LLS told me Gleevec would become Generic in 2015. I saw where someone else posted it will be 2014. I read somewhere when Gleevec becomes Generic it will drop to $5.00 to $10.00 a pill. MY prayer is alway Dear Lord let Gleevec keep working for me, it has been 6 1/2 years now. The newer patents are even much more expensive.
Our insurance is BLUE CROSS OF MICHIGAN UAW RETIREE. Even though we live in Indiana all the auto makers hub is Blue Cross of Michigan.
My last shipment of Gleevec was over $5400.00 for 30 day supply of 400 mg each. My Blue Cross MI UAW RETIREE, prescription is contracted to Medco. My insurance is paying all but $20.00. I can tell you the insurance is not one bit happy, to pay it!!!!! The Gleevec goes up several hundred dollars a year, been on Gleevec since 2005. Insurance used to let me have a 90 day mail order, a couple week early. Now it is only a 30 day mail order, right down to the wire. Now I get a letter ever year, from the UAW TRUST where the insurance money is held, and my oncologist has to call UAW and tell them, I still need the medication, duh!! Then it has to be approved and then I get a letter from UAW Trust that it has been approved for another year, but no guarantee, as is subject to change depending on world economy. We also get a separate letter from the UAW TRUST regarding the status of our health insurance, basically that it is very weak, depending on the economics (not of the US) , but of the world's economy, so complicated. I have called the UAW Trust asking for the 90 mail order and what happen when I go away on vacation. They will allow me a one time extra shipment. UAW let's me know this is a lot of money for 1 400 mg pill and they are not paying for more then a 30 days supply at a time. And the approval for paying for Gleevec, is subject to change due to the turmoil of the world economy. I can only imagine what my insurance would say if i had to switch to the newer drugs which may even be two or three thousand dollars a month more then Gleevec depending on the drug and dosage.
One response, I got from a Medco Rep" was what do you care your not paying for it", well the truth is, one way or another, we are all paying, either now or later, for health care, and there is no assurance, my insurance will not drop my coverage, or will not increase my share of the cost. Chrysler filed bankruptcy a few years ago, and Chrysler put some money into a trust for insurance that is run by the AUTO UAW, I believe Chrysler was a few million or billion short. There are no guarantee there will be enough money in the insurance pot (VEBA) tomorrow. OUR deductible went up several hundred dollars this year. Plus we pay cobra for dental and optical, plus we pay part of our monthly insurance premium. Before my husband retired we didn't pay anything. Now our cost goes up every year. I mean the insurance has to come up with the money somewhere to pay for these expensive drugs and healthcare.
My husband worked 38 years and I worked 32 years. Hardly ever going to a doctor except for annual check up. Now in are elderly retirement years we pay out the nose. If we lose our insurance, I doubt that we would fit into Novartis guideline, which means we would have to eat up what we have worked for and mortgage our house out to pay for these med's.
Like I said we all pay one way or anther.
I don't know that the problem iis Obama care, or Congress Care. I think it is a myth to blame it on one party. The whole d... congress and the rich CEO's are running the county not one party!! Money rules!
Did you notice that all of congress has great insurance and perks, not just one party line.
PamSouth
