The health care experts call it financial toxicity. I call it an agonizing, stress-inducing, horrifying choice between financial ruin and treatment of a life-threatening disease.
BY KELLY IRVIN
PUBLISHED JULY 19, 2018
Kelly Irvin is a multi-published novelist and former newspaper reporter who worked in public relations for more than 20 years. She retired from her day job in 2016 after being diagnosed with primary lateral sclerosis, a degenerative motor neuron disease, and stage 4 ovarian cancer. She spends her days writing and loving her family.
The health care experts call it financial toxicity. I call it an agonizing, stress-inducing, horrifying choice between financial ruin and treatment of a life-threatening disease. For the purposes of this article, I’m talking about the latest advancements in the fight against ovarian cancer, but financial toxicity covers a myriad of advancements in cancer treatment that come with astronomical price tags.I’m taking a drug for maintenance treatment while I’m NED (no evidence of disease). Its role is to keep my cancer from progressing again. It’s been working for seven months. It’s also $14,164 for a one-month supply. Until July 1, I received co-pay assistance from the manufacturer for my share of the cost—about $3,000 a month.
Then I received a letter saying I’m now moving to Medicare because I’ve been on disability for two years. Thinking this was good news, I jumped into a whirlwind of preparation, notifying all my doctors and reviewing all my prescriptions for the transfer. Then the proverbially poo hit the fan. I learned about doughnut holes and catastrophic categories. Under my Aetna Medicare “advantage” plan, my share of this drug is $3,088 for the first month and $708.20 every month thereafter. In January, the costs start over, another $3,088. No out-of-pocket cap exists. Worse, Medicare recipients by law are not eligible for co-pay assistance.
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