JANUARY 13, 2020
Click HERE to Register for the MS Beacon Newsletter
THE high cost of multiple sclerosis treatments has forced 40% of patients to take “drastic actions” and alter their use of the medicines, such as cutting back or skipping dosages altogether. And many report the financial burden is not only hurting their lifestyle, but impairing their ability to save for retirement or college for their children, a new survey found.
For instance, 14% reported they switched to a generic, despite being satisfied with their existing treatment; 12% stopped using their medication for a period of time; 9% skipped or delayed filling a prescription; and 8% took less of their medicine than prescribed, according to the survey by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Meanwhile, the out-of-pocket costs associated with the medicines meant that 25% of the nearly 600 patients who responded to the survey spent less on themselves. In addition, 16% saved less for retirement or college, 11% spent less on groceries, 9% postponed paying other bills, 4% postponed retirement, and 2% took a second job.
“The survey findings continue to tell the real story of what it’s like for people with MS to get the treatment that they need,” said Bari Talente, executive vice president of advocacy for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which canvassed patients last summer. “It is these experiences and perspectives that should lead every conversation happening about drug pricing and access.”
The results emerge amid a wider national debate over the cost of medicines in general. Drug pricing has become a key pocketbook issue for many Americans, prompting the Trump administration to devise several plans, none of which have gained traction, and Congress to propose numerous bills. But whether legislation will proceed remains unclear.
The cost of multiple sclerosis medicines, however, has been one of the flashpoints, as studies have demonstrated that patients and taxpayers face rising costs.
Last year, a study in Neurology found that multiple sclerosis patients paid $15 a month average out-of-pocket costs in 2004, but that jumped to an average of $309 a month by 2016, a 20-fold increase over a 12-year period. Patients with high-deductible plans paid an average of $661 per month compared to $246 a month for those not in a high-deductible plan two years ago.
A recently study in JAMA Neurology found that over a recent 10-year period, rising prices for multiple sclerosis drugs caused Medicare spending for the medicines to rise more than 10 times, and Part D beneficiaries saw out-of-pocket costs increase more than sevenfold. Spending per 1,000 beneficiaries by the health program jumped from nearly $7,800 in 2006 to more than $79,400 in 2016.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
CLICK Red BOX to SUBSCRIBE to the MS Learning Channel on YouTube
Click Red Box on banner to opt-in
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
This Article is Provided by: #MSViewsandNews
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Visit our MS Learning Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/msviewsandnews