Practical Thoughts About Chronic Illness Medication Costs
Too many of us are being impacted by chronic illness medication costs. This is my story. A few weeks ago after a covid infection, my asthma went from a periodic after a respiratory infection to a daily occurrence that was wearing me out, and interfered with exercise and my energy levels. I was on a rescue inhaler and a high dose steroid inhaler that just wasn’t allowing me to be symptom free. My primary care doctor, referred me to a pulmonologist. After a two month wait, I sat down with her.
The good news was that she took one of the best histories and review of symptoms I have had from a physician. I felt like she totally had my story of past and current health issues in a few minutes. Her suggestion was to step up my treatment to an inhaler with 3 drug combo: Trelegy. Later I discovered it was after insurance $117 a month. For me after two weeks, I was no better and my coughing worse after using it.
She switched me to another inhaler Spiriva and said to continue the Breo Ellipta at a $100 a month, plus the rescue inhaler. A trip to the pharmacy revealed the Spiriva was not covered by Medicare part D and was $650 for 30 days. I couldn’t afford to add it to my already growing chronic illness medication costs budget for the year so I didn’t get it filled.
Back to the pulmonologist who prescribed five days of prednisone- total cost to me after insurance 33 cents! Yep 33 cents….. Three days later my asthma was completely controlled by my two regular inhalers.
As a retired health care provider, in my medical training, chronic illness medication costs were always a consideration for my patients. While today’s physicians are well trained, this pretense that either they don’t know how much the drugs cost, or don’t want to know or are helpless to do anything about it, is one of the saddest derelictions of duty in today’s world. In my situation rather than using newer uncovered drugs, a short course of prednisone would have given me the immediate, inexpensive solution. She should have known and recommended that.
As we take on more of our self care responsibilities, when looking at prescription recommendations, we need to be asking physicians and pharmacies, is there a more affordable option?
Finally I just reviewed my husband’s meds for reflux and had him switched from a drug called Dexilant that runs over a $100 a month, to Protonix at $2 a month.
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