medicine is to expensive

I just found out i have to pay 40% of my interferon meds. it is $1,260.00 a month and that is only a starting dose. They say the dose may go up during treatment!!!! I am new to this. I went in for Galbladder surgury and now I have cirrhosis, cronic (chronic) liver failure and hepatitis. Anyone who knows where to get help with meds please help.

[wyntre9]

I know other forum members have received assistance with meds but I'm not sure what the organizations are or how to contact them.

I do recall a couple of people mentioning peg-assist.

Hopefully someone will chime in with more info.

I agree about the cost of the meds.  It's obscene.  There's no way i would be on TX even I hadn't had insurance.  Sad, isn't it?

Hang in there,

wyntre

[goldenrule]

1877-734-2797

[cigaso]

[cigaso]

You are now in the class of speciallty meds, according to your insurance. My prescription copay went up this month. I use to have a $20.00 monthly copay for both pegasys and ribapack(ribavirin). I paid $60.00 for a 90 supply,which included both. I now must pay $75.00 a month for ribavirin and $100 a month for pegasys. That is $175.00 per month copay for peg and ribi. That is almost a 300% increase in my copay. I guess this new plan would be better for you since you're paying 40%. The insurance companies are placing more of the burden on their clients than they have in the past. This sucks!!!!!

Also, ask for copegasys as well as pegasys, when you call Roche assitance. That is Roche's ribavirin and they are very brand specific when it comes to approving you. They will need preapproval from your insurance so they can make a determination on assiting you on the copay. I don't know your financial situation, but you may be approved for 100% of these meds at no charge to you. Just so you know, the manufacturer of Pegasys is Roche. Pegassist is a program of Roche.

I am in the middle of my tx (23 weeks) and this is not easy to deal with. I wish something could be done with these insurance companies.

Good luck with your tx. I hope these issues are worked out smoothly for you.

[Drugs Sucks]

Wow !!  Go for a gallbladder surgery and that is simple and find out, that it worst then u started out, and  in other spots ..!

[albany]

Hi Autumn, I know my Tx is partially covered through my benefits, partially through a provincial drug plan, and the part that is NOT covered is being reimbursed to me though PegCare, as I am on Pegatron.  Not sure if that helps, but maybe there are programs that will help you too, the cost is phenominal!

[revolution]

Any of you on the mail order drug programs through your insurance?  Just wondering if that helps cut the copay any??  
I know my husband and I thought "Oh we have insurance this won't be too bad on the pocket", ya right!  I've only just begun and have a hospital co-pay of $250, Friday I got a letter from the "speciality" lab that my doctor sent by bx to and they said the insurance co might not pay them, so that is another $350.  Now I can hardly wait to see what they will pay for the drugs, let me tell you this is a huge wake up call for me.

[GrandmaA]

I am in a mail order drug program through my insurance and the copay for the meds was not bad. About $60. for pegintron/riba for a month and 4 doses of procrit for $30. But I think they are going up for 2008. I finished tx 2 weeks ago. I hope I don't have to do it again. SVR for all!

[revolution]

Thanks, I wondered if that would be cheaper the company really pushes it.  I'll probably just figure out the in's and out's of this insurance when our new insurance company takes over (hubby's work was sold and new company coming in then).  I just pray the insurance is good, or I win the lottery.

[wyntre9]

It's a sobering thought to realize how much one would pay for these meds without insurance.

My peg and riba are about $100 for a 3 month supply via mail order only.

The same meds (including the neupogen) would run between $6000 and $8000
thereabouts for self pay.

Multiply that by 18 months of TX (in my case) and ya come up with around 125G.

And that's minus the monthly labs, the Dr. visits, etc.

Believe me, once I found out the price of the meds i started feeling very guilty . . .
How many people would that amount of money feed for a year?

wyntre

[revolution]

Also, what are the same drugs being sold for in other countries?  

[wyntre9]

I'm sure it's gotta be a heck-of-a-lot less than here.

wyn