Ways to Reduce Prescription Drug Costs
Eighty percent of adults think the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable, according to a KFF poll. This is why people don’t take their medications as prescribed.
MILWAUKEE – Life with rheumatoid arthritis can be debilitating. Nancy Koch, of Wauwatosa, lives with the disease every day.
“It affects the joints in your body and it causes a lot of inflammation,” Koch said. “I still hurt.”
To treat his illness, Koch was prescribed a daily tablet called Leflunomide. It is a generic version of the drug Arava. She has a hard time affording it.
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“A lot of times I have to go without it for several weeks,” Koch said.
Eighty percent of adults think the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable, according to a KFF poll.
This is why people like Koch don’t take their medications as prescribed.
“What I’m doing right now because I know I’m going to run out of it is I’m taking it every other day,” Koch said.
The same KFF poll finds that three in ten adults have not taken their medications as prescribed in the past year due to costs.
Koch says she lowered her rates by using the website GoodRx to search for the lowest prescription prices. The website shows local pharmacies selling Leflunomide for between $25 and $125 for 30 tablets. It shows unique deals as low as $2.50.
Koch says even $30 a month is a hardship. She and her husband live exclusively on Social Security.
Koch says her prescription was fully covered by Medicare Part D. She now has a copay.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) states that leflunomide is on the list of drugs it covers. The Medicare website states that it often places drugs in different coverage tiers, and that drugs in each tier have different costs.
Nina Yang, Milwaukee County senior benefits specialist, says there are programs that can help cover prescription drug costs. One is SeniorCare for Wisconsin residents over 65 years old. Another is Medicare Part D Extra Help, which helps people with limited resources and income.
Yang says more people will be eligible for additional aid next year thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.
“That income level is going to reach 150 percent of the federal poverty level,” Yang told Contact 6.
The new law will also cap out-of-pocket Medicare costs at $2,000 per year.
Some pharmacies also offer membership clubs that can also reduce costs. At Metro Market and Pick n’ Save, it’s Kroger Savings Club.
Kayla Hensley, health division manager for Metro Market and Pick n’ Save, says the club offers customers discounts on medications and can make several medications free.
“If a person’s current solution is to not take a prescription as prescribed, we will work to find a different solution for them,” Hensley said.
Pharmaceutical companies may also offer patient assistance programs. Koch says the Bristol Myers Squib Foundation covers the weekly injections she receives for her rheumatoid arthritis.
Koch says that when she is able to take her medication as prescribed, she feels better.
“I don’t feel good, but I feel better than without it,” Koch said.
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Help for you
Seniors can call various helplines for advice on their benefits and how to reduce prescription drug costs.
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