Re: Neupogen will cost me $1800 per month. What should I do?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

The province of Ontario has something called The Trillium Drug Fund. This

helps patients who need very expensive prescripion drugs. It came in handy

for me when my private insurrance paid 80% of my Gleevec cost. This left me

with an annual bill of $9,000 for Gleevec. After applying to Trillium, they

did a means test and the amount that I had to pay was only $3,000.

I am under the impression that Alberta has a similar program. Contact the

Alberta Health & Wellness agency. Also try the Alberta Cancer Board. They

cover the cost of medication for cancer patients.

Zavie

Zavie (age 68)

67 Shoreham Avenue

Ottawa, Canada, dxd AUG/99

INF OCT/99 to FEB/00, CHF

No meds FEB/00 to JAN/01

Gleevec since MAR/27/01 (400 mg)

CCR SEP/01. #102 in Zero Club

PCRU 5/02 at RVH

2.8 log reduction Sep/05

3.0 log reduction Jan/06

e-mail: zmiller@...

Tel: 613-726-1117

Fax: 309-296-0807

Cell: 613-202-0204

ID: zaviem

[ ] Neupogen will cost me $1800 per month. What should I do?

Hi everyone,

I feel like I have been on an emotional roller coaster the last few days and

I just want it to end. As I have shared in my posts before, I have been

struggling with low blood counts especially Neutrophils.

My doctor prescribed Neupogen to help them bump up so I can get back on

Gleevec. He thought my insurance would cover it even though it required a

special application. I didn't worry too much about it and I began the

injections. Since then all my counts have been slowly recovering. I was

elated as they have been descending ever since I went on Gleevec which was

July 06. Now I found out today that my insurance will not cover it. I don't

know what to do. It costs $1800 a month and that is half my pay check. I

also have 3 small children to provide for--I don't know what they expect me

to do, I don't have many options left.

My local pharmacy said they would cover the cost until the paper work went

through but now the request has been rejected and so I will have to cough up

the $1800 for the month I have already been taking the drug. I really can't

afford this. Does anyone (especially in Canada, or anyone in Alberta know of

any other way I can get this drug subsidized or anything else I can take to

help raise my blood counts?

Thanks for your help.

Cam

[Guest guest]

Hi from another Albertan,

I was under the impression, as Zavie says, that all " cancer " drugs

were paid for by the Alberta Cancer Board. We have not had to pay

for any Gleevec, or BMT related drugs, except the profolactic

(spelling isn't my strong suite)drugs. Is Neupogen used for

something other than cancer patients?

Suzanne

Adam's mom

CML dx'd March 04

MUD BMT Feb 05

www.caringbridge.org/canada/adam

--- In , " cjwilliams16 " <coralee.williams@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> I feel like I have been on an emotional roller coaster the last

few days and I just want it to

> end. As I have shared in my posts before, I have been struggling

with low blood counts

> especially Neutrophils.

>

> My doctor prescribed Neupogen to help them bump up so I can get

back on Gleevec. He

> thought my insurance would cover it even though it required a

special application. I didn't

> worry too much about it and I began the injections. Since then all

my counts have been

> slowly recovering. I was elated as they have been descending ever

since I went on Gleevec

> which was July 06. Now I found out today that my insurance will

not cover it. I don't know

> what to do. It costs $1800 a month and that is half my pay check.

I also have 3 small

> children to provide for--I don't know what they expect me to do, I

don't have many

> options left.

>

> My local pharmacy said they would cover the cost until the paper

work went through but

> now the request has been rejected and so I will have to cough up

the $1800 for the month

> I have already been taking the drug. I really can't afford this.

Does anyone (especially in

> Canada, or anyone in Alberta know of any other way I can get this

drug subsidized or

> anything else I can take to help raise my blood counts?

> Thanks for your help.

>

>

> Cam

>

[Guest guest]

Hi from another Albertan,

I was under the impression, as Zavie says, that all " cancer " drugs

were paid for by the Alberta Cancer Board. We have not had to pay

for any Gleevec, or BMT related drugs, except the profolactic

(spelling isn't my strong suite)drugs. Is Neupogen used for

something other than cancer patients?

Suzanne

Adam's mom

CML dx'd March 04

MUD BMT Feb 05

www.caringbridge.org/canada/adam

--- In , " cjwilliams16 " <coralee.williams@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> I feel like I have been on an emotional roller coaster the last

few days and I just want it to

> end. As I have shared in my posts before, I have been struggling

with low blood counts

> especially Neutrophils.

>

> My doctor prescribed Neupogen to help them bump up so I can get

back on Gleevec. He

> thought my insurance would cover it even though it required a

special application. I didn't

> worry too much about it and I began the injections. Since then all

my counts have been

> slowly recovering. I was elated as they have been descending ever

since I went on Gleevec

> which was July 06. Now I found out today that my insurance will

not cover it. I don't know

> what to do. It costs $1800 a month and that is half my pay check.

I also have 3 small

> children to provide for--I don't know what they expect me to do, I

don't have many

> options left.

>

> My local pharmacy said they would cover the cost until the paper

work went through but

> now the request has been rejected and so I will have to cough up

the $1800 for the month

> I have already been taking the drug. I really can't afford this.

Does anyone (especially in

> Canada, or anyone in Alberta know of any other way I can get this

drug subsidized or

> anything else I can take to help raise my blood counts?

> Thanks for your help.

>

>

> Cam

>