[thickntired]

Dropping coverage of popular prescription drugs is sad and shameful - LA Times

[jelly-bean]

This is a very interesting article.Thank You for posting this. My DIL uses CVS. I think I will send this to her.

[Can't Stop Crying]

that is absolutely horrible...i have express scripts and literally have to fight to get some meds covered the way it is...how can anyone be a functioning, productive member of society when they are denied the medications to keep them healthy? i am so disgusted with our healthcare system in general right now...this is just the icing on the cake...

[geis]

Oh, lovely. I have CVS Caremark (one of the insurers listed in the article) for my Medicare Part D, and they're dropping one of the drugs I use to treat my ulcerative colitis. There are already SO few medications approved to treat UC and Crohn's, and they're dropping one of them? UGH.

I might write some letters to some Senators and Representatives who are part of the Crohn's and Colitis Caucus about that...it's complete crap.

[Altered Moment]

I don't understand how the name brands aren't cutting their own throats. If the big insurance companies refuse to carry them because of costs and no one can afford to pay 30 bucks a tab out of pocket, who are they going to sell them to?

Who in the world with hep C is actually going to be treated with Sovalti unless they are very wealthy. I doubt many of the three million with hep C are that wealthy.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[geis]

^
Sadly, I'm not shocked by the price of Sovalti. I take a medication for my ulcerative colitis that costs around $3000 per dose (Humira). It's twice a month, which would be $6000 per month if insurance didn't cover it. It's bizarre to me that they're cutting coverage for Asacol, another drug used to treat ulcerative colitis, when it only costs around $800 a month. Of course, I don't think they should be cutting ANY drugs for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis because there are already so few options, and most of the options can make you incredibly sick.

It just pisses me off that insurance companies are allowed to play doctor. I trust my doctor about what meds I should be on, not some corporate financial jerk at my insurance company. The last time they tried to play doctor with me, they spent three months insisting that I take an anti-emetic that could've given me toxic megacolon (basically, your colon swells until it explodes, which is exactly as dangerous as it sounds).

[thickntired]

A friend's son had testicular cancer at a young age and saw Lance Armstrong's dr. This was ten years ago and each injection cost $4k! They had to put a 2nd mortgage on the house because naturally it wasn't covered.

[Chuckie13]

Until congress acts the pharmaceutical companies can charge "what ever the market will bear". In other words they can charge whatever they want'

[possum220]

Allow companies into the US who can make generics for the branded names. Medications are heaps cheaper.

[~Christina]

Big Pharma puts long patents on new medications and then a year or so before its up and generics can be made "they " come out with a Oh look it also treats X too , so patent is extended ...

Big Pharma knows all the loopholes and will suck the well dry.