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Re: The cost of Revlimid - what do you pay?
My friend was shocked when he needed Revlimid last week and learned that $3200 was his co-pay for 28 pills. Then I learned that through his Insurance (Anthem Blue Cross - Blue Shield) he could get it for $80 through their speciality drug plan and got it sent overnight to his house. It is a Tier 4 Speciality Drug and they charge $80 for 1 to 90 day supply however he could only get the 28 day dose.
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bk8mile
Re: The cost of Revlimid - what do you pay?
With all this money generated by chemotherapy etc, would pharmaceutical companies really want to find a cure for cancer??
What incentive do they have to find a cure when this huge profiteering would cease?
$10,000 for 28 pills? They should be brought to justice.
What incentive do they have to find a cure when this huge profiteering would cease?
$10,000 for 28 pills? They should be brought to justice.
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Dave - Name: Dave
- When were you/they diagnosed?: September 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 38
Re: The cost of Revlimid - what do you pay?
I can't see that it is the mandate of the editiors of the Myeloma Beacon to bring down drug costs. Those drugs are saving and prolonging the lives of myeloma patients. That has certainly been true for me...I would not likely be here without the help of those meds! I too look at the costs of them with dismay, since obviously not everyone could afford them without insurance plans or government healthcare programs. I hope that in the future the costs will come down...
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: The cost of Revlimid - what do you pay?
I have been on Revilimed since October of 2012, was very shocked at the $100.00 copayment with insurance. I'm on 28 days off 7 days then start my cycle again. I'm getting ready to start 6th round. I'm scheduled for a bone marrow transplant in May, will be starting a third chemo injection called Velcade to help get my Myeloma percentage down more. Can't wait to see the copayment for that.
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NDouglas
Re: The cost of Revlimid - what do you pay?
Revlimid (unless you have insurance costs $400 per pill or $8,400 per 28 day (on 21 off 7) cycle. The newer Pomylst will be more expensive $500 per pill or $10,000 per 28 day cycle.
Insurance costs bring this down substantially and even a $100 co-payment is a bargain when compared to full cost (works out to less than $5 per pill).
The problem is that all of the costs for research, development, FDA approval etc must be born by the potential customer base. With multiple myeloma, the customer base is relatively small. This is a situation where the federal government needs to step in. In order to keep the patients costs down there will have to be a subsidization of the drug manufacturer’s costs. The subsidization has to be accompanied with a cap on the prescription fees that can be charged to the patient. There are various ways this can be accomplished, including revisions to the current research tax credit. By revising the credit (which is very complex and restrictive) that would allow more costs to be eligible for the credit and making the credit refundable would help in defrying the costs. To get that benefit the drug manufactureres would have a cap on what they can charge for the new drugs.
With the concern on budget deficits, there is not a lot of political will in Washington for more government spending.
Thus unless there is a grass roots political movement by all cancer patients pulling together to exert influence, I don't see any change likely to occur.
Certainly the tea party and libertarian leaning legislators will be against any government subsidy/spending unless there is a reciprical offset somehere else in the budget.
Ron H
Insurance costs bring this down substantially and even a $100 co-payment is a bargain when compared to full cost (works out to less than $5 per pill).
The problem is that all of the costs for research, development, FDA approval etc must be born by the potential customer base. With multiple myeloma, the customer base is relatively small. This is a situation where the federal government needs to step in. In order to keep the patients costs down there will have to be a subsidization of the drug manufacturer’s costs. The subsidization has to be accompanied with a cap on the prescription fees that can be charged to the patient. There are various ways this can be accomplished, including revisions to the current research tax credit. By revising the credit (which is very complex and restrictive) that would allow more costs to be eligible for the credit and making the credit refundable would help in defrying the costs. To get that benefit the drug manufactureres would have a cap on what they can charge for the new drugs.
With the concern on budget deficits, there is not a lot of political will in Washington for more government spending.
Thus unless there is a grass roots political movement by all cancer patients pulling together to exert influence, I don't see any change likely to occur.
Certainly the tea party and libertarian leaning legislators will be against any government subsidy/spending unless there is a reciprical offset somehere else in the budget.
Ron H
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Ron Harvot - Name: Ron Harvot
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Feb 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: The cost of Revlimid - what do you pay?
medicare is paying $1,500 a month for my 10mg Revlimid capsules. the VA pays only about $ 6,000 a month. that is a ripoff to medicare.
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mmrgmoss
Re: The cost of Revlimid - what do you pay?
There is no 'cost of research' with Revlimid. It is a derivative of thalidomide. I talked to Celgene once about the cost of thalidomide. "Oh, it's a high tech drug. Cost a lot of money to develop." No, it's not - it was developed back in the 40's and 50's as a drug for nausea and found to cause serious side effects. 40 countries manufactured it and luckily it was prevented from coming into the USA by the FDA during the Kennedy administration because insufficient testing had been done. Testing was done later and it was found to be a good agent against cancer, esp. myeloma, so it was brought back under a controlled program. If you look at the cost of thalidomide once it came back from 1986, it started out as $2 / pill, then $3, $4, $6, etc until around 2008 it was $4400 for a 28 day supply. To ensure a monopoly, Celgene did some 'research & development', i.e. combined thalidomide with a placebo, gave it a new name, (Revlimid), did some cursory testing and now have exclusive rights to this 'new' drug - Revlimid. This is all about profit - they could careless about finding a cure. A cure would kill profit motive. They'd prefer to string us out 5, 10, 20 years and let us drop dead. There's no way this drug should cost $400 / pill. It's 'what the market can bear'. As long as insurance companies are willing to pay they'll keep pushing the price. And nobody in Congress gives a damn - both parties - demonrats and republicans - I'm certain their silence has been bought. Wait until Obummer care kicks in - I'll bet my premiums, currently at $20,000 / year go up 25 to 50%.
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Ripped Off
Re: The cost of Revlimid - what do you pay?
I live in the UK and get the drug for" free." I have been on it since Nov 2011 and will be on it till it stops working. I have had 2 cell-stem operations both short lived. this has been the the only option that I can say really works for me. In the UK our health costs are paid for through employment taxes and free care continues after you retire or stop working. I was first diagnosed in 2005 when i was 51. I took medical retirement in 2010.
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Peter(gm0nkx)
Re: The cost of Revlimid - what do you pay?
You have to look at the big picture, when your insurance pay for these meds. At how much it would cost for you to treat multiple myeloma in a hospital for a long period on time. Sometimes new meds and research cost big bucks. I feel for the one that don't have insurance. I am paying 70.00 for co-pay on 21 pills as of 6/2013 retail is now over 15k, but my Union pays 10,580.00 at the discount price.
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kenluvsladies
Re: The cost of Revlimid - what do you pay?
Hi ... just started and I pay $18.00 per 28 pills ...
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Revlimid