Opinion: Self-injectable drugs could lower healthcare costs

In 2011, the national health care budget in the United States was estimated to have reached $2.7 trillion. Total Medicare expenditures were $549 million. This spiraling cost of care is forcing health care experts to look for ways to reduce health care costs. A very simple cost-saving measure that has received little attention is to increase the number of self-injectable drugs eligible for reimbursement by Medicare. Unfortunately, Medicare will not reimburse for most such drugs unless administered in a doctor's office or hospital.