How Big Pharma Uses Charity Programs to Cover for Drug Price Hikes

[Egnever]

1. Its a scam

No doubt about it.

I take a drug that through my insurance has a $2500 per month copay.... after insurance. Insane! there was a point last year when I thought I was going to have to just give in and accept my demise. There is no way we could pay that I don't see how anyone could or even how my insurance company can afford to cover the large portion they do.

I was "lucky" the manufacturer offers copay assistance that basically erases my portion. I am quite sure they do that to keep collecting the outrageous amount they will still collect from my insurance company since without it I would have been forced to stop taking it.

It's a game, the manufacturer raises their prices, the insurance companies balk and raise their copays to try to limit their exposure, and the manufacturer does an end run by providing the difference in the copay.

I am grateful it is available as without it I would likely be dead in a year or two but I recognize it for the gaming of the system that it is. If I had another option I would tell them to stick it in a heartbeat.