"Generally the multiple sclerosis drugs are not substitutable," she says. That last argument misses an important point, according to Bari Talente, executive vice president for advocacy at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. But, she says, her family can't afford to pay nearly $9,000 a year out-of-pocket for the foreseeable future. In Catton's case the change meant that after she hit the drug manufacturer's payment cap for the copay assistance in April, she's had to pay the entire co-payment herself - roughly $3,800 - and will have to continue to pay it until her health plan's pharmacy deductible is met.įor May, Catton has put the $3,800 copay on a credit card. Under the copay accumulator programs introduced by some health plans in 2018, the process has changed. Through such programs, consumers typically have owed nothing or have had modest monthly copays for pricey drugs, thanks to a financial contribution by the drugmaker that chips away at the consumer's deductible and out-of-pocket maximum limits until the health plan starts paying the whole tab. Her health plan changed the way it handles Novartis' payments, and the money no longer counts toward that deductible.Ĭatton is one of a growing number of consumers taking expensive medicine who are discovering they are no longer insulated by copay assistance programs that used to help cover their costs. The drug's price: $90,000 each year.īut his year, Catton got a shock. Hospital nurse Kristen Catton relies on medication to keep her multiple sclerosis in check.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |