TOPIC:

Mike, Just in case anyone lands here without having seen your previous posts, it could be worth emphasising that the "Hep Forum" on Hepmag.com is a completely separate entity to the Forum here on fixHepC.com.

fixhepc.com/forum/welcome/368-this-forum...y-for-spam.html#3732

Cheers,

(... just saw your edits of 10 mins ago - thanks!).

Like walking on egg shells on that forum.

Well I just invited any U.S. Veterans over there who had been denied treatment by the VA to come check out this site. The HepMag moderators, like most doctors, are preaching appeal, things are happening you can wait. Don't do anything rash, like take control of your own health and life. The only people getting treatment coverage from their insurers are on the transplant list, close to getting on it or fight like hell for close to 2 years and still aren't assured of getting anything other than another denial. Most people simply don't have the time, energy or wherewithal to negotiate the convolued appeals process required by the insurers. I did.
Mike

I swear, you guys are going to make me cry. It is things like this that renew my faith in mankind.
I and the members of HCVets.com thank you for trying to help one of ours. The reason we got him on the CBS interview is because there is nothing the VA hates more than bad publicity. They called him the day after the story was aired and offered him treatment.

BTW, I already told the reporter all about the Buyers Club and gave Dr Freeman her contact info.

P

Em...
So it's that why you came looking for me and not because you like me?
:::sigh::: men

PP

@ Price Your going to have to pull a Michael Moore type stunt get a plane load of vets take them to a 3rd world country and get em meds and film it. Embarrass them, mind you they probably have very thick skins .

Okay Price, If I'm reading the numbers right we should have enough money pledged for two people needing 24 week treatments or four needing 12. We might have more than that.

You want to embarrass the VA? We want to get the word out about generics. We both want to help veterans.

Find some more needy veterans and get CBS in on it. CBS should be able to kick in for a few treatments too.
CBS does the story of how a number of Vets has to look out of country to find their cure. And shows how they successfully do it.

Lets do this.

Hi K and Everyone

That is great news and well done to the team. I love this forum.

Price you mentioned on a facebook post that I forward medication to people in the US and that's just not so. I am the an administrator of this site but I certainly don't administer medication to anyone. I know the post was somewhat in jest but hey we need to be really careful what we put out there. I am merely a client along with everyone else and choose to help out where I can. Em

Klhide what a fantastic idea!!!!!!

Thats it stir the bastards up, mind you they will probably hit back

‎Zion Yisrael‎ to Hepatitis C
6 mins · Detroit, MI, United States ·

Good Morning! Met with VA clinic yesterday, seems that funding became available. However, there's only enough for 8 patients. There were between 12 to 16 at the meeting needing treatment, the lucky 8 find out tomorrow, the others have to wait.
That being said, I read our postings and despite the seriousness of our situation, the disregard of compassion by Gilead and the entangling red tape of bureaucracy, we still are a jovial bunch with some VERY humorous postings on compliance and defiance! This is the BEST group on FB! Have a blessed day!

Hmmm

I don't know if the charitable fund is able to be used outside Oz. But if it is, I think we may need to be a little careful about only being seen to help First Worlders. It's a global issue. The overriding aim is global eradication. There are plenty in poor countries who can't afford or get medicines even at Gilead's special price. Not that it shouldn't be used to help First Worlders just not exclusively. The dealing out of the funds will be a vexed issue any way you look at it seems to me. Glad I'm not the one having to make the decisions.

I agree with Chester, but feel the symbolic message being sent to the government that allows and protects Gilead's obscene pricing is paramount. If pressure and media coverage can force Gilead to lower its prices by, oh, say 99.8%, ridding the world of HCV will be far easier.
Mike

I agree with Mike in that our government here is as weak as but if some vets in the US got access to life saving meds in a foreign land that would severly embarass the insurers, hep orgs, the FDA and most of all big pharma and the US govt.. It wouldn't need to be from a charitable fund possibly a US benefactor or media org could fit the bill for a few airfares and some generics for a good story. The key to kick this along is getting policy changed in the USA.

I had just a quick look at the Gates Foundation site a few days back. They don't fund first world projects which is fine. But man, funding hep c Tx in poor countries seems like it should be right up their alley. Plus, barring programmes falling prey to corruption or war, it's very much a self limiting health strategy. Not like a lot of problems that have to be chipped away at for years and years or that recur regularly like famine. Once it's done it's done. There must surely be a lot of other large philanthropic foundations that should be grabbing this ball in third and second world countries and running with it for all they're worth.