Rant- Pharmaceuticals Prices 11K for one Shot!!

[TNLib]

Ok so I just saw a copy of my EOB for my first chemo session. 11k was the price of one shot!! 600 out of pocket WTF?

This shot is needed after each chemo sessions just to keep the chemo from killing you. I'm suppose to have 6-9 chemo sessions just for front line treatment. How the hell can anyone afford this and I have good insurance.

This shit is out of control.

[Hotler]

1. +1

[MineralMan]

2. Yikes!

[RKP5637]

3. +1, n/t

[Uben]

4. Neupogen?

It was $200 for a drop of this in 2012. My wife received a couple of them before she died. They said they had to clear it with the insurance company before giving it to her. I told them I have cash and give it to her NOW! They did, and the insurance did pay for it.

It is literally a life saver. WBC increased to safe levels overnight! We definitely need to take the profit out of life-saving substances like this. Until we do, Big Pharma will continue to cater only to the rich. How do you think folks who cannot afford these drugs feel when their loved ones have to do without? The wealthy get to live, if you're poor, you die. I am very well off, and it pisses me off to no end to see those who are less fortunate go without.


I wouldn't mind paying their exorbitant prices if they would give it to the less fortunate free or at a greatly reduced price. I understand they need to recoup their costs for development, but making investors rich at the expense of the less fortunate.....well, just sounds so republican!

[TNLib]

7. Neulasta Pegfilgrastim

I'm guessing it's the newer version of Neupogen. Yeah it works great my WBC was high normal after my first chemo treatment.
But charging 11K is crazy and the copays are not doable for middle class.

I can afford this now because I'm still working but I'm stage 4 Ovarian Cancer. Long term I'm very likely to have a recurrence even after frontline treatment and I'm not sure if this is going to be sustainable for me financially.

[still_one]

5. What you are seeing is the list price. Generally that not what the manufacturer makes on the drug,

or what the insurance company pays for it. That does not mean that pharmaceuticals aren't charging too much.

They do similar things with Physician or hospitializations. There is a huge mark up that you see on the bill, but it isn't what the insurance company pays.

The problem comes with what the OP alluded to, for individuals that don't have insurance. They have no "group" pricing leverage available to them, and those in that category are price gouged, and in many if not most cases unaffordable

[TNLib]

8. They paid 7K

My husband works for the post office and has good insurance so yes larger insurance companies can negotiate discounts.

[zipplewrath]

6. Out of Pocket Limit

If your insurance is as "good" as mine was, you'll hit your out of pocket limit real fast during Chemo. I started in October, met my limit by November. The limit zeroed out again on Jan 1, and I hit the limit again on Jan 19. I ended up having every test and procedure I could that year. Seemed like a great year for a colonoscopy (oxymoron I know).

[TNLib]

9. Yeah the only problem is I was diagnosed in Sept

So I'll be hitting tha max this year and next.

[zipplewrath]

11. Yup

I'd saved alot of money if I had gotten sick in March instead of September. Stupid way to run a health CARE system.

[area51]

10. We need

single-payer health care right MFing now.