last 15 months and where’s our military????
Okay I am torn on this one.
I think having “low cost” solutions to assist with compliance would be a benefit as it would likely reduce costs in the long run. This should not be paid for by Medicare.
This is really a personal responsibility to ensure you are taking your medications as directed.
This smacks more of Big Brother being able to monitor your every move. How soon would it be that Medicare and other Health Insurance would start dis-allowing claims due to a proven lack of compliance in taking medications based on these monitoring solutions?
My daughter had a kidney transplant at 21, my 25 year old daughter struggles to remember her ADHD meds. I, with a capital I, was and am their prescription reminder. There are such things as phone alarms and reminders, too. No, absolutely NO should we be paying for more out of our hard earned dollars.
So, I take no medications. I have no underlying conditions because I take care of myself and eat right and take many vitamins and supplements. This sounds like collusion between the Phama Lobby and politicians. Pharmaceutical companies do not make any drug that cures anything, they attempt to treat symptoms. So you take the drug and don’t have symptoms but keep doing the bad things that cause the affliction. Eat correctly and take vitamins and get exercise, I know people have preached this for years but it works.
Personal responsibility yes, but “every man for himself” is NOT a Bibical precept. If you’re not a Christian please feel free to ignore.
The problem here is patients who may have difficulty reading following instructions. Senility does set in with older patients.
are you kidding me??? How much more intrusion into our lives by an overbearing government are we willing to tolerate???? J6 protesters STILL in prison where is the outrage???
I am also torn, at face value sounds great, but we also know there are always unintended consequences of any government program, and I for one want the government in my life as little as possible as I see it as a power grabbing entity that will roll over anyone who gets in it’s way.
No, because those of us who take our medications like we are suppose to, we would be paying for those who don’t. Even if long range medical problems arise, that is still their problem not mine.We are already paying a ridiculous amount monthly for Medicare, I don’t want to pay anymore.
No more government in our lives! Read up on natural medicine because big pharma doesn’t want us well.
Why why, do we want more compliance bs. Do not feed in narrative to give more control..
It is about freedom and Liberty. Didn’t that happen yesterday and the day before with the Supreme Court Decisions! Right to Carry and the Right for Life!
This question smells like NWO stuff.
I am an American and Love my freedom No to any more tyranny!
In my humble opinion, getting as much government out of Americans’ lives is what conservatism supports. We don’t need more “nanny-state” Bolshevik nonsense intruding into our personal lives. What ever happened to personal responsibility? Vote NO on this nonsense, and support limited government and individual liberty.
This would be OF NO USE to folks who put their meds in a weekly pill minder – everyone I know does this.
Also, this only leads to further government control. What next – they cut off your meds and refuse to pay because you cut your dosage and take a half pill because you can’t afford the cost? What happens if the doctor changes your meds? It would be a nightmare of government record keeping and we’ll all know THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOTHING WELL!! Why on earth would anyone ASK for more government in their life??
I have been taking medication for a while now and I’am 71 years old . Get you a small writhing pad and put the date and time when you take your medication it works.
This will eventually lead to it notifying “someone” via the Internet whether or not you’ve taken it. It sounds outlandish, but the way technology is currently moving, the geniuses making it like to think they are helping the world be a better place, but…
“The most harm of all is done when power is in the hands of people who are absolutely persuaded of the purity of their intentions.” — Milton Friedman
A big NO. More Nanny State intrusion is exactly what we don’t need. If you’re old enough to need these medications, you should be responsible enough to manage your prescriptions. We are becoming a Nation of helpless children that think the Government has all of the answers.
What about those who CAN’T AFFORD their medications? Shouldn’t we start there first?
What they don’t mention is the developing technology that informs the insurance company (or government) whether or not a person is taking their medication as directed. I’d like to know how long after this technology is made available that it will given to patients. How long after that will it become mandatory?
If you do an Internet search for “medication compliance device,” most of the top results will list the reminders listed in this poll. It’s not until much further down the list of results that I found an article on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4619779/ that describes the developing technology that would enforce adherence to medication recommendations. The article specifically mentions patients who don’t want to take their meds. If you read the article, please read the entire article, as it doesn’t mention this technology until further down the page.
Just another way for Big Brother to track every individual…
Yes, I believe this technology would be very beneficial. As a caregiver for my elderly mother, I see she misses taking medication at least two to three times a week. Even with dayly pill containers and an app set on her phone to remind her, she still misses medication. This technology sounds like could be very helpful in reminding elderly people to take their meds.
This is just a precursor to addition government monitoring and intrusion into our personal lives. They are already developing that technology. Its another ” we’re the government and we’re here to help” ploy to gain more control over our lives.