Happy New Year! Yes, I'm a bit behind on publishing new stuff so I hope you'll forgive me. For 2015 I have decided that I want to make this year not about just getting to "brave" but to actually being brave and doing brave things. If you've not done this kind of resolution before, I highly suggest you try it. Pick your word and make it a part of your goals every day or every week!
I visited the pharmacy this week to pick up a prescription. It's medication I should be taking but haven't for the better part of probably 9 months. Now, while not taking it is not immediately life threatening or anything like that, it certainly does serve a purpose. My decision stop taking this medication was not based on the medication itself, really. Rather, because of the cost of the name-brand medication and honestly the difficulty refilling the prescription each month I just stopped ordering it. Over the past few months I've started to notice the effects of not taking this medication regularly and decided that it is worth the hassle to refill and the money I would pay out of pocket. (Ugh)
When I arrived at the pick-up window this week, I was shocked when the attendant told me the amount I must pay. "But I have insurance." The attendant reminded me that I had not yet met my annual deductible and would be paying this price each month until I had done so. "Haven't they released a generic for this yet?" The patient woman behind the counter assured me that the item in my bag is the recently released generic. What??? "Well, didn't I pay less for the name brand?" Again, the attendant explained that my previous orders were made post-deductible and the amount I had paid before was just a portion of the actual cost of the medication. She must have to explain these things alot, because she was very patient and understanding as I stared back at her with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. The attendant went on to explain that today I was paying full-price for the generic ($70) versus full price for the name-brand ($395). At that I politely shut my mouth, blinked my eyes and thanked her before driving away.
Only moments down the street, I began to process what I had just experienced. My medication is designed to keep symptoms at bay and without it I could experience some levels of deterioration at an accelerated rate. However, there are people out there that take various medications which they need to survive - like blood pressure, seizure, heart rate, or even treatment of various diseases or viruses that could be deadly. How is it then that we [the United States] allow drug manufacturers to charge people over 564% more than the generic? I mean, it's not like the manufacturers of the generic brand aren't making any money, there is a profit margin - I'd guess a healthy one - on their $70/box version. So how is it legal or acceptable for these name-brand manufacturers to "gouge" the public like this? It's my understanding that when a pharmaceutical company releases a new drug, they have a patent that allows them to sell their drug exclusively for 10-20 years in order to compensate them for the years of R&D spent on said drug, but selling it at +564% is obscene. No wonder insurance companies' premiums are through the roof. I certainly couldn't afford that each month, even with my insurance. What about people without insurance? What about people that take multiple medications? What about people on a fixed income? What about those living at or below the poverty line? I was outraged. Shouldn't someone do something? Shouldn't someone say something?
No one should ever have to consider not getting treatment - tests, medications or procedures - because of the hardship it would put on their families. It is unacceptable.
Father, I pray you will right this injustice. I pray you will not only grant healing over those suffering from illness and injury, but that you will empower those that will see to it that all of us have equal access to care for our health and wellness that we can afford. Thank you for your blessings over us. In the name of your son Jesus Christ, Amen.
