Re: The Cost of RA

[Guest guest]

Hi Tammy - I live in Florida and I don't have health insurance. My

Rheumatologist and my PC have special " cash " rates that help some. I try to time

the appointments so they are not too close together. Prescriptions are rough -

my PC told me the meds I am on for RA are " crap " - but that's all I can afford.

I have a card through totalrx.com that helps with the expenses somewhat. I

recently was approved for free Enbrel through the Encourage Foundation, so I am

hoping and praying that will help more than just the MTX injections and the

Sulfasalazine. I quit taking prednisone and backed off on my Neurontin (for FM)

because of severe weight gain, but that just put my pain levels even higher.

Basically, I just do the best I can with what I have. I finally got a hearing

date for SSD, so I pray they will approve me and then I will qualify for

Medicare and get the proper medical attention I need.

Just got to take it one day at a time. I try not to stress out about it all

because stress just makes things worse.....Doreen

Ok so I know the personal physical cost of having RA now, but I was shocked to

see the breakdown on my sunlife profile page. I had no idea I was taking that

much medicine. In the last year my insurance has paid for over $10000 in

prescription related costs and most of that is for my RA. Aside from birth

control and prozac which I need to control my RA symptoms. I was so shocked

because I am in a clinical trial so my rituximab is covered by the pharma

company or I would for sure be over $30000. My question here is for all you out

there that do not have this great coverage that we have here in Canada? Not

even all canadians have this great coverage I am lucky to be at the same job for

almost 20 years and I have great benefits but those that do not how do you get

by? How do you pay for your meds without drug plans? I am very interested in

knowing this as when I saw how much I was spending I felt badly that I take it

for Granted that it is just there. Anyway I think a great discussion on this

may open up some doors for those of us not on a drug plan and struggling to get

the meds they need. If it had been the other way around and it was my husband

diagnose dhe does not have a benefit plan I do not know where we would be!!! OMG

i feel so badly for those struggling and then the financial stress on top of the

RA they must be just in dire straits!!!

Tammy Compare Diagnosed RA in 2006