Sunny with a Chance of Clouds

I don’t want to get political here, but I think this blog might be. How does anyone without insurance do this?

I’m temporarily without prescription insurance, and my psych doc phoned in some orders for meds that I don’t need to refill immediately. But I didn’t tell that to CVS, and the pharmacy filled them and sent me a text that the meds are ready for pickup. I looked up the prices on their app. Two that I take are name-brand, not yet available as generics. A 30-day supply of one of them is over $2900, and the other is over $800. That doesn’t include the ~$150 for each generic drug!

I’ll be able to afford my meds once my new insurance kicks in, so I’m not concerned for me. But I truly wonder about this for others – for those with less or on fixed incomes.

I have a couple of friends who don’t have the insurance to help offset the costs of their antidepressants. I’ve seen their tears of frustration as they struggle for mental health and feel defeated, which just adds to depression misery.

What about folks on a fixed income with reduced medical benefits? How are they supposed to pay for their mental health medications if insurance companies remove effective medications from their approved lists?

What about newer medications that are improvements over what’s currently available, but they aren’t the reduced price of a generic drug? Many people are denied access to those improved meds, simply because the cost is out of reach.

What’s the pharmaceutical companies’ responsibility in this? Their research takes years and costs gazillions of dollars to find formulas and get meds approved, but do they recoup those costs on the back of the ill? How should this really work, and be fair? How can we get mental health medicines to the people who need it, in an affordable and timely manner? I don’t have answers, am not pointing fingers to blame. I’m truly asking – how can this be affordable? Is it the PollyAnna in me that wants this to be equal and easy?