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    Cost of Copaxone went up again....

    So I am one of the unlucky people who can't seem to qualify for any kind of assistance for my Copaxone with the exception of the $50 from Shared Solutions. My out of pocket every month was $581 and when I looked at my statement today for my shipment I received I found that I had been charged $639 this time!

    Now of course I call them and the response? "The price for the drug was increased by the manufacturer!"

    I just find it so upsetting that this company keeps increasing the costs of the drug. This is the second time this year that it has gone up.

    On top of that I am in the middle of a relapse that has taken ALL of the vision from my right eye! I can't even tell if the lights are on or off.

    #2
    A bit unclear

    I'm not sure why you don't qualify for Copaxone financial help. I'm assuming you do have insurance or the monthly cost of Copaxone would be much more.

    I do believe the yearly cost of Copaxone right now is upwards of $30,000. I am on it too and since I'm on Medicare (65 YRS OLD) and a secondary insurance plan, I do get some help. Actually for me I have other medication costs so I get into the Medicare 'donut hole' fast and out fairly fast. Once out of the donut hole we are into what they call catastrophic.

    Anyway, our insurance covers most of the cost; we have to make up any difference. I do think that the Copaxone pharmacy charges for delivery also.

    I'll tell you, no matter what, this is all very challenging to figure out.

    I don't know why you don't qualify for help. Did you ask Shared Solutions?

    Diane
    You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.

    Comment


      #3
      Even though my insurance takes care of it all(bc/bs state) , this is really dumb that a med that only works 30% of the time is so dang expensive! Unless they see that the long term use of this med is pretty dang good they what to make sure they capitalize on it. Just a hunch.

      Joe
      Dx: 08/09

      Copaxone: 09/09

      Comment


        #4
        you should talk again with shared solutions because there are so many different programs that help I am sure you qualify for something more than the $50 a month.

        Comment


          #5
          COST UP AGAIN?

          that's really disgusting that cop. has gone up again!
          i quit it a mo ago bcs i cdnt afford it. hoping to go back on it later if i needed to. THAT'S out of the question!
          they are the ONLY CRAB like it. no other alternative if you want that type.
          i bet if enough people go off it they'll have to lower costs or IS THAT WHY COSTS ARE GOING UP? to make up the difference inprofit margins?
          what a racket!
          sorry to rant, but insurance & drug companies make me so mad sometimes. here i am so exhausted today that i can't even make it to the kitchen but medicare in their infinite wisdom decided that provigil was no longer medically nec. for my MS condition. doctor has petitioned several times to no avail. UGH!
          good luck to all those struggling to stay on copaxone. it is a good drug. i never wd have gone off it if i was rich!
          take care!
          "All things are possible for those who believe." Jesus

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by DianeD View Post
            I'm not sure why you don't qualify for Copaxone financial help. I'm assuming you do have insurance or the monthly cost of Copaxone would be much more.

            I do believe the yearly cost of Copaxone right now is upwards of $30,000. I am on it too and since I'm on Medicare (65 YRS OLD) and a secondary insurance plan, I do get some help. Actually for me I have other medication costs so I get into the Medicare 'donut hole' fast and out fairly fast. Once out of the donut hole we are into what they call catastrophic.

            Anyway, our insurance covers most of the cost; we have to make up any difference. I do think that the Copaxone pharmacy charges for delivery also.

            I'll tell you, no matter what, this is all very challenging to figure out.

            I don't know why you don't qualify for help. Did you ask Shared Solutions?

            Diane
            Yeah we spoke to Shared Solutions. That is where the $50 is coming from. As for why we don't qualify, well between my wife and I we make too much money.

            We only have one child (trying for #2) so according to them we can afford it. Yes I have an 80/20 insurance, however the specialty drug portion leaves you paying a large chunk of the meds.

            It just really sucks that they would rather have me go into the poor house, and lose everything I have before anyone will help out. Why would we want to make MORE people poor?

            Comment


              #7
              $639 a month? Wow, that's a Ferrari payment (not that I could drive one anymore).

              Think about Copaxone every-other-day as a small study showed it was just as effective once the drug built-up in your body. Or even every 3-4 days? If you've been taking Copaxone for years your body is swimming in it.

              And seriously look into Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) as 1000s of people with MS take it with good results. Many take it in combination with Copaxone. LDN only costs $20 a month.

              Visit www.LDNaware.org and start on the USA page, the "Resources" and "Forums" tabs.

              If you click on UK page you will see that most MS organizations are now supporting LDN and over 700 physicians prescribe LDN.

              Knuckle

              Comment


                #8
                Knuckle, my dr. sent me home last week with information on Rebif, he said I may want to consider switching over to it. I have only been on Copaxone for 10 months, but I just had a relapse.

                Yeah it is costing my more than both my cars combined. It is sick that they would do that to people. Not sure if the Rebif would be any cheaper for me.

                Comment


                  #9
                  ??!!**

                  My dh and I are retired. We had a great plan when dh was working and we retired with it.

                  However, when the Government took over the company dh worked for they dumped us (all retired 'salaried' workers) leaving only the Union workers covered.

                  So.....since we were also turning 65 we had to rework our insurance plan. We pay as much for insurance monthly as you pay for C.

                  Life isn't fair is it.

                  As to the manufacturer dropping costs. Not likely.

                  Like it or not it costs a lot to develop 'specialized' drugs. The companies who do this spend a lot of money on development and studies.

                  We, MS'ers, are not all that many in the scheme of things. People who have cancer are much more vast in number and so a lot of research goes into that and possibly there are many more programs, grants to help.

                  However, we have a neighbor who takes a cancer drug that costs in the $50,000's of dollars (he's also retired).

                  I don't know the answer, but i like the phrase 'be careful what you ask for'. Incentive is what drives people to do research and development.

                  If people don't feel incentive to study and produce drugs we need, then we are left with nothing.

                  I think it would be a good idea, when you or I or anyone griping about cost of specialty meds, that we do some 'googling' to see what it has cost to develop the meds we use.

                  I'm like you. I wish that the meds were less expensive. 'Wishing don't make it so' my mom always said.

                  Diane
                  You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by DianeD View Post
                    My dh and I are retired. We had a great plan when dh was working and we retired with it.

                    However, when the Government took over the company dh worked for they dumped us (all retired 'salaried' workers) leaving only the Union workers covered.

                    So.....since we were also turning 65 we had to rework our insurance plan. We pay as much for insurance monthly as you pay for C.

                    Life isn't fair is it.

                    As to the manufacturer dropping costs. Not likely.

                    Like it or not it costs a lot to develop 'specialized' drugs. The companies who do this spend a lot of money on development and studies.

                    We, MS'ers, are not all that many in the scheme of things. People who have cancer are much more vast in number and so a lot of research goes into that and possibly there are many more programs, grants to help.

                    However, we have a neighbor who takes a cancer drug that costs in the $50,000's of dollars (he's also retired).

                    I don't know the answer, but i like the phrase 'be careful what you ask for'. Incentive is what drives people to do research and development.

                    If people don't feel incentive to study and produce drugs we need, then we are left with nothing.

                    I think it would be a good idea, when you or I or anyone griping about cost of specialty meds, that we do some 'googling' to see what it has cost to develop the meds we use.

                    I'm like you. I wish that the meds were less expensive. 'Wishing don't make it so' my mom always said.

                    Diane
                    Diane I can only imagine how much that must suck having your insurance change. However I can relate, I also pay close to that for my premiums, plus i still have to cover the med co-pay.

                    I also have a son who is autistic and has ADHD, so I also incur the costs of his Dr and his meds, which again are not generic so I pay a pretty penny for them.

                    As to "googling" what Teva has spent on research for this drug.....Well it would appear that the research is done, as it is FDA approved and they had a 14 year patent on it. Not to mention the fact that the cost was only around $980 a few years ago and it is now over $3200.

                    I am not trying to start an argument, but really who else is there to grip to than our fellows who are going through the same thing?

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Lilrooster.......I have an approximately $600 copay..when I did the financial work for Shared Solutions they took into account no only my income and my husband's but monies that we paid monthly. It is not just your income that they consider.

                      Are you sure that you gave them all the information?

                      They pay my entire co pay.

                      I have an entirely different opinion of parmaceutical companies after having worked with Shared Solutions. They have no obligation to help me..but they do. I am very appreciative of the help. They are..after all in the business to make money.

                      I would try again.

                      Justacowgirl
                      Diagnosed with MS spring 2010; Still loving life

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Any increase is hard, especially when you have to pay it yourself!!

                        When I started on Beta- July of 2007, it cost $1,671 per month. I just went off of it last December and at that time it was alittle over $2,500 per month. Crazy huh!?! Thank goodness for insurance!

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by justacowgirl View Post
                          Lilrooster.......I have an approximately $600 copay..when I did the financial work for Shared Solutions they took into account no only my income and my husband's but monies that we paid monthly. It is not just your income that they consider.

                          Are you sure that you gave them all the information?

                          They pay my entire co pay.

                          I have an entirely different opinion of parmaceutical companies after having worked with Shared Solutions. They have no obligation to help me..but they do. I am very appreciative of the help. They are..after all in the business to make money.

                          I would try again.

                          Justacowgirl
                          When we did the paperwork and spoke with them the only thing they took into account was income, medical bills and my insurance premiums. They said nothing else matters to them except those 3 things and how many people live in the house.

                          They said if your gross income minus the above 3 things is above 70k then they can not help. We worked with them for a month trying to get assistance

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Don't know what to tell you... I provided them with my incomes and my major bills like my mortgage etc and they took that all into account. They did not mention 70K to me...they mentioned 50K.

                            They were extremely helpful to me and I qualified for their assistance. I could not have paid $600 a month for the copay. I make no where near the income you do.


                            Justacowgirl
                            Diagnosed with MS spring 2010; Still loving life

                            Comment


                              #15
                              price of DMDs are out of control!

                              Hi All
                              The price of DMDs are out of control!
                              I dugout my old medical records.
                              In January 1999, the monthly retail price of Avonex was $743.24.
                              That price has been going gradually up and up. As of Jan 2010 the monthly retail price had ballooned to $2,638.58!
                              That's well over a three-fold or 355% increase!

                              I know other things have gone up but not like that!
                              My sense is that the same thing has been going on with the other DMDs. This begs the following question. Why were they able to produce the medications so "cheaply" 10+ years ago as opposed to now?
                              The whole thing seems so out of control!
                              - Roy
                              Been taking Avonex since June 96
                              For me Interferon therapy is essential in slowing MS down.
                              Will continue with the weekly injections and take my disease one day at a time...

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