The Millstone Times September 2019

As We Age

Do You Have Fluid In Your Lungs? FOUR Things You Should Look FoR By Lauren Kowlacki 1. Listen for raspy or rattled breathing. Especially if the rasp or rattle seems to be deep within the chest, this can be a sign of fluid on a lung. 2. Pay attention to a persistent cough. Do not write off a persistent cough as mere allergies or something you have to deal with. A persistent cough, either productive or unproductive, could be a sign of fluid on the lung. 3. Do you have a fever, aches, and fatigue? These flu-like symptoms can also present themselves when a patient has fluid on the lung. When they do, it oftenmeans that the patient has viral pneumonia, or is fighting an infection in the bronchial tubes and/or lungs. If the fever rises over 102 seek medical attention immediately. 4. Do you have shortness of breath? For some patients the primary symptom of water on the lung is simply shortness of breath. Fluid can gather around the lungs due to congestive heart failure, lung cancer, or viral or bacterial infection. When this happens shortness of breath can occur. Often an x-ray or an EKG will be ordered to test and see exactly what cavity the fluid is inhabiting. This will also help rule out any chance of advanced lung cancer. Get plenty of rest and avoid exposure to cold air while dealing with water on the lung. Drinking plenty of clear fluids is usually helpful for most causes of fluid on the lungs. Check with your physician to be sure.

Assembly approves Dancer bill to eliminate excess pharmacy charges The Assembly approved in mid-June legislation prohibiting prescription plans from charging copays in excess of the cash price of medications. Assemblyman Ron Dancer sponsors the bill (S2690/A3993/A2214) to reduce the price consumers pay for their prescription drugs. It passed the Senate in February and moves to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk for review. Pharmacy benefit managers, middlemen controlling prescription drug plans for health insurers, “claw back” profits by setting copays that are high- er than the cost of some commonly prescribed medicine. The schemes, un- covered in an NBC report, target generic medications frequently used to treat diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, depression and anxiety. “We’re doing away with the games and making the process fair and trans- parent,” said Dancer (R-Ocean). “Patients who need prescriptions for their health should not be subjected to profit-motivated deception.” Dancer’s measure also bans gag clauses in insurance contracts preventing pharmacies from informing customers their prescriptions would cost less if they paid cash. The bill specifies that pharmacies are permitted to disclose lower cost options to patients. “The deck is stacked against prescription users who have no idea this is going on,” said Dancer. “The gag clause prohibits the pharmacists from informing their customers of this scheme. That’s not acceptable. Nobody should pay more for required drugs because they are insured.” Under Dancer’s bill, New Jersey would become the seventh state in three years to ban gag clauses and the 12th state to outlaw copay claw backs.

32 The Millstone Times

September 2019