Modern medicine is capable of helping us in so many ways. However, that doesn’t mean that everybody who needs it is able to access it. A 19-year-old in Britain recently passed away — and her mom says the high cost of medication is to blame.
This is Holly Worboys
Sadly, Holly recently passed away at the age of 19. Needless to say, it’s always a tragedy when someone so young loses their life. Holly’s mom says she might still be alive if not for the sky-high cost of meds.
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Holly had asthma.
Asthma is a common ailment, and anyone who has it will probably tell you that it can be managed. But, depending on where you live and what your benefits are, managing asthmas isn’t free.
You’ll need one of these.
It’s hard to know how many lives the humble asthma inhaler has improved, or straight-up saved, over the decades. It’s a simple device, but getting your hands on one isn’t always easy.
Holly didn’t have much money to spare.
Lots of 19-year-olds are familiar with the feeling of being broke, and Holly was no different. But here’s the critical thing: one of the things Holly often went without was her inhaler.
Holly tried to get her inhaler to last as long as possible.
This had the effect of skipping inhales when she really needed them, all in the name of avoiding having to pay the high cost of a brand new inhaler.
Holly’s mom helped when she could.
But high costs made this difficult for her mom as well. “It is grossly unfair that people with asthma have to pay for medicine they need for their entire life just to stay alive,” Holly’s mom said .
How does this situation happen in the first place?
The United Kingdom covers the costs of many medications. But for the 2.3 million Britons who have asthma, their condition is not considered “special case”. This means inhalers aren’t covered by the government.
It sounds really unfair.
Asthma UK, an advocacy charity, says that 57 percent of patients have skipped their meds because of cost. Considering the fact that skipping asthma medications can lead to an asthma attack or worse, it’s a serious issue.
How much does it cost?
Asthma medication in the United Kingdom can cost a few hundred dollars a year. For a teenager struggling with bills and rent, every penny counts — and rent is usually a priority over meds.
Holly kept saving her inhaler.
She would put off medicating herself in an effort to save costs. Eventually, she was overcome by an asthma attack and collapsed, passing away before she could get to the hospital.
What can be done?
Lots, really. Countries with nationalized healthcare could opt to cover the relatively low cost of asthma inhalers. They could also subsidize them and make them cheaper for people who don’t have much money.
What’s being done?
Thanks to stories like Holly’s, Asthma UK has launched an online petition calling on the U.K. government to “stop unfair asthma prescription charges.” It’s had lots of support, but is still about 10,000 signatures shy of its goal.
Who can make these changes?
The petition is addressed to Matt Hancock, a British Member of Parliament and Secretary of State of Health and Social Care. In this position, Hancock would be able to push for new rules.
It’ll be an uphill battle.
Hancock is a member of the ruling Conservative Party. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Theresa May, the Conservative government has made noises about privatizing healthcare, which could leave millions of Britons without accessible medicine.
Sometimes you have to make change happen.
It didn’t happen quickly enough for Holly Worboys, but we can hope that the memory of how her life ended might inspire the powers that be to make a change. h/t: Distractify
