Not to blame any one person, no matter how deservedly despised, but I experienced a “Shkreli” moment yesterday.  A prescription that cost us $10 last month was priced at $1200 yesterday.  Neither the pharmacy, our mail order service, nor our insurer could provide any useful explanation, which certainly diminished any confidence I have in our medical system.

As insurance goes, mine is fairly good, so I can imagine what many must experience in the murky maze that was once among the best medical systems in the world.  There is certainly much to criticize with the current Affordable Care Act, but I shudder to think what we may face in an unregulated free market in the coming days.

I have no stomach for political partisanship, but it disturbs me that a country like Cuba has a medical system that exceeds ours in many respects and is available and affordable to all.  Surely we all agree that we can and must do better.

In an ironic note, when I placed a call today to my insurer, they suggested that I check drug prices online before turning to their own contracted pharmacy service.  I’ll pass on their recommendation to you as well.  There are certainly other resources (including Canada, but check out GoodRX.com.

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Often, I think, too many words are spoken and too little said of any lasting meaning or value.  As a result, when the shouting is over, not all that should be considered has been said.  That is my premise for this blog.

Mine is not meant to be “the last word”, but if it prompts more thoughtful reflection I will deem the effort a success.

I read recently that if something won’t matter in five years, it may not deserve five minutes of worry now.  I suspect there is an element of truth there, at least in the sense that we should think more deeply and with a more lasting perspective than Twitter often prompts.  This blog, like my interests, will touch on a range of topics and I hope some will interest you.  Much that relates to politics falls into the short-term concern category, and I plan to leave most of those discussions to others.  I, at least, need a haven from that world.

When my daughter was about four, her elder brother would sometimes make up games to play, much like “Calvin Ball”, if you remember Bill Watterson’s comic.  On one occasion, as he was explaining the rules, she asked, “Is this a winning game?”

I’ll leave you with that question for now.  When all is said, is life meant to be won or should it mean something more?

Check back from time to time and let others know if WhenAllIsSaid speaks to you.

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